Walked the PCT to the SW of big Dewey Lake and worked my way up the ridge to west end of the great northern cirque. I always stayed on the eastern part of the ridge where I could see the peak. Map and compass would not have been helpful as the cliffs to the west are not visible on a USGS quad. I got as far as the Saddle between the Summit and nearby tower, at that point I couldn't see how to get back down without a rope, so I turned back. Taking the same route back down however was more difficult as the easy terrain trends towards the west and the cliffs; which cost me consderably more effort to get around.
There is a great patch of glacier scaped rock just below the point where this ridge joins the ridge from Seymor Peak. There some interesting intrusions into the gray tuft there and about 200 yards further down there are two spectacular dikes (very dark brown in light gray tuft).
Fred Spicker - Jun 17, 2015 5:12 pm - Hasn't voted
Class 3 ramp
This trip report shows what Becky is probably referring to as the Class 3 climbing.
We went this way to the corner, but rather than traverse around to the E side we climbed the ridge directly to the summit - also Class 3/4. What bothers people about this ramp is the "instant" deadly exposure and loose rock. These two factors led us belay this section as did the folks who wrote the trip report. The climbing itself is not difficult.
We did not find the rappel point to be all that bad other than all the manky old cobbled together slings. We removed the old and left a nice new green rope on 15 June 2015. If you want to place a new sling, take something extra long.
Swissmartin - Sep 25, 2005 11:50 pm - Hasn't voted
Untitled CommentWalked the PCT to the SW of big Dewey Lake and worked my way up the ridge to west end of the great northern cirque. I always stayed on the eastern part of the ridge where I could see the peak. Map and compass would not have been helpful as the cliffs to the west are not visible on a USGS quad. I got as far as the Saddle between the Summit and nearby tower, at that point I couldn't see how to get back down without a rope, so I turned back. Taking the same route back down however was more difficult as the easy terrain trends towards the west and the cliffs; which cost me consderably more effort to get around.
There is a great patch of glacier scaped rock just below the point where this ridge joins the ridge from Seymor Peak. There some interesting intrusions into the gray tuft there and about 200 yards further down there are two spectacular dikes (very dark brown in light gray tuft).
Fred Spicker - Jun 17, 2015 5:12 pm - Hasn't voted
Class 3 rampThis trip report shows what Becky is probably referring to as the Class 3 climbing.
NW Hikers Trip Report
We went this way to the corner, but rather than traverse around to the E side we climbed the ridge directly to the summit - also Class 3/4. What bothers people about this ramp is the "instant" deadly exposure and loose rock. These two factors led us belay this section as did the folks who wrote the trip report. The climbing itself is not difficult.
We did not find the rappel point to be all that bad other than all the manky old cobbled together slings. We removed the old and left a nice new green rope on 15 June 2015. If you want to place a new sling, take something extra long.