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Trip Report    

Intermediate Alpine Climb - Poster Peak/Blue Buttress

Great day out at washington pass!

Peter Tran Peter Tran
July 09, 2024
  • Road suitable for all vehicles

  • Approach is snow free until about 5600', then consistent at about 6000'. Route itself is snow free. Ticks are present

    Running water at roughly 5600'

Timeline 

  • Left the cars at 630
  • Base of climb at 830
  • Climbing by 9
  • Team 1 tops out at 1
  • Team 2 tops out at 130
  • Relax until about 2
  • Back at cars a 430

Gear

  • Rack 0.3 to 3, doubles 0.4 to 1
  • Set of nuts
  • 6 double runners
  • 10 single runners
  • 2 quad runners

Sweet sweet beta

We wanted to try out simulclimbing and poster peak has been touted as a great into to simulclimbing, with a lot of 3rd and 4th class terrain punctuated with short pitches of 5.4-5.7. We managed to turn this 10-11 pitch climb into 7.

  1. Pitch 1  and half of pitch 2. Found dirty 5.4 gully and started from here. Ian's book says take the lower ramp and we did. Rope drag got really bad after 30m so my second coiled and we simuled. We skipped the belay for pitch one and kept going up with a slight left ward trend. The "diamond" feature was a shiny white rock that was diamondish shaped. Went left and found a large tree with the 3" crack on the right and belayed from there.
  2. Pitch 2 and 3. The move through the 3" crack felt 5.5ish. Gain the ridge again and move through scramble portions. We got up to an almost featureless slab that took no pro, but to the right there's a 2 inch crack that you can cruise up. Belayed from above this move
  3. 4 & 5. More scrambling and simulclimbing 
  4. 6 and part of 7. Crux move. We led the layback on the right and we placed a .5 and a red nut. Look down and you'll see great feet. Step up, grab the reachy hold, and find another foot. Pull through. Layback seemed optional. Ran the rope out and built a gear anchor below the dirty gully
  5. 7 & 8. Mmmm kitty litter. Watch your feet. Continue climbing up and gain the ridge. There's a funky step across move that does have great holds. Continue for another 20 feet and built a gear anchor right below a buttress 20240706_113358.jpg
  6. 9 & 10. Pointy Flake was to our right. Step across (remember to place a cam to protect your follower) and run the entire rope out to get to a notch with a horn to sling and belay. Not a lot of gear but enough for simuling. I kept to the left
  7. 11. Take the 5.4 across and then up the skyline or go straight up through the funny pointy rock. Choose your own adventure! 20240706_124103.jpg

Trees, horns, and small cracks are plentiful for anchors. 

Descent is your typical North Cascade kitty litter. The gully was mixed snow, litter, and mud. Ice axe was useful for piece of mind. It should all be melted out in a week or two