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ozzy The hard way
Joined: 30 Jul 2015 Posts: 475 | TRs | Pics Location: University place, wa |
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ozzy
The hard way
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Sun Sep 01, 2019 8:58 am
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This little gem has been on my radar for awhile now. I've been putting it off til I got the right partner and a nice weather window. Bryan was my partner once again and we headed for the swamp creek turnout under grayish skies. The roads were wet on the way so we knew we were in for a wet morning lol. I was willing to deal with the wetness so as long as the clouds cleared out. It wasn't looking very promising either. The noaa forecast was calling for mostly sunny skies after 1100. We arrived at the turnout around 0745 and had a slightly intimidating view of the day's objective! We left the car at 0800 to begin the sh##ty bushwhack! The first mile or so wasn't bad, there was a couple of avy swaths that were annoying but that's it. At 4400ft we started trending upwards to the path of least resistance then leveled out around 4600ft, from previous trs this is a little less brushy. We were slowly finding out why such a short route takes seemingly forever, lol. Lots of tedious travel. We finally broke out into the lower basin where we had some sweet views, Fisher and Repulse looming overhead still cloaked in clouds and a beautiful basin! The only thing we were hoping for was the weather to get better, it seemed as if it was. So we continued to pray to the merciful mountain gods and continue the schwack'! Towards the middle of the lower basin the bush was at its absolute worst! It was mostly waist high but thick and you couldn't see much for foot placement, patience was key for me through here. The slide alder thickets were sh##ty but short. I think we maintained a level traverse around 4700ft and we avoided any additional agony lol. Once through that our moral was restored, no more bush for now! Well at this point it felt more like goin swimming than hiking, we were stoked to be on some rock! So we aimed for the leftmost waterfall and made our way up through the talus. Once at the waterfall there is a gully to the left that everyone usually ascends, but I wasn't goin up that. It was too wet and steep, maybe doable with snow. So we searched around for another way. Success! If you get on the right side of the fall there is a few ways to get up on the spur. Once on that climb straight up through bushes, once you come to a wall start working your way left. You gotta squeeze through a tree then make an exposed class 3 move to get on top of the wall. You're kinda hanging over the waterfall at this point lol! After this it's an easy walk to get into the upper basin proper! We made it there at 1200. We ate some lunch by the waterfall up here and took it all in! Wow! What awesome little place, and praise the mountain gods/noaa forecast the clouds were lifting all around! It was turning out to be a killer day!
Bryan coming into lower basin praying for clouds to lift lower basin bush there's our fall come on blue skies don't take gully on left climbing talus above waterfall thank god, first views of upper basin thank you so much mountain gods Bryan just getting to upper basin lunch break and liquid courage
After soaking it in we made our way up slabs and gullies to get our first view of the 7240ft notch! It was apparent there was no need for snow travel here so the pons and axe had a free ride up to this point. We made short work to the notch and once again, Wowwww! The views of the interior are something to behold! We took another little break here and scouted the route ahead. I had some good beta from stefan/fay/matt trs so I was pretty confident in staying on route. Thank y'all by the way! When we started to climb I kinda just found my own way though lol. I was on route a few times then other times I think we were a little higher. We dropped about 50ft on the west side then started up a dirty gully to a notch between a boulder and a wall. The gully crossing here is rather loose so care was taken. From here the climb stiffened up and we worked our way 200ft up a ridge that had some fun class 4! When said climbing exceeds class 4 back off and look left for a small ledge that gets you across next gully. Now you can hang a right up the gully or go to the left to the broken wall. Either way you need to get to the tree on the side of the wall, when you get there the is a narrow ledge you can step down into. Its exposed too. From here you are under the false summit, so we just climbed straight up and once on top you follow the knifey ridge all the way to the promised land!! Amazzzzinggg views!! The historical summit register was the cherry on top! We made the summit around 1500, so slower than most but we made it lol! Drinks were had, views absorbed into our weary minds, register signed, what a day to be alive! I remember looking at Repulse from Arriva last year thinking why no ever climbs it lol! Well now I know!! The approach sucks and if you're not a fan of exposure it's terrifying lol! I don't think I've climbed a peak where I was never on a trail at some point but now I have haha!The climb is generally on sound rock and is sustained class3-4 for almost 700ft!! Soooo much fun!!We basically just climbed up until we had to back off then we just started looking climbers left working up or down and access was always granted in one form or another. Rock fall was a major hazard at times especially it the gullies.
7240 notch looking down into upper basin and the only snow notch views west from notch happy place bryan dropping down from notch up to the first notch just below first notch, the loose gully crossing looking back at bryan at first notch class 4 for a little afternoon snack yewwww! goodtimes black pk dominating stoked bryan on top of false summit, easy peasy from here!! lol bryan looks hungry here, cool little register tin when in Rome, or on top of a sweet ass peak!! so cool awesome pure joy too many beauties to name
We stayed on the summit over an hour and signed the register. Crazy how seldom the peak is climbed and the last person up there was in 2013!! I love fun obscure peaks! We reluctantly made our way down and my memory slowly started to come back as we pieced our route back together. I had fun down climbing too and we were back at the 7240ft notch in 30mins. Took our last break and prepared mentally for the hell that awaited, the schwack'. We ended up getting halfway through the bad brush before darkness set in then it was really slow going the rest of the way to the car lol! We made it back at 2300 so it ended up being a pretty long day! Thanks stefan/fay/matt for the helpful reports and to the rest of nwhikers' finest for all the help over the years! It was a goddamn Glorious day to be alive!! Cheers to all!
departing, slowly lol ridge leading to false summit looking back at main summit hell awaits the little tree ledge, people have repelled here before bryan in negotiations with the tree ledge one of many gullies broken wall area where one can go left or right bryan on the thin ledge, kinda hard to find but it's the only way to cross the gully classic ncnp skyline back across the loose gully crossing 7240ft notch sun gettin low below waterfall again, bryan stands where we gained the spur don the headlamps, this is gonna suck lol
“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
“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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Mike Collins Member
Joined: 18 Dec 2001 Posts: 3086 | TRs | Pics
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Everyone has seen the peak from SR-20 but it still has only occasional visits. Thanks for letting me rejoin a memorable summit.
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raising3hikers Member
Joined: 21 Sep 2007 Posts: 2343 | TRs | Pics Location: Edmonds, Wa |
Very nice! Good to see a TR on this one. Maybe iron will do this one with me someday?
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Jake Robinson Member
Joined: 02 Aug 2016 Posts: 521 | TRs | Pics
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Really nice Ozzy and Bryan you guys are having a great summer
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yukon222 Member
Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 1893 | TRs | Pics
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yukon222
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Tue Sep 03, 2019 4:23 pm
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ozzy wrote: | one of many gullies |
Great stuff! Hard to even see your friend as he is coming down this steep gully!
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Midnight Slogger 'Schwack Job
Joined: 04 Aug 2017 Posts: 96 | TRs | Pics Location: Greater Cascadia |
ozzy wrote: | one of many gullies |
Could be too generous to call that a "gully"...
Love these trip reports. Thanks for putting this one on my radar, Ozzy.
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Bootpathguy Member
Joined: 18 Jun 2015 Posts: 1787 | TRs | Pics Location: United States |
ozzy wrote: | there's our fall |
What a gorgeous basin! Fall colors already starting.
Thanks for sharing
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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puzzlr Mid Fork Rocks
Joined: 13 Feb 2007 Posts: 7216 | TRs | Pics Location: Stuck in the middle |
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puzzlr
Mid Fork Rocks
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Wed Sep 04, 2019 11:31 am
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Impressive stuff. Thanks for the report.
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Sepultura Member
Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 29 | TRs | Pics Location: Chugach |
Nice one, love that peak. So few ascents.
That first ascent team is hardcore. We repeated their route in 2009 and yes, the traverse from Fisher is beautiful choss.
Repulse is also the flagship peak for the elusive: Repulsive 69, a list of summits still far from being completed....
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veronika Member
Joined: 25 Apr 2010 Posts: 3015 | TRs | Pics Location: On the road |
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veronika
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Thu Sep 12, 2019 11:35 am
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Take risks not to escape life, but to prevent life from escaping
I may not have anyone rocking my world right now but, I don't have anyone messing it up either.
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JasonG Member
Joined: 01 Aug 2017 Posts: 11 | TRs | Pics Location: Mount Vernon |
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JasonG
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Sat Sep 28, 2019 9:46 pm
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Whatever you do, don't repeat the Firey route! When I ran into Joe (RIP) years ago and mentioned that we had repeated his route on Repulse he laughed and replied, "Not much good rock up there!"
I have a piton on my wall that Sepultura pulled while on rappel, as we howled for him to stop and get his weight off the rope. Yowza.
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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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Sun Sep 29, 2019 2:11 pm
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Where can I find the Repulsive 69 list??
Nice job Ozzy!!
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ozzy The hard way
Joined: 30 Jul 2015 Posts: 475 | TRs | Pics Location: University place, wa |
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ozzy
The hard way
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Sun Sep 29, 2019 9:46 pm
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Fletcher wrote: | Where can I find the Repulsive 69 list??
Nice job Ozzy!! |
Thanks Fletcher, and I was wondering about the Repulsive 69 as well! Sounds like a gnarly list, cheers!
“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
“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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Sepultura Member
Joined: 05 Aug 2013 Posts: 29 | TRs | Pics Location: Chugach |
The Repulsive 69 list is kind of a mythical thing... rumors of its content keep circulating. It was loosely based on climbing scripture and notes from one of the original choss dogs Dallas Kloke. Since his passing the torch has been carried on by those summit bagging tricksters the Choss Dog Millionaires with input from peak collectors and loose rock admirers here on NWH and CC. I know Jason G and Trent have been rumored to have an on going master list brewing....
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iron Member
Joined: 10 Aug 2008 Posts: 6391 | TRs | Pics Location: southeast kootenays |
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iron
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Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:58 pm
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the master list is complete. but, you will need to pry it from cold, dead hands.
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