[User-Name]

Arranged to do some climbing on Cutthroat with a couple of office buddies. Our team leader is a very experienced French alpinist who jogged the crux pitches, climbing way below his skill level--it was a pleasure to watch this guy in action. The trip was bound to turn into a bit of an epic, since we didn't leave town till 7:00 am and started from the wrong trailhead, a mistake that resulted in a two-hour 'shwack up the entire West Ridge, beginning from its base. Still, we had just enough time to top out, descend, and get to the approach trail before the cell phone flashlights came out of the packs. Hitched a ride backto the wrong trailhead to finish a fantastic--if ill-conceived--day in the hills! Some pix...

Getting lost can have its rewards: grabber views at the start of the W. Ridge...

Finally at the base of the peak, we moved up one chossy, dusty gully..

Pitch #1 takes you up a steep step, followed by some sketchy slab. Get past this, and you're rewarded with a fantastic carry across a knife-edge ridge leading to the summit blocks...

We simul-climbed the ridge on the way up, choosing to downclimb ropless on the descent. The ridge is airy and exposed in spots, but the holds are plentiful and solid.

Easier ground after the first pitch...

A series of newer chains made for quick rapelling later in the day...

Climbers high on the ridge, with Whistler Mountain behind...

Summit blocks. After exhausting my strength in a mid fifth-class, off-width chimney, I reached a point that required a pull-up with finger cracks on a massive flake. Sensing I was almost totally spent, my partner sent the other rope end down, I made a prusik loop and simply aided above the flake. I'm getting too old for this sort of thing. Ditching my pack at the base of the summit blocks in anticipation of the chimney, I had no camera for the final push. My partner did get some summit pix with his phone.

Completely pooped, but on top. Yay!

Rapping off the four bolted anchors gets you down quick...

[olderthanIusedtobe]

Climbed I believe the South Buttress many years ago. Memories are getting kind of vague, but it was beautiful up there. There were a bunch of pitches. We should've simul-climbed most of them, but we pitched them out so it took a long time. Also many repels, which also took a long time. We got off the more difficult terrain but weren't even remotely close to getting back to the car before dark. I remember one move I got to do that was described as a "Tarzan swing." That was interesting. I seem to recall getting temporarily stymied by some layback moves just before the summit. Anyway with taking way longer than we anticipated and then having to drive for a couple hours before we got within cell phone range, my buddy's wife thought we were probably dead before he was able to get in touch with her.

[NorthwestWanderer]

Sometimes getting lost leads to finding some of the best stuff. Like probably walking or seeing where no other persons been before. Excellent trip report, love that area