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Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1002 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 1:38 PM
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“At one point or another we’ve all cited percentages or experience levels and shrugged away risk. Given reasons for why it can’t happen to us, why it won’t happen...”
I lay awake semi in and out of my sleeping bag. It’s hot. I’m trying to sleep as I know I need to be awake and alert again in a few short hours. I want so bad for the temperature to drop, so that I can sleep, so that the snow underneath my tent and for miles around me will firm up. But there’s no wind, no sound, just dry, dead air and the dying light of the day.
I’m listening to a podcast called “The Dirtbag Diaries” on my mp3 player. This episode is called “Anatomy of an Accident”. In it the author details a near fatal accident he had high in the mountains in a steep icy gully, he examines the simple mistakes he made during that trip early on that had a domino effect eventually leading to his accident.
“Geez, this is the last thing I need to be listening to right now!” I say to myself.
I hear a serac calve off Colfax in the distance, the impact shatters the silence across the entire mountain. It’s not the first serac we’ve seen or heard fall this day.
“Maybe this is exactly what I should be listening to right now...”
I let this episode finish and then try to get some sleep. It’s fitful, it never seems to get dark outside, the temperature is always uncomfortably hot and before I know it, it’s 2am and time to get up and ready.
I give Dean and Adrien a wake up call. Spring is already up. Everyone moves in silence, boiling water, eating whatever calories we can paw at in the dull light, getting our harnesses on, prusiks dressed and checked, clipping all our gak where ever it will fit. We split into two rope teams of two and head out into the eerie glow of the near full moon to cross the Coleman Glacier.
Only minutes have passed and we're already jumping the first of a plethora of unavoidable crevasses, ice axes at the ready to arrest any sudden snow bridge collapses. I think to myself “I didn’t even need that coffee this morning, this is enough of a wake up”. At times it feels like tiptoeing past sleeping giants. Huge pillars of broken ice the size of houses, yawning crevasses the depths of which my 100 lumen headlamp can’t even attempt to see to the bottom of.
As I inch across one of a few 3 foot wide snow bridges and make the mistake to try and see the bottom below me it’s like I hear echoing up from the depths “Fee-fi-fo-fum, I smell the blood of an Englishman.”
After what had felt like an age we finally exited the labyrinth unscathed and approached the North Ridge. We’d received beta from some climbers the day before to not take the shortcut route to gain the ridge as the snow condition was terrible. It was indeed still terrible that morning having not firmed up at all. The wind was blowing but it was warm. Really warm. Usually I look forward to the rising of the sun but on this day I wanted cold and I knew the Sun had no intention of obliging.
We dropped down to the base of the ridge and began our ascent. A few more broken sections of glacier needed to be navigated and then we made it to a rock crest on the ridge. From here we headed straight for the ice cliff looming above us. “that was just the approach, this is the meat of this route now”. We traversed left upwards towards the ice cliff. From descriptions in guide books, under good conditions, you can traverse around the left side and follow a 45 to 60 degree ice slope up above the cliff band.
Our route towards the Ice cliff meant crossing more crevasses, but it kept us mostly out of the firing line of ice blocks possibly calving off the cliff. We came up on the cliff and weighed out options.
We had to dig down through about a foot of slush to reach ice to put some screws in for self-belays. We decided to head out around to climbers left of the ice cliff onto the 60 degree or so slope. Dean would lead and place pro.
Immediately as Dean started up we could see the ice was just junky. There was a smearing of slush all over it. Dean disappeared behind an arete as he climbed and called for Adrien to follow soon afterwards. He’d built a belay station. We’d need to do this in at least 2 pitches.
Adrien started to follow. I’ve seen Adrien almost run up WI4 while on belay but with this stuff he was having a hard time, his crampons would bite but then the ice would just shatter when he weighted them. He kept needing to clear the slush off the ice before being able to get his ice tools in.
Adrien disappeared behind the arete.
By this point two other parties had joined up with us and thanked us for the route through the maze of crevasses and our broken trail. We informed them about the condition of the ice.
Adrien called out that he was with Dean at the belay station. I would now need to lead up and clip into Deans protection. What had seemed like a straightforward idea earlier now seemed absolutely crazy. I’ve ice climbed but never led on ice before. I know I wouldn’t need to place pro, but still, I’d be on the sharp end of the rope between ice screws. This ice wasn’t helping either. I’d seen how it had held under Adrian's weight, and I’m a good bit heavier than him with much less aggressive crampons.
I remembered that podcast. In it the climber blamed bravado for his accident. Just before I felt like shouting to the guys that I wasn’t feeling it I heard Adrien shout out that he was coming down.
“Coming down? What?“
The other groups with us looked puzzled also. As Adrien got back down to us he told us that the ice above was even worse and near vertical. It was past noon now and seriously hot for this elevation. I checked my GPS, we were above 2900m’s.
As Adrien started to belay Dean down the moment of relief that we were not going to climb this cliff turned bittersweet. I realized that we’d now need to reverse our route. Back across that glacier. At a time of the day when all those snowbridges would now be at their weakest.
One of the groups with us was carrying skis. They seemed really committed to not having to carry their skis down this mountain. They started up the ice cliff but stayed directly on top of the arete, choosing a different line to us.
We regeared again for glacier travel then started to head down. The third party hung out, weighing their options. But, shortly after we started to descend, they followed behind us.
We met up with them at the rock crest that we had gained earlier in the day as we were having a break. They said that they could see the skiers on the second pitch and that, due to not being able to place a screw, they were trying to hammer a picket into the ice to protect themselves. They’d called it when they realized just how poor the condition of the ice was.
By now it felt like being in a desert rather than on a glacier. The heat and humidity was insane. We quickly retraced our steps across the glacier, gingerly weighting the snow bridges.
One silver lining to bailing on our attempt was that we got to cross this glacier in broad daylight in all it’s glory. These crevasses that I’d thought were large in the darkness now seemed humongous beyond belief. Ice Pillars 5 stories high. Massive chasms that even now daylight couldn’t penetrate fully. We were all in awe as we solemnly passed above and beside them.
We finally reached our tents, which had looked like a mirage on the horizon for the longest time, and collectively let out a sigh of relief. It was behind us.
We stripped down and got into our tents to try and get out of the oppressive sun for just a while. The tents where like ovens. As I lay there I thought: “baking on baker, heh, apropos”.
After that we packed, egressed and drove back to Canada.
I actually really appreciated this trip. The North Ridge of Baker is rated as AD. I’ve done AD routes but under perfect conditions where you’re on neve or firn. Under those conditions it felt substantially more difficult. I'm reminded of Yvon Chouinards quote: "Any mountain, at certain times, is safe and at other times it's super dangerous. We just happened to be there at the wrong time." Not only that, but I know I’m not ready to lead ice over multiple pitches, even something as low as WI2. I’m already looking into some possible lead ice climbing course in the Rockies for this coming winter.
Photos to come.
  
1. Navigating the maze
2. Trying to find a viable route towards the ridge crest
3. Adrien climbing on belay
Here is a video from Adrien of climbing the ice cliff: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHxdc6GxwmQ |
Edited by - leimrod on 07/13/2012 09:13 AM
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Popkum, BC
Canada
5887 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 1:57 PM
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| Excellent account of your adventure! Good going team! Baking on Baker does sound less then fun but this experience will enhance subsequent climbs. |
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 | Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1111 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 2:31 PM
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I didn't need the photos to see what you were seeing. You really went all out on the prose for this one...a truly great read!
Glad you guys didn't push the envelope and made it back safe. |
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the mountain parks, Alberta
Canada
102 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 3:05 PM
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| Was watching the videos on that channel. You guys should hire a guide for a couple of days and dial up your systems. |
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Sunnyvale Trailer Park
Canada
1084 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 3:11 PM
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| Enjoyable reading, you made some good points there... |
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Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1002 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 3:12 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Dru
Here's a recent TR of Baker N Ridge with some really good pictures (from the air  )of the various left side of the arete/right side of the arete choices of route line.
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1073934/TR_Mount_Baker_North_Ridge_6_2#Post1073934
Yeah we used that as our reference before going. Everyone we met on the N.Ridge appeared to have also read it. Conditions had changed a fair bit since their report.
I think if I was to try it again after getting some lead experience I'd attempt the "right" option. A friend in Squamish did it last Thursday and said it was barely half a pitch. They felt the need to place 6 screws though due to the condition of the ice. |
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Ladner, BC
Canada
1176 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 4:39 PM
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does AD stand for alternate death? =P
great read |
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Kootenay Bud
2695 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 5:27 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by leimrod
[quote}I would now need to lead up and clip into Deans protection. What had seemed like a straightforward idea earlier now seemed absolutely crazy. I’ve ice climbed but never led on ice before. I know I wouldn’t need to place pro, but still, I’d be on the sharp end of the rope between ice screws.
Leigh, I enjoyed your trip report.
I gave up ice climbing a long time ago, but I think I'd be pretty cautious about the quality of those screw placements if it was as hot and the ice as junky as you say. You might, in fact, actually need to place new screws to get solid placements. Under certain conditions screws can melt out dangerously fast.
I think you probably already follow Will Gadd, but, if not, he does have good advice for new ice leaders:
http://willgadd.com/ice-climbing-is-not-rock-climbing/ |
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| LeeL
Advanced Member
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Extreme ski tourin, mountain bikin addict who hikes at least once a year
2506 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 5:55 PM
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| That ice looked like crap. Slurpee we used to call it. Under those circumstances screws are there strictly for moral support. well written |
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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 - 07/11/2012 : 6:34 PM
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| Always a great read Leigh. Thanks |
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Manitoba's misadventurin' bushwhackin', dog sloggin', dehydratin', beer drinkin' biggie - who's eager to peak bag Mt Currie in a dress
Squamish
5037 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 6:39 PM
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| Good report, can't win em all. Baker will still be there next time. |
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Outdoors addicted flyfishing, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking car crooner and resident motormouth
Da'Wack, BC
Canada
5368 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 7:59 PM
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| Really good read Leigh. Well wriitten, well thought out. |
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
558 Posts |
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Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1002 Posts |
Posted - 07/13/2012 : 1:04 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by DPM
I missed this TR until today. Really well written account. Live to fight another day.
BTW - you were not the first party to bail near that point this season:
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1070120
Yeah I used the GPS tracks from that report as a backup. Their failed attempt on the right of the ice cliff is what decided our decision to try it on the left.
The issue with the left option is that it's in the sun a lot earlier in the day. I don't think I'd ever try in on the left again. I'll be practicing lead on ice this season then give it another shot next year. |
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Kootenay Bud
2695 Posts |
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Topic |
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Mt. Baker, N. Ridge: Anatomy of an Attempt
