Finding Wilderness

Archive for the ‘Mountaineering’ Category

I will be eventually updating this post with more detail.  If you are planning on doing it tell me in a comment and I will supply better beta.

The North Ridge of Mount Stuart is a classic up and over route.  We bivied near the summit.  On the descent, a climber working his way down the snow slope above me slipped and took a long slide/fall down.  I remember thinking that he better self arrest right away or he was in big trouble.  Then I saw his ice axe go flying.  The next instant I realized I was in big trouble.  He was heading right for me, tumbling and bouncing.  I was standing on a bolder with one crampon on and one off.  He came for me at about 20 miles per hour I would guess.  I had time only to jump as he zoomed under me, but he caught my crampon.  I bounced off a few rocks but was okay.  He banged and bounced off more boulders for another 100 feet or so.  Broke his hip and banged up his face.  With cell phones and GPS units, it took about three hours for the helicopter to get there from out of Oregon.

Be careful descending snow slopes.  It is harder to self arrest than you think.

Crossing Stuart Glacier to get to the ridge.

My climbing partner on the North Ridge of Mt. Stuart

Here is my partner’s report of the climb:

Things went fine for us, but epics were had – got up aroud 5 and made the approach in windy/partly cloudy conditions – it cleared, so we minced our way across the Stuart glacier (steeper than the guidebook says) and up the approach gully.

Wandered up the route in cloudy conditions to the Gendarme.

My partner pre-emptively notified me that I had lost rock-paper-scissors and was leading the off-width.

Dispatched it fine in the only sunbreak of the afternoon, although I almost pitched going to the belay ledge.  Hauled up the packs in worsening conditions and started to get snow for the last few pitches.  Followed the last (5.8) pitch with numb hands and did the ‘Screaming Barfie Dance ™” at the top after I got my gloves on.

Summit shots consist of 20 feet of rock followed by cloud.

We got a bit disoriented on the downclimb, and after getting pointed in the right direction, found a good bivy site (one of many) on the south side a few hundred feet below the summit.  Testimonial – A down jacket and an old REI kids down bag (half bag on me, $25) in a bivy works great at 20 degrees. Met up with another party as we were heading down Cascadian Couloir.  We made it fine to the bottom of the snow, but one of their party took a tumble, slid a few hundred feet, bowled over my partner, and came to rest

(thoughtfully) on the only flat rock in the talus with a broken hip.  We got him rolled over and stabilized and a third party got phone communication with the sheriff’s office – we were at 8,600 and had to wait until the Oregon Nat. Guard could arrive – The accident happened around 8, the Blackhawk showed up at 1230, and we were hiking down the gullies at 130.  Humped our way down to the valley and back over Longs Trail pass, back to the car by 730, home around 9.

I’d like to thank my sponsors: 2nd Ascent, Hormel Summer Sausage, and a 3.5 Camalot.

My partner below the famous Gendarme pitch

My partner leading the off-width pitch

Preparing for the helicopter rescue

Lowering the stretcher

Guiding the rope from the helicopter

On their way up