Forum Index > Trip Reports > The Chilliwack Choke ~ Moxes ~ Redoubt ~ Rahm ~ Custer ~ 8/5-10/17
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Fletcher
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009
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Location: kirkland
Fletcher
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PostFri Aug 11, 2017 10:43 am 
Reed, Jake, and I had been planning this trip for weeks. The stoke was high. Then the smoke blew in.. Then the forecast got sketchy.. We considered bailing and going elsewhere.. Then, we decided we should probably just man up and go send it, because thats what Larry would do. This trip report is dedicated to him. Thanks for the continued inspiration Larry.
Short Version Day 1: Depot Creek Road to 7100' camp at the head of the Redoubt Glacier (11 hrs) Day 2: Hard Mox (11.5 hrs) Day 3: Redout, Easy Mox, move camp to ~6200' tarns on rib above Lake Ouzel (18 hrs) Day 4: move camp to Lake Ouzel, Rahm, Custer (15 hrs) Day 5: hike out (5 hrs) Long Version Sunday, August 6th Jake picked me up straight from work in South Lake Union at 1am. We decided to drive to the trailhead in the night so that we could get started at a decent time. We picked Reed up, who drove most of the way there so that Jake and I could get a little bit of sleep. What a guy! The border crossing was a breeze. Chilliwack Lake Road was in horrible condition. Somehow, I managed to sleep all the way out to the trailhead. We were hiking at 7:35. A few miles in we came to the border swath. This was the smokiest air I had ever hiked in.
deteriorated road bed on the Canadian side
deteriorated road bed on the Canadian side
smoky
smoky
border swath
border swath
As soon as you cross the border, you enter nice forest. It was already hot and humid in the forest.
smoky forest
smoky forest
big tree
big tree
just before the waterfall slabs
just before the waterfall slabs
We cruised up through the forest with about as big of packs as any of us had carried for such an approach. We came to the waterfall slabs in the late morning just as a group of 4 were rapping it. They had just climbed Redoubt and reported horribly smoky conditions but we knew it was supposed to improve the next day. There was a lot more water running down Depot Creek Falls than the first time I did this approach. We got soaked by spray, which was refreshing after all the hard work it was getting to this point.
Jake climbing the waterfall slabs
Jake climbing the waterfall slabs
Depot Creek Falls
Depot Creek Falls
Depot Creek smoke
Depot Creek smoke
Upper Depot Creek Falls
Upper Depot Creek Falls
After the slabs, we ascended climbers trail and talus to gain the headwall below the flat marshy area at 4800'. We took a long lunch break at the campsite there. In the meadowy area just beyond that, we came across 2 parties of 2. They accounted for the 2 remaining of 3 total cars we'd seen parked at various distances up Depot Creek Road. We'd have the Chilliwacks to ourselves.
talus climbing
talus climbing
Lake Ouzel ahead
Lake Ouzel ahead
local views were good
local views were good
There is a lot of tedious travel from that 4800 ft campsite to Lake Ouzel. Basically, follow cairns along the north side of the creek. If you get off route, get back on. We crossed a few braids of the outlet of the lake to get below the ledges leading to the Redoubt Glacier. The water was frigid. We took another break there. We'd hoped to climb Redoubt that evening, but it wasn't looking like we were going to make camp in time. It was okay, we'd find time later.
rising above the lake
rising above the lake
nice ledges
nice ledges
Jake, ledges, and smoke
Jake, ledges, and smoke
Redoubt Glacier
Redoubt Glacier
We roped up on a slab at the toe of the glacier. It looked cruiser. I was pretty gassed and knew the last 800' to camp would be a haul. We were all stoked to relax for the evening.
Redoubt Glacier
Redoubt Glacier
Redoubt Glacier
Redoubt Glacier
Redoubt Glacier
Redoubt Glacier
nearing camp
nearing camp
We found some awesome places to sleep for the next few nights. The slabby bivy spots with running water are top-notch. If it hadn't been so damn smoky, I bet the views wouldn't suck either. We arrived at camp around 6:30. We ate a ton of food that night. I drank a couple cans of red that I'd hauled up. Worth the weight? Larry would think so. Sleep came easy, before dark I think. It had been a long day and we had a task at hand in the morning. Monday, August 7th We set out for Col of the Wild and Hard Mox at 5:30. We were able to utilize snow to drop much of the 600' you must drop into the basin below. It was mostly melted out. I had some notion that traveling through this area was unpleasant but we found it to be quite nice. We were saving the sh##ty terrain for later, I guess.
traverse to Col of the Wild
traverse to Col of the Wild
divine light calling us toward SE Mox
divine light calling us toward SE Mox
Rusted Ridge and Bear
Rusted Ridge and Bear
Col of the Wild
Col of the Wild
thankfully, we had a lot of snow
thankfully, we had a lot of snow
We had to climb 150' of talus/scree to finish our climb to the col. It was awful in there. And only a sign of things to come for the following days. We only took 90 minutes to get here from camp. We left our trekking poles, and began following the route along the Ridge of Gendarmes. The beginning of the route is obvious from the col. Just start scrambling up the ridge. The smoke situation seemed to be improving. Good views were opening up to the west. Morale was high.
Shuksan, Baker, Bear
Shuksan, Baker, Bear
Jake scrambling above Col of the Wild
Jake scrambling above Col of the Wild
Reed at the "boulder move step", really just a class 4 move or two
Reed at the "boulder move step", really just a class 4 move or two
more terrain beyond Col of the Wild
more terrain beyond Col of the Wild
dudes with Easy Mox
dudes with Easy Mox
The route from Col of the Wild to the notch where Hard Mox first comes into view is mostly class 2. Terrain is generally loose and sometimes exposed, but we felt like this was all pretty easy. Rounding the corner and seeing the objective up close is pretty rad. The terrain is gnarly. If Larry could send it, we could too.
Hard Mox
Hard Mox
We continued down dirty ledges, traversing below the ridge crest, on the north side now. We soon came to the famed exposed ledge just above the steep snow-filled gully you must descend. This is definitely a no-fall zone, just like much of the route on Hard Mox is, but we found it to be pretty trivial. The rap down the snow gully was trivial as well, although we noted we'd be climbing class 4 to get back up it later. A short scramble down from the bottom of the rope brought us to the ledge that rounds a buttress and leads into the final gully system before pitched climbing.
Reed on the ledge
Reed on the ledge
Jake crosses the ledge
Jake crosses the ledge
rapping snow gully
rapping snow gully
As all the other beta states, the most rightward gully is the correct one. You have options on how you would like to enter the gully, none of them look particularly appealing. We ended up doing what Radka did last year. Its class 4, its exposed, its Hard Mox cool.gif
Mox gullies
Mox gullies
Jake GETTING IT
Jake GETTING IT
typical gully terrain
typical gully terrain
Reed climbing some stuff with high consequence
Reed climbing some stuff with high consequence
Jake on some nasty shit
Jake on some nasty sh##
As you climb the gully, it constricts. We were super careful about rockfall and felt like we did it fairly safely. The upper half of the gully goes pretty much all class 2 and 3. We were all excited to start the pitched climbing. I can't remember what time we topped out of the col.
narrow
narrow
gnarly
gnarly
I got to lead the first pitch. I forgot to take a any pictures of it. The route finding and the climbing was all fairly easy. Its essential to check all of your holds in here. Its pretty damn loose, the loosest 5th class I had ever lead. The pitch goes out right, then comes back left. Before I knew it, I was at the huge nest of webbing that makes the first belay anchor/last rap anchor. Our 60m rope was just long enough for Reed and Jake to climb the pitch separately. After belaying them both up, Jake prepared to lead the 2nd pitch.
first Mox anchor
first Mox anchor
The 2nd pitch started off super easy for Jake, then he asked us for some beta on where to continue. We neglected to pull out any of the mass amounts of beta that we had with us and told him to just continue up the ridge crest. Big mistake. This created a bit of a pickle for us temporarily but Jake handled it well and got back on route. Lesson learned. He finished the pitch and belayed Reed and I up. The 2nd pitch is hardly 5th class. Same rules as before, check your holds.
2nd pitch
2nd pitch
Reed on the 2nd pitch
Reed on the 2nd pitch
Once at the top of the 2nd pitch, we unroped and scrambled to the top. The scramble is class 3 and exposed. Then Hard Mox was in the bag. Larry would be stoked for us if he knew.
Hard Mox finish
Hard Mox finish
dudes finishing Mox
dudes finishing Mox
summit
summit
two hard dudes that just made the summit of Hard Mox
two hard dudes that just made the summit of Hard Mox
Views were pretty decent, and the smoke seemed to be clearing up. This was a summit that all of us were pretty excited to get. We hung out on top for awhile. I celebrated with chili-cheese fritos.
Custer and Spickard
Custer and Spickard
Rahm
Rahm
summitshot
summitshot
reg entry
reg entry
After maybe 35 minutes on the summit, we began our descent. We bypassed down climbing the scramble portion by rapping right off the summit. I fun rappel! Two more straight forward rappels brought us back to the top of the gully.
rap 1
rap 1
rap 2
rap 2
Reed on rap 3
Reed on rap 3
We started to rap the gully, but quickly decided that was stupid and we were just risking our rope's health, plus our own. We down climbed most of it, rapping down the class 4 step, where things open up near the bottom.
downclimbing the gully
downclimbing the gully
airy
airy
out of the worst of it
out of the worst of it
We gathered some cached gear at the bottom of the gullies, rounded the corner, and climbed some airy class 4 to get back to the top of the snow gully. Across the airy ledge, up some more dirty ledges, back to the notch, then back down to Col of the Wild. Piece of cake!
looking back
looking back
Jake returning to CotW
Jake returning to CotW
Our thoughts on Hard Mox? It really wasn't that hard. The scrambling and climbing was never that difficult and we felt comfortable the whole time, CotW to CotW. That being said, this is a very, very serious peak. As soon as you leave the col, and even more so when you enter the gullies, you are in a dangerous place. A place where you aren't really supposed to be. Very careful rock fall management was really important for us to do it semi-safely. Also, we were super stoked and the trip was just beginning! hungry.gif Descending Col of the Wild sort of sucked, then we made great time back to camp at 6. We drank, ate, and discussed the next day. To remain semi on-schedule, we'd need to climb both Redoubt and Easy Mox, as well as move camp down toward Lake Ouzel. We needed to start early.
Reed dropping Col of the Wild
Reed dropping Col of the Wild
impressive walls above the basin
impressive walls above the basin
awesome place
awesome place
sweet bivy
sweet bivy
Tuesday, August 8th Alarms went off at 2:45. The near full moon made headlamps hardly necessary. After some breakfast and coffee, we were on the move at 3:45. The snow was pretty soft but we still made good time up to the notch that gives access to Redoubt's south side. To gain said notch takes class 4 scrambling. We traversed underneath Redoubt's flying buttress in the dark, and began climbing snow and scree upward as first light hit.
class 4 for breakfast
class 4 for breakfast
trying to find the way up Redoubt in the dark
trying to find the way up Redoubt in the dark
getting light
getting light
We nailed the route on Redoubt. We climbed a snow filled gully for several hundred feet until the terrain opened up around 8000'. Here, it looks like the gully to the right goes, but don't be tempted, its the wrong way. We trended climbers left over a rib and found ourselves at more open terrain a hundred feet or so higher up.
the moon and Bear
the moon and Bear
kicking steps toward The Highway
kicking steps toward The Highway
getting high on Redoubt
getting high on Redoubt
the highway
the highway
"The Highway" (a nice rightward trending ledge) was obvious above. This lead to the gullies below the summit. We picked our way up the gullies, quite easily, to the crux chockstone gully. After going up this feature (cl 4) one at a time, we were just a short scramble from the summit. We topped out at 6:25. It was windy and chilly. Sadly, the wind was blowing the wrong direction, and it was smokier than hell. A huge step back from the day before.
scrambling above the highway
scrambling above the highway
gullies, left is correct
gullies, left is correct
redoubt terrain
redoubt terrain
fun stuff
fun stuff
getting Redoubt
getting Redoubt
Chockstone gully
Chockstone gully
chockstone
chockstone
sunrise
sunrise
final scramble
final scramble
reg entry
reg entry
summitshot
summitshot
We stil had a long day ahead of us, we hadn't even had our oatmeal yet, so we didnt stay long. One rap down the chockstone gully, and one more down the gully just after that. The rest of the descent was gravy. By the way, the route up Redoubt is incredibly cool, became an instant favorite of mine!
chockstone rap
chockstone rap
descending Redoubt
descending Redoubt
back at the highway
back at the highway
descent
descent
descent
descent
back at the notch
back at the notch
the smoke has made a comeback
the smoke has made a comeback
We cruised back to camp, arriving around 8:30. Then we threw that great time out of the window, as it wasn't until 2 hours later that we had camp packed up and we were dragging our sorry asses back across the Redoubt Glacier. There are two "rock tongues" that one must either go under or over on the way over to Easy Mox. The second one is easy to go over at 7200'. Thats what we did, stashing all of our unneeded gear in some rocks there on the way over. Glacier travel got a little more serious on the other side of the tongue but it was still easy. There are some big cracks on the eastern Redoubt Glacier! We made great time to the moat complicating access to the route up to Easy Mox's north ridge.
crossing the eastern Redoubt, the snow finger in the middle was our access off the rib
crossing the eastern Redoubt, the snow finger in the middle was our access off the rib
hopefully the moat will go!
hopefully the moat will go!
dudes with Redoubt
dudes with Redoubt
some steeps
some steeps
Problem was... There was no obvious way across. There was once snow bridge in particular that was super thin, but I was tempted to try it. We set up a dead man to belay exploration of the moat. Reed crossed the snow bridge, which was scary to watch. No way would I trust that thing for 6 crossings. We searched for safe passage for over an hour until Reed said he saw a collapsed chunk of snow that looked like we could use to step down across the moat onto flat rock. I literally had to lay down on my stomach and peer over the edge to see if it was the definite answer. Boom, this made the step down easy. We belayed this spot, just because some sort of snow collapse would probably ruin our day.
easy
easy
sort of glad we didnt have to cross this 6 times, it wouldnt have lasted
sort of glad we didnt have to cross this 6 times, it wouldnt have lasted
The scramble up from the glacier was committing. It was exposed and involved one move of hugely exposed low 5th. The terrain eases as you climb, and we made quick time up to the ridge.
terrain gaining Easy Mox's north ridge
terrain gaining Easy Mox's north ridge
dudes climbing
dudes climbing
Reed pulls the crux
Reed pulls the crux
easing up
easing up
on the ridge
on the ridge
It was getting late in the day and our hope was the summit by 5pm. We kept moving. The ridge consists of a lot of class 2 and 3 with a few more difficult steps thrown in here and there. There are a few sections that are pretty exposed.
Reed working Easy Mox's north ridge with Spickard
Reed working Easy Mox's north ridge with Spickard
Bear and Spickard
Bear and Spickard
Jake ridge running
Jake ridge running
The north ridge of Easy Mox is quite long but we cruised it. Eventually you come to gendarmes that stop you from going any further along the ridge crest. Luckily, theres a class 3/4 gully dropping down the east side. Descend here and its a really short distance on ledges to the base of the one pitch of technical climbing. We roped up and I lead it. It was a little tougher than I'd imagined. Tougher than anything on Hard Mox (technically speaking). Jake and I thought maybe 5.5 or 5.6? It would definitely be a lot easier in climbing shoes which we didnt bring. Larry wouldnt have needed climbing shoes to send it.
Easy Mox
Easy Mox
Jake dropping the gully
Jake dropping the gully
the pitch
the pitch
I got to the top of the pitch and found that the single piece of neon green webbing, which looked pretty new, had been torn. Lightning strike? Animal chewed through it? Not really sure. I built and anchor and belayed Reed and Jake up. From there, Twin Spires Completion is just a short scramble away. I lead the last bit to the summit with the rope, just to get it up there really. There isn't a need for a belay here.
hanging at the anchor
hanging at the anchor
Easy Mox finish
Easy Mox finish
The views were, once again, smoky. We had gotten used to it, this was The Chilliwack Choke, after all. We topped out at 4:30. No register. My 90th Bulger Peak.
summitshot
summitshot
SE Spire
SE Spire
Custer, Rahm, Spickard
Custer, Rahm, Spickard
Redoubt
Redoubt
Pickets
Pickets
We left the summit just after 5. We built a rap anchor where the neon green one had been. All 3 of us were just a little nervous to rap off of that rock, it doesn't seem totally bomber.
Jake raps
Jake raps
Reed raps
Reed raps
We cruised down the ridge, thankful to have left some bottles underneath a snow patch at the low point, we'd gotten low on water. The first rappel back down to the glacier traverses hard, skier's left. It isn't particularly difficult, but i thought it was really awkward.
cruxy step on the way back down the ridge
cruxy step on the way back down the ridge
awkward rappel
awkward rappel
the magical spot we found to cross from snow to rock
the magical spot we found to cross from snow to rock
Back on the glacier, we roped up quickly and cruised over and up to our gear cache at 7200' on the rock tongue. It had already been a long day, and we still had aways to go.
Jake with Redoubt
Jake with Redoubt
Reed with Redoubt
Reed with Redoubt
poor guy
poor guy
We finally arrived at the 6200' tarns at 9:30 and decided to camp there that night instead of dropping all the way to the lake. We were beat, it had been a 17 hour day. Dinner was inhaled, we drank some everclear, and passed out. We had another long day ahead of us tomorrow. Wednesday, August 9th We slept in until just after 5 and got moving quickly. We were fording the chilling waters of the Ouzel outlet before 7. We found a suitable campsite above the lake, dropped gear, and ate more food in preparation for another taxing day. We set out for Silver Pass just after 8.
awesome tarns we bivied at night 3
awesome tarns we bivied at night 3
working down slabs back to Lake Ouzel in the morning
working down slabs back to Lake Ouzel in the morning
Lake Ouzel
Lake Ouzel
morning ford
morning ford
morning ford
morning ford
We absolutely crushed it up to Silver Pass, arriving at 9:15. We then climbed loose terrain above the pass to gain easier terrain and begin our long traverse over to Mount Rahm.
Redoubt
Redoubt
Reed setting strong pace toward Silver Pass
Reed setting strong pace toward Silver Pass
traverse to Rahm
traverse to Rahm
The traverse to Rahm was pretty pleasant, with minimal ups and downs. We utilized existing snow fields when we could. Only some of the terrain was loose and annoying. We stopped about halfway across at a great water source. We encountered some airy class 3 to get into the long and loose class 3 gully that gains access to Rahm's upper slopes.
Rahm and Devils Tongue
Rahm and Devils Tongue
a little tedious terrain
a little tedious terrain
the gully
the gully
climbing the gully
climbing the gully
almost out of the gully
almost out of the gully
slog to Rahm
slog to Rahm
From the top of the gully, we hauled to the summit of Rahm in 22 minutes, arriving before noon. Nice views, probably better without all the damn smoke.
Rahm views
Rahm views
beautiful Canada
beautiful Canada
Custer and Redoubt
Custer and Redoubt
Rahm summitshot
Rahm summitshot
Rahm reg entry
Rahm reg entry
Now we had a decision to make. How to tackle this piece of sh## Custer? We knew the ridge traverse from Rahm went, but it was supposed to be super sketchy. It turns people around. We just couldn't stomach the notion of getting all the way over there and finding something we weren't comfortable with. We decided to drop down, traverse back the way we came, and go check out the south ridge. The risk of failure outweighed the chance for success. And after getting to know Custer a bit throughout the rest of the day, I think we made the right call.
descending Rahm
descending Rahm
scramble to exit gully
scramble to exit gully
Reed and Silver Lake
Reed and Silver Lake
Jake eating mayonaise
Jake eating mayonaise
Silver Lake again
Silver Lake again
We traversed most of the way back toward Silver Pass, until we got to a rib that would obviously go to gain Custer's South Ridge. Annoying talus scrambling brought us to the ridge. If only I'd known that that was just the beginning. I got pretty gassed trying to keep up here. We knew the south ridge was also supposed to be super sketchy, so we weren't seriously considering climbing it, but we weren't sure how we were supposed to drop down into the basin SW of the summit. We scrambled north along the ridge, into increasingly sketchy terrain, trying to find something that would go but nope! It became clear we had to backtrack aways.
Reed on Custer's South Ridge
Reed on Custer's South Ridge
Jake on Custer's South Ridge
Jake on Custer's South Ridge
We scrambled back south for 25 minutes or so until we came to the top of a massive talus field that looked like it would grant access into the basin below. What horribly sh##ty terrain this is in here. The talus is big, and everything moves. I didnt enjoy it very much. It was becoming clear to me that Custer is a really good reason not to climb the Bulger List. Sadly, it was too late for me, I was too far gone.
horrible talus descent
horrible talus descent
I think the beta we had for gaining Custer's West Ridge from here was "pick your poison", so thats what we did. The scree slog up to the ridge was such garbage, it was comical. It actually gets pretty dangerous as you get higher up, we began encountering scree on more solid rock below that sometimes meant some pretty precarious stances. A fall would lead to a serious cheese grating.
picking my poison
picking my poison
garbage
garbage
Reed slogs Custer
Reed slogs Custer
Once on the ridge, we scrambled more horribly loose terrain either on or south of the ridge crest to Custer's loose and sh##ty summit. Worst peak any of us had ever climbed. No register. We finally topped out 5:15.
Jake finishing Custer
Jake finishing Custer
Jake relieved to be gone with Custer
Jake relieved to be gone with Custer
Reed finishing Custer
Reed finishing Custer
Custer summitshot
Custer summitshot
Redoubt
Redoubt
Spickard, Moxes
Spickard, Moxes
Silver Lake
Silver Lake
We didnt stay on the summit long, it was getting late. We chose a different poison for the descent. The prominent red gully west of what we ascended. It was the loosest scree slope we'd ever been on. We triggered a few scree avalanches and couldn't help but laugh as we rode them down into the basin.
Reed becoming a true choss boss
Reed becoming a true choss boss
glacial remnant art
glacial remnant art
looking back at horrible terrain to Custer
looking back at horrible terrain to Custer
After descending horrible talus forever, we finally began rounding Pt 8205. I was tired and cranky. We traversed around back toward Lake Ouzel around 6400'. We encountered a few difficulties on the traverse, but made everything go.
Redoubt is such a pretty mountain
Redoubt is such a pretty mountain
staying positive
staying positive
making it go
making it go
finally above camp
finally above camp
We stumbled into camp at 8:20, sore and exhausted. It was fitting that the mosquitos were atrocious. My Backpackers Pantry Risotto with Chicken was probably the best thing I had ever eaten. I drank whatever whiskey I had left too and I'm sure it was delicious.
Redoubt sunset
Redoubt sunset
the only thing the smoke is good for
the only thing the smoke is good for
I didnt sleep well our last night. It was buggy and too hot. Friday, August 10th Reed and Jake had aspirations of getting an alpine start on Spickard before we hiked out (I'd done it a couple years ago) but we were all nearly out of food, fairly spent, and wanted to beat the heat out of there. We were hiking at 6:05. Deproach went quick and easy, we were drinking cold brew at the car before 11am.
I love Redoubt
I love Redoubt
one more
one more
upper Depot Creek Falls
upper Depot Creek Falls
Jake coming down the waterfall slabs
Jake coming down the waterfall slabs
back at the border
back at the border
nice feet
nice feet
The swim and bath in Chilliwack Lake was one of the most refreshing experiences of my life. Seeing feminine figure again was also quite refreshing. I felt like I had almost forgotten what that looked like. While we were drinking cold draft beers, waiting for our Italian food to arrive at the table in Chilliwack, we all couldn't stop laughing. The Chilliwack Choke was a success.

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Jake Robinson
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Joined: 02 Aug 2016
Posts: 521 | TRs | Pics
Jake Robinson
Member
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 11:06 am 
Awesome trip, Larry would be proud. Gotta give credit to Larry for keeping the morale high throughout the entire Choke. Here are my photos: Day 1: Approach to Redoubt Glacier camp
Depot Creek road walk
Depot Creek road walk
Are we seriously about to go climb in this?
Are we seriously about to go climb in this?
Creek crossing
Creek crossing
Smoked out
Smoked out
Climbing to Lake Ouzel
Climbing to Lake Ouzel
Redoubt
Redoubt
Lake Ouzel outlet ford
Lake Ouzel outlet ford
Finally getting close to camp
Finally getting close to camp
Slabby access to the Redoubt Glacier
Slabby access to the Redoubt Glacier
Day 2: Hard Mox
Hard Mox beckons
Hard Mox beckons
Great water sources and cruiser terrain on the way to Hard Mox
Great water sources and cruiser terrain on the way to Hard Mox
Kicking steps to Col of the Wild
Kicking steps to Col of the Wild
Improving views
Improving views
Col of the Wild
Col of the Wild
Typical class 4 step
Typical class 4 step
Yeah baby!
Yeah baby!
Approaching the infamous traverse...
Approaching the infamous traverse...
...which wasn't bad at all. Nothing compared to the other stuff higher up.
...which wasn't bad at all. Nothing compared to the other stuff higher up.
About to rap down the snow to the base of the Hard Mox gully
About to rap down the snow to the base of the Hard Mox gully
Hard Mox looking hard
Hard Mox looking hard
Impressive views despite the smoke
Impressive views despite the smoke
The gully is mostly horribly loose class 3
The gully is mostly horribly loose class 3
Rockfall management is crucial here
Rockfall management is crucial here
Class 4 with loose crap everywhere
Class 4 with loose crap everywhere
Looking down from the base of the pitched climbing
Looking down from the base of the pitched climbing
Fletcher about to lead the first pitch
Fletcher about to lead the first pitch
Fletcher leads
Fletcher leads
Loose exposed fifth class, the pro was mostly psychological, doubtful it would have held a serious fall
Loose exposed fifth class, the pro was mostly psychological, doubtful it would have held a serious fall
Easy Mox and Redoubt beyond
Easy Mox and Redoubt beyond
Reed follows pitch 1. Every pitch we did this trip was under 30m, making it super doable and easy for 3 people with a single 60m rope.
Reed follows pitch 1. Every pitch we did this trip was under 30m, making it super doable and easy for 3 people with a single 60m rope.
Final summit scramble
Final summit scramble
Summit
Summit
What the hell are we doing up here?
What the hell are we doing up here?
Reed and Spickard
Reed and Spickard
Both of tomorrow's goals in the background
Both of tomorrow's goals in the background
First rap (nearly 30m)
First rap (nearly 30m)
Reed rappels
Reed rappels
Second rap (also nearly 30m)
Second rap (also nearly 30m)
Third rap
Third rap
Rapping the top of the gully. Should have skipped this one and just downclimbed.
Rapping the top of the gully. Should have skipped this one and just downclimbed.
Final rap at the bottom of the gully
Final rap at the bottom of the gully
Back up the downsloping traverse
Back up the downsloping traverse
Endless loose class 3/4 on this route
Endless loose class 3/4 on this route
Down from CotW
Down from CotW
Beautiful scenery on the way back to camp
Beautiful scenery on the way back to camp
Dinner, cocktail, and sleep before 9
Dinner, cocktail, and sleep before 9
Day 3: Redoubt and Easy Mox
Damn it, the smoke is horrible again
Damn it, the smoke is horrible again
Below Redoubt's summit scramble
Below Redoubt's summit scramble
Unnervingly smoky
Unnervingly smoky
Route up redoubt goes up the snow to the right-trending sloping ledge (the highway), up the highway, then trends up gullies left until climbing through the cannon hole to the summit.
Route up redoubt goes up the snow to the right-trending sloping ledge (the highway), up the highway, then trends up gullies left until climbing through the cannon hole to the summit.
Climbing the highway
Climbing the highway
Bear?
Bear?
Looking down the route
Looking down the route
Up the pictured gully, then left
Up the pictured gully, then left
Class 4 through the cannon hole
Class 4 through the cannon hole
Reed climbing to the cannon hole
Reed climbing to the cannon hole
Summit "views"
Summit "views"
Fletcher bags Redoubt
Fletcher bags Redoubt
Downclimbing to the cannon hole
Downclimbing to the cannon hole
Rapping the cannon hole
Rapping the cannon hole
Redoubt flying buttress
Redoubt flying buttress
Back down to camp, then off to Easy Mox!
Back down to camp, then off to Easy Mox!
Ridge-running Easy Mox
Ridge-running Easy Mox
Easy Mox ridge
Easy Mox ridge
What an amazing place!
What an amazing place!
Summit block in sight
Summit block in sight
Hard Mox looks burly from this angle...well all angles, really
Hard Mox looks burly from this angle...well all angles, really
Col of the Wild
Col of the Wild
Fletcher leads Easy mox
Fletcher leads Easy mox
Felt like about 5.5 to me, which is significantly spicier in mountaineering boots and when every hold is suspect
Felt like about 5.5 to me, which is significantly spicier in mountaineering boots and when every hold is suspect
Fletcher on the summit of Easy Mox
Fletcher on the summit of Easy Mox
Hard Mox
Hard Mox
Redoubt is such an awesome peak
Redoubt is such an awesome peak
Fletcher and Spickard
Fletcher and Spickard
Lake Ouzel 3000 feet below
Lake Ouzel 3000 feet below
Loving life!
Loving life!
Back down the ridge, about to finish off what ended up being an 18 hour day.
Back down the ridge, about to finish off what ended up being an 18 hour day.
Day 4: Rahm and Custer
Packing up camp, preparing for a slog.
Packing up camp, preparing for a slog.
Fording Lake Ouzel first thing in the morning
Fording Lake Ouzel first thing in the morning
Traversing to Rahm. From Silver Pass, we climbed up and left for a few hundred feet over loose class 3, skirting above some steep snow, and then traversed talus and snow all the way to Rahm. Wasn't so bad, we made great time. .
Traversing to Rahm. From Silver Pass, we climbed up and left for a few hundred feet over loose class 3, skirting above some steep snow, and then traversed talus and snow all the way to Rahm. Wasn't so bad, we made great time. .
Climbing talus to Rahm
Climbing talus to Rahm
A little bit of scrambling on the way to Rahm
A little bit of scrambling on the way to Rahm
Climbing talus to Custer's south ridge. This is when the real fun began.
Climbing talus to Custer's south ridge. This is when the real fun began.
This might go...
This might go...
...nevermind, horrible exposure and loose rock, let's find another way
...nevermind, horrible exposure and loose rock, let's find another way
Beginning the talus hell
Beginning the talus hell
At least the views of Redoubt are nice
At least the views of Redoubt are nice
Lost in talus
Lost in talus
Garbage
Garbage
Ridin' the send train till the wheels fall off
Ridin' the send train till the wheels fall off
So bad, it was funny. We were laughing the whole way up.
So bad, it was funny. We were laughing the whole way up.
Shitty garbage fire of a peak
sh##ty garbage fire of a peak
This entire mountain is falling apart
This entire mountain is falling apart
About to do some serious scree surfing
About to do some serious scree surfing
Cool feature below Custer
Cool feature below Custer
Redoubt
Redoubt
Still smoky
Still smoky
The route was pretty unpleasant all the way back to camp
The route was pretty unpleasant all the way back to camp
Glad to be done with the worst peak any of us have ever climbed, another 14 hour day in the bag.
Glad to be done with the worst peak any of us have ever climbed, another 14 hour day in the bag.
Day 5: Deproach
Redoubt from the deproach
Redoubt from the deproach
Steeps above the falls
Steeps above the falls
Screw you, Custer!
Screw you, Custer!

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Matt Lemke
High on the Outdoors



Joined: 15 Jul 2010
Posts: 2052 | TRs | Pics
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Matt Lemke
High on the Outdoors
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 2:02 pm 
Nice work guys! Too bad about the smoke frown.gif I still have to go back for Custer and Easy Mox

The Pacific coast to the Great Plains = my playground!!! SummitPost Profile See my website at: http://www.lemkeclimbs.com
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wildernessed
viewbagger



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wildernessed
viewbagger
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 3:17 pm 
up.gif You guys are "highly" motivated !

Living in the Anthropocene
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Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis



Joined: 01 Nov 2007
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Josh Journey
a.k.a Josh Lewis
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 3:29 pm 
up.gif up.gif Nice work fellas. Loved that place, still good looking even in all that smoke.

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dicey
custom title



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Location: giving cornices a wider berth
dicey
custom title
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 6:38 pm 
up.gif I wonder if anyone else (besides me) has done Custer twice? I certainly won't be going back for a third time! lol.gif

I'm not always sure I like being older but being less stupid has advantages. http://www.flickr.com/photos/32121172@N00/sets/
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raising3hikers
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raising3hikers
Member
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 6:59 pm 
you guys certainly covered a lot of ground up there up.gif that's a very productive trip! btw, I will always stand by the rahm to custer traverse:) I would not want to climb up that slop that custer offers, it was bad enough going down it.

Eric Eames
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ozzy
The hard way



Joined: 30 Jul 2015
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ozzy
The hard way
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 8:55 pm 
Its a dirty job but someones gotta do it! Way to send it dudes! Epic journey and a dubious success. Cheers bros! ps larry is my new hero, ha ha hell yeah!

“I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I wanna have my kicks before the whole shithouse goes up in flames”-Mr Mojo Risin
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cartman
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cartman
Member
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 10:13 pm 
Very strong effort, guys. Way to nail the routes, and thanks for all the pics and the beta. Now go vacuum your lungs.
Fletcher wrote:
It was becoming clear to me that Custer is a really good reason not to climb the Bulger List. Sadly, it was too late for me, I was too far gone.
agree.gif agree.gif agree.gif bricks.gif crazy.gif At this rate you might finish this year after all.

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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks



Joined: 13 Feb 2007
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Location: Stuck in the middle
puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
PostFri Aug 11, 2017 10:48 pm 
I've only climbed two peaks in that area, but that's enough to know how much determination and strength it took to pull off everything you did. Way to go! up.gif

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Brushbuffalo
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Location: there earlier, here now, somewhere later... Bellingham in between
Brushbuffalo
Member
PostSat Aug 12, 2017 6:46 am 
Fine effort and lively TR. Too bad about the smoke. Reminds me of iron and hotpantz' big adventure from a few years ago...smoked out!
Fletcher wrote:
It was becoming clear to me that Custer is a really good reason not to climb the Bulger List.
Well said. Isn't it odd how we get enthralled with altitude or prominence rather than other aspects of mountains? I'm as guilty as the next person, although all of the reports serve as reinforcement for me to never climb Custer. It shows what happens to old volcanic rock. It doesn't get better with age!

Passing rocks and trees like they were standing still
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KTizzle89
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Joined: 04 Aug 2017
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KTizzle89
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PostSat Aug 12, 2017 11:45 am 
Gnarly dudes!! Nice work Ps love the note for Beebee

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Gimpilator
infinity/21M



Joined: 12 Oct 2006
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Gimpilator
infinity/21M
PostSun Aug 13, 2017 1:31 am 
Nice job guys! Very cool trip despite the smoke and choss.

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Bernardo
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Bernardo
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PostSun Aug 13, 2017 5:21 am 
Wow. Nice trip!

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ira
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Joined: 23 Aug 2010
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ira
Member
PostSun Aug 13, 2017 10:48 am 
Nice job fletcher getting all those peaks. it's quite the haul getting up there and then climbing long hours day after day. I was just there but only did easy mox. congrats!

-ira
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Forum Index > Trip Reports > The Chilliwack Choke ~ Moxes ~ Redoubt ~ Rahm ~ Custer ~ 8/5-10/17
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