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253 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 07:08 AM
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A re-do from a failed attempt last year.
Day 1 -Mt. Cook and Weart
At 6am, I was on the road heading North, without any concrete plan and destination in mind.
I've been meaning to re-do NE Arete of Wedge since the failed attempt last year with Adi. While standing at the ba...se of the arete, a thought came across, "this is can be easily done solo"
I was at the gravel road by 9am and my ghetto 2wd could not get up to the trailhead, that added 1-1.5km of hike.
Coincidentally, I ran into Adi's group who will be doing the same route . I found out that there were another 2 BCMC groups planning to climb Wedge via North face and NE Arete.
Long slog to the lake, passed several groups on the way up. The last group was 3 BCMCers .
Dropped my pack at the hut and hiked Mt. Cook. The saddle from the ridge to the summit was easy to cross. It took me 4 hours round trip.
Back to the hut to get my backpack and continued to the glacier where I would spend the night to climb Wedge via NE Arete.
Dropped my pack at the campsite and off I went to climb Weart via Wedge-Weart ridge.
 -Wedge
 - Horrible talus at Mt. Cook
 - The ridge to the summit
 - Summit Shot
 - The saddle to the summit Still covered with snow
 - Armchair Glacier
 - Heading up to the glacier to camp out.
 - North face of Wedge. 2 BCMCers camped out at the top of the icefall
 - Wedge-Weart ridge
 - last glance at Weart
 - Sketchy cornice at Weart, crossed it.
 - Back to the camp by 10pm.
Day 2 - NE Arete of Wedge and Parkhurst
Woke up at 3am, the 2 groups of BCMC were already up, could see from the distance. Adi's group getting ready, as well. Adi have chosen the icefall approach towards to the base of the arete. I wasn't rope up so I started at the lower part of arete where I caught up another group. The ridge was knife edge and exposed. Three of us soloed the arete to the summit.
I descended at West ridge and downclimbed the steep section of the ridge to col. I could have rapped down but rocks were too loose. It was long and painful descent.
Got whiteout at Parkhurst and couldn't see the ridge to Rethel, bailed out.
Back to the camp by 11:30 and made to my car by 3:00pm.
 - knife edge ridge
 - steep
 - last section of the arete
 - Adi's group
 - looking back at my route
 - Almost to the summit
 -Summit shot
 - lesser Wedge and James Turner
 - 30 mins away from the summit, clouds moved in
 -from this angle I could see the trail down below, did not follow it, though
 - col, Parkhurst, and Rethel
 - not a short cut after all at the col. Crampons on a vertical wall of snow
 - col, ridge to Parkhurst
 - whiteouts
 - found the summit cairn of Parkhurst
 - the ridge to Rethel, weather was getting sketchy
 - looking back at my route, downclimbed that snowwall from West ridge of Wedge
 - Parkhust- Wedge col. dropping to the glacier
  - lake, hiked out. |
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over the hills and far away
Canada
708 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 08:29 AM
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| Sweet trip man! Hoping to be there in August... Good accomplishment. |
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 Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3993 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 09:17 AM
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Yeah, that's an impressive two day trip. Two thumbs up . |
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bandana wearin', pole huckin', view lovin', dog herdin', 4x4 navigatin', lake huntin', butt-slidin' bridge crosser, who enjoys postholing with an overnighter pack
Surrey, BC
Canada
4646 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 09:36 AM
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SOLID    . Way to get things done!!! Great pics |
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Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1002 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 09:52 AM
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Great summit shot. |
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831 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 10:41 AM
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I initially thought you were part of Adi's group, I guess you can stumble upon people you know even on the Wedge N arete...
Great job, you covered a lot of ground there, good use of the weekend (except for missing two final World Cup games, of course  ) |
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Richmond, BC
Canada
2439 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 10:44 AM
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How were the trail conditions up to the lake? any snow on the top section just before the lake? Thx
Paul |
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Vancouver, bc
Canada
1008 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 11:16 AM
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| Probably the most substantial unplanned hike I've read Dean. Hope your ghetto-mobile isn't holding you back. Good on ya! |
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Abbotsford, BC
Canada
74 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 11:37 AM
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| Frickin awesome! |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
291 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 1:11 PM
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| my congrats! you guys had better luck on weather this time than last year |
Edited by - jeffhan on 07/21/2010 1:15 PM |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13435 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2010 : 5:30 PM
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Quite a feat, bcroadtrip. Great high elevation shots, looks wintery up on the ridges.
K |
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253 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2010 : 10:31 PM
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Thanks for the comments.
Rob: car is making an awful wheezing sound after having driven in the chilcotins 3 weeks ago.
Pmike: there were still patches of snow up the steep sectiion to the lake. Probably, it's all melted by now.
Ramblingbull: I met Adi and Anja at the parking lot. We shared camp. Are you the same person who commented on my fb's pic? |
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vancouver, BC
Canada
117 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2010 : 11:11 AM
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Man, you've got endless energy!
and I think you have peak bagging fever 
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831 Posts |
Posted - 07/23/2010 : 12:21 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by bcroadtrip
Ramblingbull: I met Adi and Anja at the parking lot. We shared camp. Are you the same person who commented on my fb's pic?
I am indeed. Am I in trouble now?  |
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July 10-11, 2010 -Wedgemount Group
