Serpentine Arete

Cool Views

We were planning on going back to try our luck at the Torment Forbidden Traverse again...but as the weekend crept up, so did the weather. What was once a wide weather window was turning into a narrow window....Tuesday the 19th. Eric Williams, a friend from work has just as sweet of a schedule, if not better so he came along after a foray up Mt. Washington. Monday morning we left for Leavenworth, headed up to the Pearly Gates and did some cragging in between intermittent rainshowers. That evening we went to Gustavs for some beer, burgers, and planning. And yes waitress, we do want, and can eat, three baskets of fries. Please do not try to talk us out of gorging ourselves. then off to spend the night under the bridge...Only the best for our guests! We woke up at the usual ungodly hour and started the hike in. 2hrs later we were at the lake.

A little early-morning route finding conference

Getting ready

Make a figure eight.... follow the racetrack back through...;-) (j/k Eric is a strong climber, but very fun to razz at the same time!)

Here begins a series of mishaps. Mishap #1: Hiking up the boulders/scree to the base of the climb Daniel rolled a large boulder onto his shin, which Eric had to pull off of him. Lucky Lucky Lucky we were. I had horrible visions of Daniel trying to crawl four miles out. Unscathed, we continued on. Easy, unroped climbing got us to the first 5.7 pitch. The next couple of pitches were fun 5.8 pitches.

The first was up twin cracks to a beautiful 30 foot splitter crack. Mishap #2: I followed third up this pitch and got to the top. We were sorting gear for me to lead the next pitch when Daniel asked me if I had the anchor. I looked around on my harness and realized that I had neglected to clean it when I set off at the bottom of the pitch. Can't say I've ever done that before...maybe I was too excited to start climbing? So I had to rappel down, clean the anchor, and then climb back up.

Good thing I have patient climbing partners! The second 5.8 pitch was up a shallow dihedral.

Then began the simul-climbing (for those non-climbers, we remain roped up but all climb at the same time because the terrain is easier). Holy rope-drag! We were using twin 70m ropes due to the team of three but that's a lot rope to wander through low 5th class terrain with.

Soon we got to the top and after a few pictures for posterity that indeed we had not killed Eric yet we headed down aasgard pass. Mishap #3: You got to watch out for those boulders. Daniel accidently stepped on a large, loose boulder. I was walking maybe 5 feet below him but a little off to the side when I hear him yell "ROCK" , I look up and a boulder the size of a bicycle wheel is rolling in slow motion toward me. Needless to say, I got out of the way quickly, which meant jumping into the creek. I decided wet feet were better than no feet at all. I have to be honest, the boulder incidents were the first issues of these kind I have ever had...and definitely more close calls than I would like, but I guess some days are just off days, whether you are in the mountains or not.

We got back to our packs and headed back down to the car and back home to Portland, picking up Mister Reuben from my parents on the way. Good trip, good climbing partners, good times....and yes the weather, though a marginal forecast, was accurate this time!

A few 8x10 glossies of the men at the top