The Direct North Ridge combines the North Ridge from the notch with an extra 800 feet of fun climbing. Although loose in spots and somewhat lichen covered, the route offers those looking for a longer, harder day than the North Ridge good solid 5.9+ climbing. It will obviously be faster to simulclimb, my partner and I did this and completed the entire route in 6.5 hours, but the belays for each pitch take good gear and have decent stances.
Roughly the first 3 pitches are the hardest. 1: Climb up easy terrain off a big ledge about 150 feet above the base of the toe to a small tree. 2: Continue up through an awkward 5.8 slot (harder with backpacks) to a face and then to a nice ledge. Small crimps inside the slot for the left hand are useful and make sure to step out on the face with your feet. 3: Follow a striking lie back crack on your left for quite a ways. This is 5.9+ and sustained. Once you pull over a small roof there will be another ledge to set up a belay.
From here veer up and right, following the path of least resistance. The rock at times is loose and almost always covered in crumbly black lichen. It is mostly easy 5th class with an occasional 5.6 move. There is, about 5 pitches up, a short slab traverse that takes you even further to the right. Once you do this, the Notch ridge will come into view and once reached it will connect you with the Upper North Ridge. It takes longer than you think, but keep on trucking.
For the Upper North Ridge look at Max Tepfer's description on this page. To add to it though, begin by staying on the left (east) side of the ridge. Then follow an easy ramp up to the ridge. Move up left over a bulge (5.6) and then on to an exposed section on the west side of the ridge. From here follow the ridge to the super cool 5.5 slab split by an amazing crack and then to the Gendarme--about 8 or 9 pitches from the Notch. The Gendarme can be done in two pitches; 1: a 5.8 lie back and 2: a 5.9+ off-width, or you can link the pitches easily with a 60m rope (use runners to prevent rope drag) which is what my partner and I did. The Gendarme is almost always in the shade and can be very cold or even icy.
Location
The route can be approached from icicle creek and Stuart Lake trail head. This is best if you leave stuff at the base/Stuart Glacier or at the cut off from the main trail. Follow the main trail towards Stuart Lake and continue past the Colchuck turn off. Once you see the obvious pyramid hills keep an eye out for a faint trail on the left. Take this and bush whack around the left side of this peak/hill to the base. Another, longer approach can be done by going to Stuart Lake and then around it on a trail. Follow the marshes on the right side and then move up a steep hill via a fairly obvious trail. Once on top go up and over to a talus, down to a gully and back up towards Stuart Glacier. Well before the glacier move towards the base of the ridge over several humps until you reach the toe of the North Ridge. The descent is the trickiest part and if someone has any good info please post it. My partner and I descended Razor Back Ridge on accident, thinking it was the Northwest Ridge. All I know is that you need to go further than you think after descending the west ridge and doing 3-4 rappels.
Protection
HELMET, set of nuts, cams (metolious sizes) doubled from 1-6 and singles from 7-10, about 10 sling/draws, extra runners, cordelette. Optional ice axe and crampons for the descent (In Aug. we did not need them). The third pitch took 2-5 mostly, but up higher a 7 was used. The off-width of the Gendarme took a 9 and 10 which can be walked.
i found that the off width pitch on the gendarme protected very well with stoppers in the back of the crack. big exposure, but protected nicely. not so sure about the "plus" rating. i thought that both gendarme pitches were about the same in difficulty. the first is more aesthetic, but the off width pitch climbs great.
also - after the gendarme pitches, trend left towards the summit. when in doubt head to your left. i have yet to find a 4th class path all the way to the summit, but the last time i did this was very close but still had to stop and anchor in for a short pitch of 5th class. i feel that if i would have trended even more to my left i might have finished the ridge with 4th class as described in the becky book.
regarding the approach....most people climb this from the south, coming over ingalls pass, past ingalls lace, over goat pass and then descending from the pass to the toe of the ridge. i did not use crampons or ice axe for this approach and found it to be easy access.
regarding the descent - if climbing from the south - descend cascadian couloir to the east of the summit, cross ingalls greek and find the trail that leads over stuart pass. this is the fastest way back to the trailhead. this climb can be done in a long day from the trail head.
I agree with mark - the offwidth pitch wasn't harder than the layback pitch of the gendarme, and the offwidth section was short. Plus, a fixed #4 to boot!
So high on the route, it was tempting to bypass the gendarme, but so glad we didn't. It was one of the highlights.
We approached from the north which was looooong and so much bushwhacking it's not even funny. Though the campsite was superb, I can't recommend that approach. The glacier descent was in bad shape so late in the season so we circumnavigated the mtn (with a bivy...)over goat pass to get back to camp. Sounds like approaching from the South is more straightforward.
Doing the N. ridge direct was the way to go. The bottom pitches were great and the rest up to the notch was on mostly good rock. Took about 11 hrs from base to summit.
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