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Gimpilator infinity/21M
Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 1684 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
video link
Intro (skip if you have a short attention span)
When Michael and I were trying to pick out a trip, I said it was a shame that we didn't have a 3rd partner for glacier travel, since the weather window would be so excellent for the Inspiration Traverse. He convinced Josh to repeat it.
Unlike myself, Josh is always willing to repeat peaks for the fun of it, especially if it's to help someone else out. He could have completed the Bulger List by now, but instead has done many of them 2 or 3 times. So in essence he would be our guide and not a lot of new research was necessary since he was familiar with the routes.
Now for a word of thanks. Having only one car to work with, I asked my father who is retired if he could help us out with the car shuffle ordeal. He agreed to do it. Thanks Dad!
Day 0
We would be going southbound ending in Cascade River valley, contrary to the norm. After dad dropped us off, we started hiking around 8:30pm and made 3 miles along Thunder Creek before camping.
Day 1
For our first full day, we aimed to reach Lucky Pass. Along the ridge above McAllister Camp, we were attacked by a horde of mosquitoes. Can't even put into words how bad it was. We later agreed that it was the worst any of us had ever seen during daylight hours.
Michael became seriously ill at Borealis Lake and we were afraid he was coming down with the flu. We discussed calling the trip off, but decided to wait until the next day just to see how he was feeling. Fortunately he recovered from whatever the illness was and we were able to proceed.
McAllister Ridge trail Red Mountain Tricouni Primus Logan Arches, Arriva chopsticks
Day 2
The icefall direct route below Lucky Pass didn't look great so we did the longer traverse option accross the Borealis Glacier. From the pass I wanted to climb Tricouni first because most parties skip it. Beckey says the ridge goes at class 3, and for once, that's true even by todays standards.
After Tricouni, we followed the east ridge on the far side of Lucky Pass to the summit of Primus which is broad and flat. We descended the west ridge for awhile and then dropped south onto a snowfeild to the edge of the North Klawatti Glacier. Austera Peak and Towers rose impressive above us to the south.
We had to traverse east for a long way to bypass the cliffs which separate the north Klawatti from the main Klawatti Glacier. On the main Klawatti Glacier we ascended west to the summit area of Austera Peak. Some snow on the route made the way Josh had gone before impassable. Fortunately I found a ledge which put us up near the false summit. We rappeled from the false summit down into a notch and I scrambled to the summit from there. Two more rappels and we were off the summit and scambling back to the glacier.
We had to rush now because it was late and we wanted to camp near Klawatti Peak. To reach the col southwest of the peak we had to pass over a rock wall. Josh climbed over the wall and then belayed Michael and I up. What we climbed felt like at least 5.7.
Borealis Lake on Tricouni Primus from Tricouni Logan and Goode Klawatti and Eldorado Tricouni register Goode Tricouni summit looking back at Tricouni looking up Primus Austera northeast face at center Snowfield group Goode on the North Klawatti Glacier Klawatti Peak Austera main peak and false summit coming over from the false summit Austera summit the wall
Day 3
After much inspection and debate, I refused to go up the south route on Klawatti. The snow looked rotten to me and broken up and steep with a bad runout. Josh and Michael were ready to go for it and half way up, but I called them down and we went back to the southwest buttress. This buttress was obviously technical at the base, but looked easier above. Josh led a long pitch which took almost all of our 30 meter rope and then belayed us up to the crest. It felt like 5.6 to me with maybe one harder move. There were numerous rap slings up here.
We scrambled good rock for a short while until we came to loose crap. There were a number of ways to go up class 3 / 4, but a lot of loose rock was present on the route as well as some exposure and it was sketching me out. I started complaining and being annoying and whining. Sorry Josh and Michael. But I still stand by the fact that I don't like this peak and the middle part of the southwest buttress is nasty unpleasant. Yuck!
The last bit to the summit was class 2 and good. The clouds cleared, just enough to see for awhile, before socking in again. On the way down I whined some more and complained and generally had a bad attitude. We moved our camp over onto the Inspiration Glacier near the Tepeh Towers.
the southwest buttress above the southwest buttress above Josh leading Klawatti summit I hate steep/loose/exposed looking back at Klawatti going to Tepeh Towers Klawatti alpenglow with southwest buttress front and center good view of Buckner and Forbidden from camp
Day 4
After a very lazy start, we crossed the McAllister Glacier to Dorado Needle. The snowfinger below the base of the climb was kind of shaped like a Z, because it had two bergschrund/moat formations coming in, one from each side. We had to tread carefully on the snowfinger.
Josh did and excellent job leading the climb in 3 short pitches. I especially enjoyed the challenging cheval up the knife-edge, which was really unique and not like anything I have done before.
On the way over to the Eldorado Glacier we had time for one more peak, but we had all done Eldorado before, so we opted for Peak 7733' which some have called Eggplant. It was easy snow and Class 2. Good views and worth the minor detour! We didn't fall in any holes in the boulderfeilds during the descent.
Dorado Needle snow finger 2nd pitch Michael a-cheval Dorado Needle summit awkward rappel the lower crevasse/bergschrund Eggplant! Moraine Lake from Eggplant summit Klawatti Peak Eldorado Triplets Johannesburg Torment
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Fletcher Member
Joined: 29 Jul 2009 Posts: 1870 | TRs | Pics Location: kirkland |
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Fletcher
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 10:50 am
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Looks great guys! So glad you got to do this together!
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RichP Member
Joined: 13 Jul 2006 Posts: 5628 | TRs | Pics Location: here |
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RichP
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 11:29 am
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Amazing trip and pics.
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Josh Journey a.k.a Josh Lewis
Joined: 01 Nov 2007 Posts: 4830 | TRs | Pics
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Michael Lewis Taking a nap
Joined: 27 Apr 2009 Posts: 629 | TRs | Pics Location: Lynnwood, WA (for now) |
This is one of my lifetime goals achieved. While I am still in pain, I do not regret it. Thank you Adam for inviting me and thank you Josh for leading and basically guiding. Special Thanks to Adam's dad for driving all the way out there. Some phos:
nobody knows whats going on Way too steep Primus fuel for Primus Peak Should we continue? sleeping in a nice place Blind shot Borealis Lake Josh taking a picture Adam taking a picture Josh barely eating Tricouni Pano S to NW Tricouni Pano NE to S Tricouni Josh looking Austere What's down there? Josh not so Austere bottom of the climb Austera popping over to klawatti Great ending to the day Fine Belay weather Adam belays Josh up Josh pitches out the start of Klawatti In the middle of it all Magic Swan Fingers Alpine Enthusiast Josh Raps Klawatti Adam Belays Josh down Tent below at Klawatti col Inspiring traverse to Eldorado Settling in Adam and Josh watch Sunset over Klawatti Wonderlust Sunrise from our camp on Inspiration Not really though. The reward is way more than I paid. Remnants Josh finds gold! Adam Edible Dorado Rapping Dorado snow Where did we start? Window From the first Belay station at the top of the snowfinger on W Ridge of Dorado Needle
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xuanxier Member
Joined: 09 May 2017 Posts: 80 | TRs | Pics Location: Vancouver, BC |
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xuanxier
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 12:01 pm
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Killer work up there guys! Wish I had asked and joined on this one but oh well. Guess next time.
I was going to suggest Klawatti/Austera/Primus a week or so ago but eventually I set on Olympus. Too tired to even think about another long haul right after Olympus given that I'm going for another 4-day mission this upcoming weekend. Did two day-trips in between (Corriveau, Little Tahoma) and still felt pushing it.
Saw this massive group of tall peaks from Eldorado Peak but didn't know you can actually access them from the north side too.
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neek Member
Joined: 12 Sep 2011 Posts: 2329 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle, WA |
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neek
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 12:13 pm
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Inspiring! Nice action shots. Always hard to stop and take one of those when you're in the middle of things.
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Mesahchie Mark A Lerxst
Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 700 | TRs | Pics Location: In Wonderland |
Great trip! Having made it to Primus and back from Cascade River Road, your one-way plan was a smart move.
Now I'm itching to get back to DN! I expect the snow fort was gone by the time you all passed by...
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awilsondc Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2016 Posts: 1323 | TRs | Pics
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zephyr aka friendly hiker
Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 3361 | TRs | Pics Location: West Seattle |
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zephyr
aka friendly hiker
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 1:30 pm
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Congratulations! Such a strong team effort. I enjoyed hearing the side stories and discussion points. It made it more real. Excellent photos to back up the story and inspire us at home.
What a cool looking tower this is.
Well done! ~z
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Distel32 Member
Joined: 03 Jun 2014 Posts: 961 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, WA |
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Distel32
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 3:08 pm
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Routes Member
Joined: 13 Apr 2016 Posts: 31 | TRs | Pics Location: Seattle |
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Routes
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 3:40 pm
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Amazing. Always love reading the summit register notes.
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
nice trip and cool pics I still need to go back in there and climb tricouni one of these days, at least you didn't skip it
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DIYSteve seeking hygge
Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 12655 | TRs | Pics Location: here now |
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DIYSteve
seeking hygge
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Fri Jun 30, 2017 4:46 pm
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Good TR and pics guys. Borealist-to-Eldo traverse is a great high route and deserves classic status. Getting around Austera Toe looks daunting from a distance but easy peasy when you get there.
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MangyMarmot Member
Joined: 06 Apr 2012 Posts: 474 | TRs | Pics
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Great trip. Lots of cool photos. Primus and Tricouni was one of my favorite trip last year. I hope to get back up there for the others.
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