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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 12:27 am 
I had half a day to play with on the Fourth, and the weather looked stellar so I packed my kit and headed up to the Pass to do a little exploratory task I've been putting off for some time. Like everybody else who uses the Kendall Katwalk to access the fun climbables north of the Pass, I'm always tempted to just launch directly up the Commonwealth Basin instead of taking that ridiculously circuitous PCT route which seems to add unnecessary miles to the approach. For years, I'd heard rumors of a secret route through the main Red Mountain drainage, but it looked too 'schwacky and heinous to take the gamble. Last Monday was a perfect opportunity to finally settle the question of the route's feasibility, as I had some spare time and no particular goal in mind apart from spending those free hours in happy solitary wandering--and so, to the hills! With the substantial late-season snowpack, this way to the Katwalk turned out to be fast, easy, and bags of fun! Just head up the Commonwealth Basin to the base of Red, then angle to climber's right and up the obvious 'lanche debris-strewn drainage. Near its end, you'll encounter a minor barrier where the terrain steepens for a bit. No biggie, just watch your step, grab vegetable belays when necessary and push through the 100 or so feet of jungle until you break out onto the beautiful, gently-pitched slopes directly below the Katwalk. Here you'll have a few feet of class 3 scrambling on perfectly solid rock before pulling yourself up onto the path. Conveniently, the choicest section of the Katwalk itself is completely melted out for about a hundred yards but, under current conditions, entering from the regular trail looks like a side-hilling nightmare! Leaving the Katwalk for Ridge Lake, I found a non-trivial snow step with footprints and a ski track from a previous party that may have entered the place the same way I did. Take care on this step, because the runout is horrible! The section between the Katwalk and Ridge Lake is fun and quick, and with the regular trail blocked, you're practically guaranteed perfect solitude! A snap of the melted section, taken from the top of the snow step. No slips allowed here!
A shot of the Red Mt. drainage-just follow the wreckage...
The barrier: watch your step and grab some plants.
The route puts you right under the best part of the Katwalk....and in less time than you'd spend on the regular trail if it were melted out! Of course, once the snow is gone, this could turn into a very ugly bushwack.
Gateway to pleasure....
Perfect lunch spot...
An old friend. I've climbed Thomson's West Ridge half a dozen times, and scrambled the East Ridge once or twice--both routes are highly recommended as enjoyable, moderate day climbs, although the last couple of pitches on the W. Ridge are a tad rotten...
Pretty Ridge Lake is still bootable...
...so is Alaska Lake by the look of things...
--enjoy! dizzy.gif

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puzzlr
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 12:44 am 
Very good info. I might take advantage of that easier access to get Thomson done myself -- I've never done any routes on it.

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Bernardo
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 1:12 am 
Nice trip and thanks for the information. The class 3 part is a significant obstacle and yes in summer the route can entail some heavy and slow bushwhacking if you are not lucky or careful in your route selection. I'm interested in Thomson this year as well.

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Grizzy
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 8:29 am 
Bernardo wrote:
yes in summer
Wait, this is Fall? I know what you mean, but it still trips me up...

All the birds have flown up and gone; A lonely cloud floats leisurely by. We never tire of looking at each other - Only the mountain and I. ~Li Po~
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Dayhike Mike
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 11:38 am 
Thomson was pretty easy going when I did it. No bushwhacking required. There's a good class 3 move at the very top, getting on and off the summit block, but for the most part, it's pretty easy / straightforward.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Bernardo
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 11:59 am 
Dayhike Mike, I enjoyed reading your classic report on your Thomson, Kendall, Red trip. I had at great time the day I went but I stopped at the move you referred to on the summit block of Thomson because I was hiking solo. My comments in response to this report about a difficult obstacle and bushwhacking refer to the off-trail route up to the Katwalk. The avalanche debris back there also makes it clear it's dangerous below Red Mountain in winter.

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Dayhike Mike
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 12:06 pm 
Ahhh! Yeah, definitely. The direct route up to the Katwalk is definitely a bit of bushwacking. Specially once it melts out. agree.gif Yeah, that one move at the top can be a little airy. Worse coming down than going up. I recall simply needing to support myself with my hands while I figured out where I was going to put my feet on the downclimb.

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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Dayhike Mike
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PostThu Jul 07, 2011 12:56 pm 
Also, forgot to mention -- thanks User-Name for the conditions update! agree.gif

"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -P.J. O'Rourke "Ignorance is natural. Stupidity takes commitment." -Solomon Short
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rbuzby
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PostSat Jul 09, 2011 9:17 am 
Neat adventure and access up Commonwealth! There's an old mineshaft not far from where you were. Summitpost claims climbing Thomson involves "20 feet of Class 4 (by the easiest route)". I remember the easiest way having just one spot where two hands were mandatory; class 3. Class rating should not be exagerated to scare people away. Instead, people should be educated so they know you can still fall and die on class 3.

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PostSat Jul 09, 2011 4:20 pm 
Yeah...the last bit of scramble before the summit ridge isn't much, but its airy position and mild exposure probably account for the higher rating. You've no doubt seen the well-established tat bundles at nearby rap stations, evidence for the general sense of alpine commitment that characterizes the sort of route that some would call a "scramble," others a "climb." I've only done the East Ridge a few times, and although I've never bothered to take a hand line, I found the terminal ledges tricky enough to negotiate that I completely understand why many people find it more efficient to just abseil the damned thing. Hey..all this talk of Thomson makes me want to go snag it again. I think I'm done with the West Ridge, though--the last time I climbed it, my buddy's belay stance collapsed under his feet, sending a hail of softball-sized rocks down on my noggin...not his fault, of course; the upper mountain is really quite rotten. Owell.... Mineshaft, eh? sounds kewl! I'll keep my peepers peeled if I ever use that shortcut again. *sigh* ...can't wait to get out of the office and back on the trail...I work on Saturdays....pity me. waah.gif

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Malachai Constant
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PostSat Jul 09, 2011 4:25 pm 
There was a particularly heartbreaking fatality near the top when a novice climber in a party without ropes froze up and eventually fell. It is best to not take such things too lightly. frown.gif

"You do not laugh when you look at the mountains, or when you look at the sea." Lafcadio Hearn
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TomG
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PostSat Jul 09, 2011 5:57 pm 
rbuzby wrote:
Neat adventure and access up Commonwealth! There's an old mineshaft not far from where you were.
I have not been, but I believe you are referring to this... http://www.2drx.com/2007/RedMtnHole/

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Bernardo
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PostSat Jul 09, 2011 11:09 pm 
Malachai Constant wrote:
There was a particularly heartbreaking fatality near the top when a novice climber in a party without ropes froze up and eventually fell. It is best to not take such things too lightly. frown.gif
Yes. The easiest route, even below the hard part, is very steep and if you get off route it gets much worse.

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