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[Hide Comment] (8/2019) I found this route a bit challenging from a route-finding perspective--the descent took about the same, or more, time than the ascent. It was a good test of many alpine skills. On the approach from Boston Basin (high camp) stay high and right around the ridge separating the unnamed (below Forbidden) and taboo glaciers. Once around this ridge, stay right of the first water flow and waterfalls to gain the rocky slabs above. As you gain the rocky slabs (some 3rd-4th class), you will be just right of the first water fall/flow, which is easier scrambling than if you stick too close to the ridge on the right. This is, perhaps, the crux of the approach since it will likely be dark out. Up the slabs themselves and the Taboo glacier to the start of the gully pitch was straightforward. The moat wasn't too bad or dangerous in August. The rock-route itself, as well-described in MP, is much more of a traverse of the west side of the south ridge than a ridge climb. Once on the back-side (west-side) of the south ridge, trend climber's left more than up. Some climbable lines will draw you up to ridge too early and off route--if you look closer the climbing above is not low 5th class, and the anchors you see are 'bail stations' from folks going off route. The traverse up and left starts out at low 5th class with a few 5.4 bumps that eventually turn into a 4th class traverse on some grassy ledges (see photo). You finally gain the ridge via a gully of very chossy rock, quite different than the rock you traversed on thus far. This climb to the col in the south ridge is 4th class, if it's feeling like real 5th class you're off-route. Once on the ridge (col), you continue to traverse up and right, now on the east face Torment. The climbing gets a bit harder to low 5th class to reach the summit. Descending the route requires a series of simul-climbing and intermittent rappels, some being traverse-rappels. Along the lower half of this west face traverse-descent, if becomes difficult to know which line to take around the few blind bulges--stay higher than you think, it invites you low (with inviting platforms on the bulges). One of these final bulges actually requires some low 5th class up-climbing to stay on route. Don't rappel anything you can't climb out of. Alternatively, look back frequently and take note of the route when you're climbing up it. We did this all on a sunny day--in the fog would even more challenging. Simul-climbing (with gear) all the 4th class rock took us 12hrs round trip from camp, longer than I expected.
Aug 21, 2019
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