JonW - Jun 28, 2013 10:00 am Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2013
Sweet
Fun scramble. Simul'ed with Matt in mountaineering boots. Did the ridge in about 2-3 hours? Very chill. Two parties had an epic day the night before...not sure how that happens on such a straightforward route.
MattK - Jun 26, 2013 3:31 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2013
Nice
Pretty darn sweet route.
haishan - Mar 13, 2013 1:44 am Date Climbed: Aug 21, 2012
Solo
Soloed the route via bypass gully approach. Was glad to run into cool mother-son team on the approach who helped show me the way past the moat... crux was definitely just getting from the glacier onto the rock.
Matt Lemke - Nov 21, 2012 2:03 am Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2012
With Josh Lewis
Thanks Josh for a great trip! I really enjoyed this one. Rap anchors are everywhere. All were good to use.
Josh Lewis - Sep 23, 2012 12:49 am Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2012
Amazing Route!
This is probably one of the best routes I've ever climbed on any mountain. Great quality, perhaps a little bit of loose rock in a few spots, but the West Ridge itself was very solid. The entire mountain can be down climbed, but there are rappels all over the place. As Steph Abegg says, use the more Western gully.
relic - Aug 20, 2012 1:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 9, 2012
good rock, tricky approach/exit
Easy, solid rock, mostly an very exposed scramble. The coulair is another story, took way more time than expected, especially the descent.
Car to Car in 12 hours. Lots of slow groups going up and coming down. DOWNCLIMB THE GLACIER CHUTE. Don't try to rappel any of it. It will cost you time and it is much easier than ANY of the other ways. Period.
thekossack - Aug 5, 2010 10:03 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2010
Awesome Bivvy, Exposure Agogo
Made the low camp from the car in 2 hours Saturday, but slowed down on the glacier as we ascended with fully loaded packs. The snow in the gully was in good shape (only one moat to negotiate), then a chossy scramble to the notch (arrived by mid afternonn). We had a long and spectacular bivvy on some ledges just left of the notch, then set off for the summit at 6:30 am the following day. Great climbing, mostly chill stuff, and sustained exposure the whole way. The descent, however, proved tedious, a traversing down climb, with only two short repels on the way back to the notch. The schrunds in the gully also complicated the descent. Did not get back to the car until after dark. Very hard day for us, but a trophy trip by any standard.
klwagar - Jul 2, 2009 9:58 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2009
We carried up bivouac gear and spent the night up there, really cool
johnsonfam77 - Jul 4, 2008 5:29 pm Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2008
West Ridge hairy
Started up the coulior early (around 6 am). Snow was excellent up the 45-50 degree snow slope. Parties need to determine here if rope would cause the fall of whole party or go unroped with crampons and axe.
We simul-climbed the ridge at the notch. First time for me. 90 percent of the moves on the snow-free ridge are exposed (like 500-1000 ft). Stressful for me. Three chimneys were the most difficult (5.3 to 5.6). Ridge ascent took 2.5 hours. Descent involved three rapps that were nice (anchor was well above our heads). Think we found Beckey's green rusted piton on route.
Once off ridge we rapped down coulior with 2 40 ft raps and then down climbed the remainder to below the shrund (I recommend the face-in method).
Whole climb from camp in Boston Basin was 11 hours.
Good luck.
Aaron Dyer - Sep 21, 2007 3:11 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2006
Horrible Descent
I second Johnhl's comment, the descent down the ridge is way harder than climbing it. We were slow getting up the chute, dropped a camera and had to go down and get it. Coming down, we rappelled into the snow gully and I would much rather had down climbed it. We found rusty, crummy pitons, odd stances, and difficult changeovers. Apparently there is another rappel to the west of this gully, but we didn't look for it. Take that one, or descend the east ledges.
Johnhl94563 - Feb 17, 2006 6:22 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2003
Beautiful Climb
My hat is off to the regular cascade climbers. I found the approach trail the hardest part of the trip (made the mistake of carrying 4 days of supplies and a heavy pack). Definately much harder than the trails in the Sierras.
We had a nice clear day for our climb. Started out at 4am and couldn't manage to find the trail from the "lower high camp" up to the climb so we pretty much made our own. We managed to get back on track at the "upper high camp". Snow conditions were firm and the air was crisp. A large 15 foot gap had formed on the middle of the snow chute. This required us to exit the snow onto the rock with our crampons, work up some ledges (very nice ledges) and back onto the snow. A couple of weeks later this would have been tough.
We found the rock climbing very straight forward and quite easy. I don't know if we ever found a move that we felt was over 5.0. But it is possible that we traversed around any potential "cruxes". Got to the summit around 10:30. Unfortunately the descent took MUCH longer. We down climbed most of the route (quicker than rappelling) until we got to the top of the snow chute. The snow had softened up quite a bit and it was quite unnerving downclimbing the steep soft snow. I would recommend trying to rappel past this.
We returned (found the trail) to "lower high camp" around 6pm (14 hour day).
Nothing was real special about this climb, but the over all experience was quite rewarding.
chrisc - Sep 11, 2018 1:18 pm Date Climbed: Aug 19, 2018
Successful summit in the smoke!Successful climb trip report during the "Smoke Storm of 2018" https://gethighonaltitude.com/2018/08/19/forbidden-peak-west-ridge/
https://gethighonaltitude.com/2018/08/19/forbidden-peak-west-ridge/
olymountainman - Jan 12, 2014 10:59 pm Date Climbed: Jul 6, 2013
ForbiddenA true classic.
bcory2003 - Sep 16, 2013 1:03 pm Date Climbed: Sep 14, 2013
Great RouteAwesome route.
JonW - Jun 28, 2013 10:00 am Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2013
SweetFun scramble. Simul'ed with Matt in mountaineering boots. Did the ridge in about 2-3 hours? Very chill. Two parties had an epic day the night before...not sure how that happens on such a straightforward route.
MattK - Jun 26, 2013 3:31 pm Date Climbed: Jun 16, 2013
NicePretty darn sweet route.
haishan - Mar 13, 2013 1:44 am Date Climbed: Aug 21, 2012
SoloSoloed the route via bypass gully approach. Was glad to run into cool mother-son team on the approach who helped show me the way past the moat... crux was definitely just getting from the glacier onto the rock.
Matt Lemke - Nov 21, 2012 2:03 am Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2012
With Josh LewisThanks Josh for a great trip! I really enjoyed this one. Rap anchors are everywhere. All were good to use.
Josh Lewis - Sep 23, 2012 12:49 am Date Climbed: Sep 21, 2012
Amazing Route!This is probably one of the best routes I've ever climbed on any mountain. Great quality, perhaps a little bit of loose rock in a few spots, but the West Ridge itself was very solid. The entire mountain can be down climbed, but there are rappels all over the place. As Steph Abegg says, use the more Western gully.
relic - Aug 20, 2012 1:22 pm Date Climbed: Jul 9, 2012
good rock, tricky approach/exitEasy, solid rock, mostly an very exposed scramble. The coulair is another story, took way more time than expected, especially the descent.
SKI - Jul 25, 2011 9:34 pm Date Climbed: Jul 23, 2011
Solid Rock, Tremendous ExposureCar to Car in 12 hours. Lots of slow groups going up and coming down. DOWNCLIMB THE GLACIER CHUTE. Don't try to rappel any of it. It will cost you time and it is much easier than ANY of the other ways. Period.
thekossack - Aug 5, 2010 10:03 pm Date Climbed: Jul 25, 2010
Awesome Bivvy, Exposure AgogoMade the low camp from the car in 2 hours Saturday, but slowed down on the glacier as we ascended with fully loaded packs. The snow in the gully was in good shape (only one moat to negotiate), then a chossy scramble to the notch (arrived by mid afternonn). We had a long and spectacular bivvy on some ledges just left of the notch, then set off for the summit at 6:30 am the following day. Great climbing, mostly chill stuff, and sustained exposure the whole way. The descent, however, proved tedious, a traversing down climb, with only two short repels on the way back to the notch. The schrunds in the gully also complicated the descent. Did not get back to the car until after dark. Very hard day for us, but a trophy trip by any standard.
klwagar - Jul 2, 2009 9:58 pm Date Climbed: Jun 29, 2009
great viewsgreat views, great partner, great route.
Sierra Ledge Rat - Aug 28, 2008 11:31 am
Fun climbWe carried up bivouac gear and spent the night up there, really cool
johnsonfam77 - Jul 4, 2008 5:29 pm Date Climbed: Jun 23, 2008
West Ridge hairyStarted up the coulior early (around 6 am). Snow was excellent up the 45-50 degree snow slope. Parties need to determine here if rope would cause the fall of whole party or go unroped with crampons and axe.
We simul-climbed the ridge at the notch. First time for me. 90 percent of the moves on the snow-free ridge are exposed (like 500-1000 ft). Stressful for me. Three chimneys were the most difficult (5.3 to 5.6). Ridge ascent took 2.5 hours. Descent involved three rapps that were nice (anchor was well above our heads). Think we found Beckey's green rusted piton on route.
Once off ridge we rapped down coulior with 2 40 ft raps and then down climbed the remainder to below the shrund (I recommend the face-in method).
Whole climb from camp in Boston Basin was 11 hours.
Good luck.
Aaron Dyer - Sep 21, 2007 3:11 pm Date Climbed: Aug 7, 2006
Horrible DescentI second Johnhl's comment, the descent down the ridge is way harder than climbing it. We were slow getting up the chute, dropped a camera and had to go down and get it. Coming down, we rappelled into the snow gully and I would much rather had down climbed it. We found rusty, crummy pitons, odd stances, and difficult changeovers. Apparently there is another rappel to the west of this gully, but we didn't look for it. Take that one, or descend the east ledges.
Johnhl94563 - Feb 17, 2006 6:22 pm Date Climbed: Aug 1, 2003
Beautiful ClimbMy hat is off to the regular cascade climbers. I found the approach trail the hardest part of the trip (made the mistake of carrying 4 days of supplies and a heavy pack). Definately much harder than the trails in the Sierras.
We had a nice clear day for our climb. Started out at 4am and couldn't manage to find the trail from the "lower high camp" up to the climb so we pretty much made our own. We managed to get back on track at the "upper high camp". Snow conditions were firm and the air was crisp. A large 15 foot gap had formed on the middle of the snow chute. This required us to exit the snow onto the rock with our crampons, work up some ledges (very nice ledges) and back onto the snow. A couple of weeks later this would have been tough.
We found the rock climbing very straight forward and quite easy. I don't know if we ever found a move that we felt was over 5.0. But it is possible that we traversed around any potential "cruxes". Got to the summit around 10:30. Unfortunately the descent took MUCH longer. We down climbed most of the route (quicker than rappelling) until we got to the top of the snow chute. The snow had softened up quite a bit and it was quite unnerving downclimbing the steep soft snow. I would recommend trying to rappel past this.
We returned (found the trail) to "lower high camp" around 6pm (14 hour day).
Nothing was real special about this climb, but the over all experience was quite rewarding.