Tag: PNW

climbs in the USA’s Pacific North West

Eldorado Peak, West Ridge

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A couple years ago, Will and I climbed the North Ridge of Eldorado, a fairly rarely climbed rocky ridge up the popular peak. The route gave us spectacular views out over the western flank of the mountain, exposing what looked like a much wilder side. Among the jumbled glacier patches and broken rock towers, the West Ridge ominously cracked it way up through the skyline. It was gnarled and blackened, with massive teetering spires and gendarmes; it looked evil, it looked wicked. [...]

Dorado Needle, Southwest Buttress

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Will and I had come off a long climbing day just the past day.  Our 6:30am alarm was too early.  While the West Ridge of Eldorado did not destroy us, but it did take a good bit of our energy.  We looked at the peaks.  Early Morning Spire and Dorado Needle.  They were just right there.  Right there.  I never wanted to walk back into this basin again either.  “You game?” “Yeah.” [...]

Vesper Peak, Ragged Edge

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Vesper Peak’s Ragged Edge had consistently sat in a little corner at the bottom of our massive to-do list in a section labeled “other”.  Out of the sun?  Check.  Moderate enough to not burn us out for the Bugaboos a few days later?  Check.  Local classic status?  Check.  Okay, that’s the one.  We packed 7 liters of water and filled one up with electrolyte powder.  Heatwave, here we come. [...]

Mt. Adams, Adams Glacier

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Annually since 2019, Jessica and I have humping our gear up the Killen Creek trail hoping to find the route in favorable conditions.  With the overheard objective hazard that this glacier presents, neither Jessica nor I wanted conditions to be anything less than stellar.  We were looking for was a good snow fill, with extremely low avalanche hazard, and cool temperatures.  Those variables finally looked like they’d line up for a splitter window on the July 4th weekend of 2022. [..]

Le Petit Cheval, Spontaneity Arete

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Most of the climbs I choose to share about are amazing, and I love sharing them so other people can feel the confidence to go feel that amazing experience as well.  Some are so bad that I just want to forget, and some are just forgettable, neither of which usually make it to this blog.  And then, some….some are just annoying.  This one, dear readers, was just annoying. [..]

North Early Winter Spire, Chockstone Route

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We decided that this moderate mixed route would climb to be the first “alpine climb” of our season. I had descended the Chockstone Route last year after Justin and I had climbed the Early Winter Couloir.  That was an exiting yet challenging ascent that we had shot for too late in the season.  The Chockstone Route, just on the other side of the gully, looked and ended up feeling like a lightweight version of the much more serious EWC.[..]

Mt. Hood, Sandy Glacier Headwall

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A year ago, Jessica and I climbed a route on Mount Hood that we had been eyeing for quite some time, the Cathedral Ridge.  The route was just as dramatic and stunning as we had expected.  What neither of us expected was to be as awestruck when we crossed over the Yocum Ridge and were absolutely awestruck by the massive Sandy Glacier Headwall.  “Oh my god, this is huge”, distinctly went through my mind. [...]

Mt. Stuart, Complete North Ridge

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I didn't sit down to take the time to write anything after this climb, so this entry is more of a photo dump with a bit of commentary. Stuart's North Ridge definitely earns its spot as a Cascades ultra-classic in my book. Thanks Alan Rousseau for leading this climb, one of the coolest guys in the mountains out there!

South Early Winter Spire, South Arete

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Jess and I had spend the last week tracking the snowfall closely. Our goal was to climb a north side Rainier route on the Memorial Day weekend, but a half-yard of snow dump a few days before ruined our plans. We drove as far away from the snow we could get- out to Vantage for [...]

North Early Winter Spire, Early Winter Couloir

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A week beforehand, a bunch of mixed alpine route beta from WA Pass started spraying on Instagram, and we wanted to partake in the fun. We arrived to the iconic hairpin turn on the highway. The weather was colder than the warm forecast, and we were feeling good after a few glugs of Yerba Matte. It was fairly clear where we were going even in the pitch dark, and after about an hour of following some boot pack and crossing over some shitty tree wells, we found ourselves at what seemed to be at the bottom of the route. [..]