Mountain recap summer '14

 Since we dropped the ball on as-we-went updates, here is a shotgun post of mountain highlights from this summer....


North Cascades National Park, USA - Washington Pass, Boston Basin, Enchantments
(July, w/ Gus, the legendary Mark Scott & Hill)

       After a wonderful greeting in Seattle from Sam & Alli, we headed to Washington Pass to enjoy casual successes on the Liberty Bell, South and North Early Winter Spires. I am very grateful that Mark suggested getting some pitches in close to the road before we headed to the West-side high country...

Hiking up to our high camp at Boston Basin after scoring the last available permit.

Scoping our objective for the following day: left to right, the classic Torment to Forbidden traverse. Alas we only were only able to complete the "Tour de Torment" due to slow progress caused by a route-finding error and poor snow conditions. Definitely a humbling experience to get shut down in the North American Alps after so much time in similar terrain in France... 

Descending Mt. Torment (8120') , just before making a wrong turn and going on a couple hour detour down a steep and loose ridge. We called off the traverse at 1pm and pieced together a descent back to the glacier... 

LEFT: Lounging with Sam, Alli & and the Wyatt bros on Icicle Creek, just outside of Leavenworth.
RIGHT: #NotinFrance, a fully loaded Suburban being put to good use on the return trip to Seattle.

LEFT: Hillary cresting Asgard (aka Asskicker) Pass with Dragontail Peak (8840') in the background, part way through the 6-hour approach to the Prusik Peak (8000', RIGHT) in the Enchantments. Next time we might try to get a camping permit to make the commute a bit more reasonable...

Climbing the awesome West Ridge of Prusik Peak (5.7, II). Just as we summited the sky darkened and the air began to buzz with static electricity, prompting a hasty descent rappelling through hail and big thunder claps. At this point Gus and Mark were halfway up their longer, harder climb on the northeast buttress of Colchuck (8705'), and were forced into the second improvised descent of the trip.

I was psyched to grab a day climbing with Mark back in the Adirondacks later in the month, free of thunder storms, tricky route finding and stacked refrigerator size blocks. Despite some highs and lows on the success front I thoroughly enjoyed adventuring together as a fourpack, and look forward to future expeditions out West... next stop, Sierras??

Franconia ridge traverse, White Mountains, USA
(late July, w/ Thad, Carrie, Sam P. & Hill)

Belledonne ridge traverse, Grenoble - Dents du Loup (4c, AD)
(early August, w/ Abe & Hill)

Just before moving out of his Paris studio and flying back to the US after a 6-month stint at the Renzo Piano architecture firm, Abe was able to hop on the train for one last Grenoble mountain mission. We had a great day scrambling across a Belledonne skyline before spending the night at refuge de la Pra.

Climbing in the Cerces, Col du Lautaret - Voie de l'écaille, Tête de Colombe (5c, TD-)
(early August, w/ Hill)

This "Dolomitic" massif has become my latest mountain crush for sure... steep, steep walls and textured stone with endless potential for "grande voie" adventures. We spent that night with our friends François and Mathilde in anticipation of the legendary Chazelet trail run. Hillary won the 21km loop for women, while Mathilde and François took 1st place for men and women for the 10km. After a strenuous morning of applauding, I happily joined the victors for beer, potatoes, and charcuterie.

Grande Ruine, Ecrins - Pointe Brevoort (F) and Petit Clocher (AD)
(late August, w/ Seb, Cedric & co.)

Hoping to join the crew for a filmed ascent of the south ridge of the Grande Ruine as part of a documentary on high-elevation cushion plant research, I was foiled by 15cm of unforecasted snow on the hike up to the hut. Despite the poor conditions, the following day I was able to get out for a run up the regular route of the Grande Ruine with Pascal Guiboud, a local guide who was there helping out with the production. Before hiking out Seb suggested we climb the "Petit Clocher," which had not been done during the caretakers' tenure and turned out to be one of the worst routes any of us have ever done (loose rock, inaccurate topo, no redeeming qualities). Still, some climbing is always better than none!

LEFT: Descending with Seb from the Col de l'Ange and surely one of the "100 poubelles," with the Adèle Planchard hut below.
RIGHT: Pascal takes in the scenery on the way down from the Grande Ruine, with a snowy Barre des Ecrins in the background.




Aiguille du Moine, Chamonix - Arête Sud (5c, D) 
(late August, w/ Hill)

Hillary and Cedric hiking up the Mer de Glace, about to hang a left toward the Couvercle hut. 

On the S ridge.

Looking back up the descent route... 400m of "peu difficile" rock with lots of route finding.

Cedric botanizing at the Jardin de Talèfre the following day. Unfortunately he was not able to join us on the Moine due to ankle pain after a long summer of pushing through -- we'll have to come back for the East face together!