The Chehalis Peaks

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Messages 81 - 100 of total 149 in this topic << First  |  < Previous  |  Show All  |  Next >  |  Last >>
paulb

climber
Jul 8, 2011 - 01:11pm PT
My partner took photos, but is experiencing difficulties getting them offer her camera, you'll have to take my word for now.

Approach was pretty straightforward. Took us about 7 hours, including about a 1/2 hour lost route finding.

We drove in via the Chehalis-Mystery Forest Service Road as described here. No problems getting in in my Honda Civic.

We found McLane's description of the approach quite accurate. We hit snow shortly after the double creek crossing below upper statlu lake. The drainage above the lake was also snow, but a good crust made for easy travel. We put on crampons above the 4th/5th class section to gain the bivy and were happy to have them. Perhaps even more so for the walk-out.

I left the boots at home and opted for some high-top approach shoes. Wet feet about an hour in, regretted that decision all weekend.


Tarbuster

climber
right here, right now
Jul 8, 2011 - 06:58pm PT
Good stuff everybody.
Oplopanax: such a fantastic picture trove of granitic architecture!
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Oct 20, 2011 - 08:58pm PT
big bump


Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Oct 23, 2011 - 09:05pm PT
Rich and Nick had a good trip in there this summer doing the V to C traverse and then walking over to the Tuning Fork.

Rich's blog:
http://richso.blogspot.com/2011/10/chehalis-ramblings.html

Nick's blog:
http://infirmofpurpose.wordpress.com/2011/09/26/a-brief-introduction-to-the-chehalis/
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Oct 23, 2011 - 09:20pm PT
On Rich's Flickr stream there is a funny picture of Nick attempting to mimic the Don Serl pose off the back cover of the Fairley guide. I think that's more important than the route quality.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Nov 28, 2011 - 08:50pm PT
I don't know how to say the name but this place looks like it kicks ass. Is this in the coast range.
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Nov 28, 2011 - 09:02pm PT
Is this in the coast range.

No! It is some sample pics in the Canuckian version of Photoshop.
Don't believe a word of this nonsense. I lived in Seattle for many
years and never heard of the joint!
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
Topic Author's Reply - Nov 30, 2011 - 01:07pm PT
Is this in the coast range.

That depends.

As Oplopanax long ago pointed out, the "Coast Range" doesn't really exist. But if you abandon rigid empiricism, then yes, there is indeed a Coast Range. Whether the Chehalis group, or the peaks around Slesse and Rexford are in it or not is not really relevant. If you'd like them to be in the Coast Range, then that's where they are -- for you.
mike m

Trad climber
black hills
Nov 30, 2011 - 01:13pm PT
In Oplopanax's photo above are the slabs below part of the domes above or is there a ridge between. Those are some fantastic looking rocks. If I start walking now I think I could get there by June, how did you say you get there? Does it ever rain there? If it does I will want to bring my rain coat.
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Dec 1, 2011 - 12:08am PT
^ Ridge in between.

From in between, this is the view looking up


And from up there, the view looking down


But, the otherside is bigger
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
May 28, 2012 - 11:03pm PT
Fraser Valley alpine BUMP


A couple of snowcovered bumps

Slogging up to the bumps

Schrund not too bad on the right


Entering new terrain in the north face couloir

Partway up

Summit ridge

We rapped off the summit even though this isn't too bad of a downclimb.

And eventually an awesome glissade down into Nesakwatch Creek.

MH2

climber
May 28, 2012 - 11:28pm PT
An awesome glissade. Makes this time of year special.

Great bump there, Oplo.
harryhotdog

Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
Jul 12, 2012 - 09:14am PT
Here are a few shots taken while climbing the Tuning Fork on Mt. Bardean in 1987. I don't remember any aid at the top but there were several different corners to pick from. What I do remember was that there were lots of sections with no pro,(lack of cracks in corners).I sure wish I had taken pitons with me! Free coffee for the person that identifies my rock shoes. Newer climbers will have to access the archives at the rock shoe museum located in Schwanzstucker.[Click to View YouTube Video]
harryhotdog

Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
Jul 12, 2012 - 11:30am PT
I have never done any of the beautiful face routes on Grainger. Bruce do you have any pics climbing those, the rock quality in the guide book pics makes me want to master trade! Thanks Jim
harryhotdog

Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
Jul 12, 2012 - 06:33pm PT
This from Rich So's blog about an ascent of the Tuning fork with pics on his blog.

The next morning, we cramponed across frozen snow to the base of the Tuning Fork on the north face of Mount Bardean. During the trek the evening before, this impressive face dominated the view. The Tuning Fork fork is reputed as one of the great classic alpine climbs of southwestern British Columbia. We were both hoping that the climbing on the lower buttress would go by quickly. Instead, it turned out into a vertical grovel up bushy corners, battling wide cracks and rope drag for three pitches. We were only able to simu-climb a short section of 3rd class terrain before the difficulties increased again. From here, we looked up onto the wide and blank wall, somewhat confused the myriad of possibilities up here. The only guiding hint was to aim for a "large, obvious left-facing dihedral which is capped by a prominent roof which juts out leftward." This wasn't quite so obvious to get to. Nick and I climbed a few tough and uncertain pitches between I finally gained the dihedral. Even so, while hanging out and the top of the dihedral and belaying Nick up, I wasn't sure if the traverse line out left was the one described in the guidebook. Protection was challenging up here due to the compact nature of the rock. At the end of one long pitch over easy terrain below the summit, I was only able to build a marginal anchor of a blue metolius and another nut. It was a relief when Nick arrived at the belay and was able to beef up my anchor with another cam. The final pitch to the summit proved to be one of the more challenging pitches. From my belay, Nick tried two corners that proved to be too difficult before continuing up more steep unprotected climbing before another tenuous traverse to gain easier terrain. As I made that traverse on top rope, I tried not to think of what might happen if I fell and slammed into the overhanging corner below. I think we could have found easier terrain further to the right though.

http://richso.blogspot.ca/2011/10/chehalis-ramblings.html
harryhotdog

Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
Jul 12, 2012 - 06:42pm PT
Any pics out there of rock climbing on the south face Mt. Grainger. I still have wet dreams about the routes there. Did the west Uh (south) ridge by myself in the early '90s and the rock was superb.
Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Jul 13, 2012 - 09:29pm PT
Only route I ever did on Grainger was the south ridge. It's a class act

The following picture is scanned off a picture shot on 110 film if anyone even knows what that is anymore.

Big thunderstorm hitting Chehalis Peaks right now. I have a view from my back porch :)

Oplopanax

Mountain climber
The Deep Woods
Jul 13, 2012 - 09:59pm PT
Speaking of recent conditions a friend took this shot out the window of his plane yesterday...


Grainger at right, Nursery bottom left.
Mighty Hiker

climber
Vancouver, B.C.
Jul 13, 2012 - 10:22pm PT
That is a LOT of snow there for mid-July. But then, some of it might have fallen as recently as two weeks ago.
harryhotdog

Social climber
north vancouver, B.C.
Jul 16, 2012 - 10:54am PT
Holy cow Bruce,your having a second childhood out there. When you do finally do it,which will be soon no doubt take lots of pics for us armchair rockstars. Hey do you know anything about a big crag up there. I remember seeing what looked like a 200' or 300' crag that looked promising low down on the drive in,it looked overhanging. I did hear rumours of some crag development in years gone by. How was Freeway?
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