Timpanogos:Everest Ridge- Almost

I pushed my ice axe deep into the snow on a mellow portion of the ridge and laid down letting my breathing calm. Tanner did the same. A sleepless night spent in approach to the ridge had whittled our conversation down. I started to doze.

"Hey," I said. "We should keep going."

In the one minute we had laid there, Tanner had already launched into a dream. I was wishing I had something with caffeine to revive me. We still had a long way to go.

This route really has it all. As you go higher the ridge becomes more accentuated and rugged. Sharp rocks protrude from the snow as the mountain falls away on both sides. We finally reached the step and the summit was in sight. After surveying everything around us, we decided not to go for it. The wind had loaded snow on the leeward slopes making the avalanche hazard a little more pronounced. We traversed over to the south summit saddle where the slope angle was more mellow.

The traverse had an eerie feel. Soft slabs of snow on top of ice caused it to feel almost slippery. I Kicked hard hoping to feel my crampon set only to have my foot slide down on the soft snow. It has been a long time since I have been that gripped. The mental game of climbing can sometimes get the better of you. All the elements in that moment added up making me uncomfortable. Any other day and I don't think I would have had a problem. I had to focus hard on my breathing for a second to get my mind calm. After that I was fine.

We finished the long traverse across to the saddle as the wind continued to gain strength. We dropped in finding the first 500 feet of vertical to be terrible. As soon as we got off of the high ridge the snow immediately became soft. We let it rip. I went first only stopping once to regroup. It was one of the longest runs of my life in amazing snow. Not the best snow, but amazing none the less.

It was an adventure. We didn't conquer our summit, but we didn't care. We got up one of the coolest ascents in Utah and got to rip the West face of Timp. I have dreamed of it since I was little. This wasn't my ideal line, but it was what the conditions called for. That is how things work in the mountains, they decide what you get to ride.

Departure 2:27 a.m.

We spent some time digging pits to asses the snow. One solid piece with wind drifts on top. We weren't too worried about big slides, just slides in inopportune places.

The first of the ridge.

Already loosing it...

Such a good way to watch a sunrise.

Tanner.

Just before the step.


The traverse.... I was gripped at this moment.



We were close but we wanted to snowboard, not summit. Although it would have been nice.

WIND!!

We got to ride almost all the way back to the car. A 15 minute hike down from the last of the snow.

Hot slush down low. Wish we would have dropped an hour earlier.

Tanner is such a rad guy. He is always down, has tons of energy, and is one of the most mellow guys to hang out with. I don't think anyone could say anything bad about this kid.

Everest Ridge: Timpanogos

I laid there trying to drift off, but the wind was incessantly bearing down on our little tent. Remembering that Meera had an extra set of earplugs I rolled over and asked. Earplugs might be the best piece of camping equipment ever. The sounds of the night faded away as the little plugs swelled in my ears. Deep sleep followed.

The 1:00 a.m. wake up call found me ready and well rested. We pulled on our crampons and readied our ice axes. Everest Ridge, a 3,000+ vertical foot protrusion on the face of Timp hung over our heads. This was the biggest group I have ever been with in the backcountry. 30 something people began the climb toward the summit.

We stopped a short way up the ridge for a clinic on self arresting (stopping a fall using your ice axe for a brake). We all took short slides down the icy slope before coming to a stop. After we had all practiced we move on. I climbed with Meera, Neena's little sister, she was a champ the whole climb. This was her first endeavor of this sort and the conditions made it that much more exciting.

As we climbed higher the weather grew worse. The cloud cover moved in thick and the wind grew stronger. Snow pelted your eyes if you turned your head to the wrong angle. The higher we went the worse the visibility became. We climbed passing groups that had turned back. It wasn't long before we made the same decision. No one would make the summit today.

I once read somewhere that 80% of climbing accidents happen on descent. With all my time in the mountains this was my first time walking back down. No snowboard. After I got used to it, I was glad to be walking off this one. It was often that we were on long patches of ice. A member of our party slipped at one point close to camp and took a long fast slide to the bottom.

We reached camp and packed up. The hike out was nothing short of miserable. It was a happy misery. I eventually pulled out my shovel and slid down any portion of trail steep enough. It wasn't long before we were at the car, the next thing on my list was a nap... a long one.

The hike up started at Dry Canyon in Lindon. Nearly 3,000 vertical feet to base camp.

We set up base camp as we watched the sunset.


Wake up.

Headlamps in the dark.

Our tent.

The wind never let up. I love being out when it is like this. Climbing in all forms puts you where you aren't supposed to be. There is a reverent quiet feeling that the expanse beneath your feet evokes. It is almost like you have happened upon a private conversation between the earth and God.

Eric and Whitney.

Blasting winds, you can see the plumes on the right.


Family Photo.

Don't slip. Ice.

Walking home.