September 1, 2011

Forbidden Summit. (Photo by Austin Shannon)

North Cascades National Park in Washington is like none other.  It is full of everything from glaciated terrain to beautiful granite spires and everything in between.  It offers climbers and outdoor enthusiasts alike a place to experience the little bit of wilderness we have left.  If your looking for the next step in a mountain adventure or simply want to experience something off the beaten path then the North Cascades is the place for you.  Possibilities are endless; all you have to do is push the door open.

For instance, I recently guided a trip on Forbidden peak.  It is located in Boston Basin, which is one of the most beautiful places in North Cascade National Park.  The west ridge of Forbidden peak is a beautiful rock ridge that stretches up from the valley below nearly 2,000 vertical feet.  This route offers the novice climber wonderful exposure, superb climbing, and a full alpine style commitment…accompanied by a guide of course.  This is just one of the examples that the “Alps of America” has to offer.

The beauty of the North Cascades programs is that they can be completely customized.  Anything from a short three day alpine attack to a five day skills seminar, we will meet your needs.  So, come out and climb with us and see what this gem of Washington does for you.

Austin Shannon

August 31, 2010

IMG Guide Justin Merle

Torment-Forbidden Traverse Panarama. (Photo by Justin Merle)

On August 16^th I met Ari and Brook in the town of Marblemount to prepare for 4 days of challenging alpine climbing.  Looking at the great weather forecast, we pared down our gear to make our packs as light as possible.  Our objective was to climb Mount Torment, then traverse the mile long alpine ridge to Forbidden Peak.  The route involves a lot of 4^th and low 5^th class climbing in an awe-inspiring alpine setting.  We planned to spend at least one night and possibly a second on the ridge.

After sorting out our gear we drove to the trailhead, enjoying the great views of Mount Johannesburg across the valley.  The trail gave us a taste of the classic North Cascades approach.  Below treeline the vegetation was abundant, and the trail was slightly overgrown—at times it felt like we were walking through a tunnel.

After spending a night in Boston Basin, we started our climb toward Torment, over glacial moraine, polished granite slabs, and finally the Taboo glacier.  Our route on the South Ridge of Torment involved several hours of climbing over varied terrain: solid rock, 4^th class heather, and some loose climbing.  As we reached the summit of Torment, we saw the spectacular views to the north that would accompany us for the rest of the traverse—turquoise lakes in the remote Thunder River drainage, broken glaciers and icefalls, and of course, the knife-edge ridge connecting Torment to Forbidden Peak.  A bit of descending brought us to an exciting rappel across a gaping bergschrund to the north side glacier, after which we decided to bivy.

We started early the following day, traversing the snow until we could regain the rock farther east.  Fun, blocky, 5^th class climbing took us back to the ridge crest, where we climbed for the bulk of the rest of the day, opting to take the more challenging climbing over some easier options to the south of the ridge.  The climbing was exposed, fun, and physical.  The weather was perfect.  Rather than trying to cram it all in to the one day, we bivied again at the start of the West Ridge of Forbidden, saving this classic climb for the final day.

We woke with the dawn to a cooler and windier day—ominous lenticular clouds would build over the peaks, then disappear.  The weather was still good, but we wore all our clothing to stay warm as we climbed.  The climb to the summit of Forbidden was the perfect way to end—great climbing on more solid rock to the summit of one of the more sought after peaks in the Cascade Range.  After a few hours of descent, we were back in lower basin where it was warmer.  We were tired, but psyched to have completed the Traverse—three full days of fun and challenging climbing.  Like horses to the barn we scrambled down the trail toward burgers and beer.

Thanks for a great climb guys!

-Justin

August 17, 2010

A brief recap by Anne Keller, IMG Lead Guide with climbers Jean and Cassandra in the North Cascades

Jean and Cassandra obviously having a miserable time (photo by Anne Keller)

We had a fantastic trip.  We hiked up to the Forbidden high camp on day one, then did recon & training the next day where we covered cramponing, climbing rock in crampons, short roping, roped glacier travel and walked up to the base of the west ridge couloir to check it out.  The shrund was too sporty for me so we opted for Sharkfin the next day.

We then moved camp to the slabs below the Quien Sabe glacier.   On our third day we had a beautiful climb of Shark Fin.

We decided to carry up and over Sahale on the last day.  It was strenuous with full packs but was worth the views and the hike down cascade pass.

-Anne

August 5, 2010

IMG Guide Mike Haft called in this afternoon to report that despite the lightning and some other wicked weather he and his team made the top of Mt. Shuksan! Everybody is down and off the mountain safely.

Tye Chapman

Aug. 3, 2010

IMG Guide Mike Haft called in via SAT phone from Shuksan… all is well but they’re in between lightning storms at the moment. They’ve managed to stay dry but will hunker down in the tent tonight and see what the weather brings tomorrow…

Tye Chapman

April 28, 2009

…but there’s so much more out there!

Many of you know that the mid-summer months (July & August) on Mt. Rainier sell out pretty quickly, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get outside and climb a mountain as challenging (or more) as Mt. Rainier!

There are countless climbs in the vast, beautiful and often overlooked North Cascades that offer a much different climbing experience than Mt. Rainier. Private climbs on peaks like Shuksan, Forbidden Peak or Sharkfin Tower are a great way to get outside with friends you know and avoid the mid-summer crowds on Rainier.

Another often overlooked climb is Mt. Adams. At 12,276ft it’s the second highest peak in Washington State and a great challenge. Our route takes you up the Adams Glacier on the northside of the volcano. It’s an amazing climbing experience in a unique alpine environment and a great training opportunity for those looking to climb something bigger like Denali or Aconcagua in the future.

North Cascade Custom Climbs

Mt. Adams Seminars

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Tye Chapman
Operations Manager