Tuesday, August 7, 2012

The Faster You Run, The Sooner You're Done...

Or, in our case, the faster you run, the more you can climb. I just wrapped up a two week trip to the North Cascades. The last week was a whirlwind of approaching, climbing and descending with little to no rest between objectives.


A solid forecast helped Bryan Ronan and I climb Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Triumph and do some multipitch cragging at Mt. Erie over the course of five consecutive days.

Bryan, a natural athlete, began climbing in the Gunks with me two years ago. He's one of the lucky individuals I've met who's managed to find a balance in his life. He works full time, is a father of two, and manages to stay very fit. It seems he also used a July Cascades trip as a "carrot on a stick" for training purposes.

Dawn on the Sulhpide Glacier, F2.2, 8 sec.

The highlight of our trip was definitely a trip up the Northeast Ridge on Mt. Triumph, and down the South Ridge. This, combined with an approach from our camp at Thornton Lake and our descent to the trailhead at the end of the day made for a big day with lots of cross-country alpine travel. From our predawn start at 3:30 a.m. to our sweaty finish at the car in the dark at 9:30, this day was amazing.

Bryan on a narrow section along the NE Ridge

Triumph is a remote peak with views of some of the most rugged terrain in the lower 48 states. After some low clouds in the morning we enjoyed bright sun and clear skies all day long, making for an amazing day in the hills.

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