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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Topic Author's Original Post - Dec 1, 2015 - 04:45pm PT
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Was attempting Colchuck Peak.
CHELAN COUNTY, WASH.
A search continues for a Portland man who planned to climb Colchuck Peak near Leavenworth but failed to return on time.
KIRO-TV reports (http://bit.ly/1jxdsc3 ) that the Chelan County Sheriff's Office planned to resume the search on Tuesday.
Officials say Adam Ochshorn started hiking to Colchuck Lake on Friday. He planned to camp overnight and then climb a steep, narrow gully to reach Colchuck Peak on Saturday.
He was expected out late Saturday or early Sunday, but he didn't return. His vehicle was found near the campground.
He is described as an experienced and technical climber who had hiked in the Colchuck area this summer.
Searchers hiked in on Sunday and Mountain Rescue members joined in on Monday, along with a helicopter. They found his tent but not the climber.
Read more here: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/latest-news/article47310665.html#storylink=cpy
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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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Very concerned up here... He's 48+ hours overdue and conditions have been very cold (with more snow developing) up around Colchuck. SAR has been on the ground for awhile, as well, and they've had a bird in the air.
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Srbphoto
climber
Kennewick wa
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Topic Author's Reply - Dec 1, 2015 - 05:03pm PT
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yeah, a pretty good storm moving in tonight. Even we are supposed to get snow out here in the Dri Cities.
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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The most obvious steep couloir on that side of Mt. Colchuck is the NE Face Couloir. I climbed it in Jan. in the early 1980's. It would likely have appeal to an experience climber going solo, but it may now be considered too easy.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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Lotta loose stuff in that couloir and especially the head of it and this
time of year it might not be too well cemented.
All the best
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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It sure is beautiful up there. Hoping he's OK.
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TomCochrane
Trad climber
Santa Cruz Mountains and Monterey Bay
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temps in the teens and twenties and freezing rain here in WA
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neebee
Social climber
calif/texas
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hey there say, all... prayers for all concerned, for the climber, and those looking for him...
:(
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Sierra Ledge Rat
Mountain climber
Old and Broken Down in Appalachia
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Looks like some significant glacier/icefall hazards at the base
That's why I never soloed when I lived in the Cascades
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bobinc
Trad climber
Portland, Or
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Search activities suspended late yesterday afternoon. Very solemn up here.
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Delhi Dog
climber
Good Question...
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Ah, sh#t.
Still hoping for a positive outcome...
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Bad Climber
climber
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This isn't good. Back in the early 90's, I hiked in there and did a Grade IV free climb on my way to Canada--a cool 5.9 route on Colechuck. On that trip, SAR came through looking for some missing climbers. My partner and I had a good climb and meditated in camp by the lake on the missing fellows. They were later found roped together in the moat at the base of Dragontail. It was sad and strange to hike out and see their car at the trail head, waiting for owners who would never return.
Hoping for the best for this soloist. He could be any of us.
BAd
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Studly
Trad climber
WA
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Coming off Colchuck you need to descend the Colchuck Glacier. This early in the season, there is a blue ice sheet that is treacherous that may be covered by a thin veneer of snow, one moment you are one hardpack and the next 40 degree ice. I would think that is a likely place to search near the base of if he is not found in the gully or where it dumps out.
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Reilly
Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
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If you want to avoid the avy danger you walk off the other side down into
Ingalls Creek. It's a damn long walk but little avy danger.
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Spiny Norman
Social climber
Boring, Oregon
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As an aside — with all the political BS on this site (some of which I've spooned out myself), it's good to see how almost everyone here responds when something like this goes down — brotherhood & sisterhood of the rope is a real thing, and it's a big part of why I keep logging into the Taco.
Hope this fellow is huddled somewhere in a bivy and bag.
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donini
Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
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They're different. Colchuck Peak is not that remote nor does the area have overly complicated terrain....doesn't look good. Hoping for the best.
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survival
Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
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Search suspended?
No news then I guess.
I'm very sorry for friends and family.
I hope he's found soon.
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Mad Max
Trad climber
Bakersfield
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Hopefully he's found soon, but I'm not going to be optimistic about this sort of thing...
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Fritz
Trad climber
Choss Creek, ID
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My condolences to family & friends of the climber.
Considering my adventure up what is likely the same couloir in Jan. of a low-snow winter in the early 1980's, I now think the most likely place for an experienced solo-climber to suffer injury, is descending through the snow covered moraine. That place was a minor nightmare, with a couple feet of snow over a loose boulder field.
The easy route down to Colchuck Lake from Colchuck's summit was familiar to me, but with snow over the sometimes huge boulders in the moraine, it seemed dangerous.
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