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Climbing is dangerous! Every year many climbers are broken, maimed, and killed. Don't be so foolish as to trust your life to what you see here. I'm not a guide and neither is this web site. If you don't know what you are doing or where you are going, please take a course or hire a guide! |
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Gibraltar Chute AttemptFebruary 1-2, 2005Hannah was keen to make a car-to-car (no camping) attempt at Mt. Rainier in the winter. I was feeling more able to pull off such a thing because of our successful one-day climb of Rainier in August and because of the remarkabley unwinter-like winter. We arrive at Paradise in time to catch a remarkable sunset. A silver fox watches over us as we watch the sun drop below the horizon. It was quite wonderful, but our inattention to the route cost us later. In the midst of packing I realize that I've forgotten my Goretex socks: My plan to carry randonee boots and climb in lightweight Trango boots is foiled. We depart Paradise between 7:30 and 8:00 PM. The trip to Muir is uneventful, though notable for an amazing lack of snow and superb weather. It's been a long week, and I'm sleepy when we reach Muir. We change into dry clothes and melt snow. I'm still on my drink a lot, carry a little water routine, so I down almost four quarts and depart Muir with just one. The guidebook says descend five minutes from Camp Muir to the start of the route. With Hannah in the lead we descend five minutes and start up. After several hundred vertical Hannah calls down that she thinks we are not on-route, that we didn't descend emough. I walk up to her and we talk a bit. I agree and she starts traversing the slope, trying not to lose much elevation. The slope steepens and the snow is very firm. We swing the lead and a turn a rocky corner, cross another steep, open slope, and then one more rocky corner. In the darkness it looks like this has put us into the chute, and we start up. We are making use of our two pickets now, for a running belay on the hard snow- a fall here would be quite unpleasant. As dawn breaks we reach a short, steep step of munngy ice. I set a belay at the base and Hannah joins me. Our technical gear consists of two pickets, one in use at the belay and two walking axes. The step looks 2+ to 3- and I'm not certain I can climb it without more gear. I start up anyway...carefully. Now I'm thankful for the ice climbing games I've played with Jens: One tool only, hands only, etc. I work for good stick with the tool in my right hand, and use my left hand to stay in balance while I swing. Slowly I scratch my way up and over and set a meager belay in the very hard, but thin snow above the step. I extend the rope so I can watch Hannah climb up, and then lower my axe to her. She climbs up with aplomb and joins me at the belay. I start up from the belay on very firm, steep snow. The consequence of a fall here is severe, so we start belaying pitches. The snow is not deep enough to set a good picket, so at each 37 meter rope length we chop a slot in the snow and use the leader's single picket like a deadman. The slope broadens and with the sun coming up we can see that we are not in Gib Chute. Then the angle eases and rocks intermittently poke up through the snow. I weave in and out, using them as natural protection. Above us the Beehive, a landmark of the Gib Ledges router, appears: We've climbed up the lower face of the ridge the defines the southern edge of the Cowlitz glacier.. We continue up to its base, then sit, quietly. We are less than two thousand feet above Camp Muir, but have been on the move for many hours. We sit silently on the sunny, beautiful day for quite a while, and then, with few words, agree to descend. Getting down onto the Cowlitz is a bit tricky, but we manage just fine. In a surprisingly short time we are back at Muir. We eat and rest a bit, then I put on skis and, with the benefit of daylight, we head down to the real start of the route we intended to climb. I grin to myself- it's so obvious in daylight. It's February, but I still have to take off my skis in the rocky area on the winter route above Pebble Creek. There is very little snow this winter. Below Pan Face I my attempt to stay on the snow leaves me in a small canyon and I get to climb up and out. From there it's a short ski back to the parking lot. |
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This page was last edited on
Monday, October 31, 2005 |
