El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We hike up old avalanche debris that originated high on the face.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We hike up old avalanche debris that originated high on the face.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dominic leads up a steep ramp that allows us to overcome the initial cliff band.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dominic leads up a steep ramp that allows us to overcome the initial cliff band.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Looking back down the ramp.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Looking back down the ramp.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
The ramp dumps us onto the face above and we continue up easier terrain.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
The ramp dumps us onto the face above and we continue up easier terrain.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We've tied our two 30 meter ropes together and are all simulclimbing, typically with 2 or 3 pieces of rock gear in.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We've tied our two 30 meter ropes together and are all simulclimbing, typically with 2 or 3 pieces of rock gear in.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
The snow shows no signs of instability but there is a lot of it including a layer of powder from the latest round of storms. We protect the entire climb up the face in case of an avalanche.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
The snow shows no signs of instability but there is a lot of it including a layer of powder from the latest round of storms. We protect the entire climb up the face in case of an avalanche.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
John leads toward a rock step we must overcome. Spindrift pours over the lip, engulfing us in what feels like heavy mist from a waterfall as we climb through.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
John leads toward a rock step we must overcome. Spindrift pours over the lip, engulfing us in what feels like heavy mist from a waterfall as we climb through.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dominic on the final lead to the top of the west ridge.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dominic on the final lead to the top of the west ridge.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dominic belays Dwight as he tops out on the west ridge.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dominic belays Dwight as he tops out on the west ridge.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We're now only 0.14 miles from the summit at an elevation of nearly 13,900 feet but the view from here is disheartening. We'd hoped our route would deliver us to the ridge past its difficulties but this is clearly not the case. We weren't able to top out as close to the summit as we'd hoped. John begins leading across the super chossy knife-edge ridge but it soon becomes apparent that finishing the climb would mean descending the non-trivial face in the dark. Time to tuck tail.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We're now only 0.14 miles from the summit at an elevation of nearly 13,900 feet but the view from here is disheartening. We'd hoped our route would deliver us to the ridge past its difficulties but this is clearly not the case. We weren't able to top out as close to the summit as we'd hoped. John begins leading across the super chossy knife-edge ridge but it soon becomes apparent that finishing the climb would mean descending the non-trivial face in the dark. Time to tuck tail.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
After making the call we regroup and John shares some disturbing news. From his vantage a bit further along the ridge he could see the tails of several wet slides that had started a bit west of us. Oh crap! What now? We settle on beginning the descent and protecting it as much as we possibly can. Should snow conditions deteriorate beyond our liking as we descend we'll have to hang tight until evening. As we begin, clouds mysteriously appear and cover the sun... thank you God.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
After making the call we regroup and John shares some disturbing news. From his vantage a bit further along the ridge he could see the tails of several wet slides that had started a bit west of us. Oh crap! What now? We settle on beginning the descent and protecting it as much as we possibly can. Should snow conditions deteriorate beyond our liking as we descend we'll have to hang tight until evening. As we begin, clouds mysteriously appear and cover the sun... thank you God.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
John descends the ramp through the lower cliff band. We can now see that the wet slides all originated at southwest facing rock outcroppings. Our route faced mostly straight south and this seems to have made all the difference.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
John descends the ramp through the lower cliff band. We can now see that the wet slides all originated at southwest facing rock outcroppings. Our route faced mostly straight south and this seems to have made all the difference.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dwight and Dominic descend from El Diente at sunset.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Dwight and Dominic descend from El Diente at sunset.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We can finally relax.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
We can finally relax.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
A beautiful sunset is our reward today.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
A beautiful sunset is our reward today.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Parting shot of El Diente Monday morning.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Parting shot of El Diente Monday morning.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Our route up the El Diente's southwest face to the west ridge.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Our route up the El Diente's southwest face to the west ridge.
El Diente Winter Attempt
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Our approximate line to 13,900 feet on El Diente's west ridge.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Our approximate line to 13,900 feet on El Diente's west ridge.
SW Face to West Ridge
February 13, 2011
Sunday morning we head toward El Diente's southwest face where we've spied an unknown line that we're hoping will lead us to the summit.