Torment Forbidden Traverse

Most people spend their off days from work avoiding anything that could remind them of the tedious tasks they perform in those mysterious boxes so aptly named "Cubicles". Luckily for me I don't work in a cubicle nor do I hate my job! I thought guiding for RMI all summer on Mt. Rainier would satisfy my thirst for being in the mountains but did I ever think wrong! All that time spent slogging up the Muir Snowfield gave my brain plenty of time to sort through the many climbing guidebooks I'd flipped through back down in Ashford. Hanging out with my fellow guides also stoked the fire enough to ignore my tired legs, smelly clothes and hungry belly and get out and climb on my few precious days away from Mt. Rainier. With two days off and a persuasive text message from my friend Anastasia, I made plans for the Torment Forbidden Traverse. 

 A long wild ridge between the summits of Mt. Torment and Forbidden peak presents an awesomely complex alpine challenge in the heart of North Cascades National Park. It rewards climbers with sweeping views of gnarly Cascade peaks and finishes with the spectacular summit of Forbidden peak. 

We rolled out of our trailhead bivy at the insane hour of 3:30am to be on the trail by 4am but I didn't really wake up until we had arrived in Boston Basin and our objective was staring me in the face

Johannesburg Peak

Looking up from Bostin basin at Torment and Forbidden

We made good time into Boston Basin and up to the base of the small Taboo glacier below Mt. Torment.

Marmot! Don't make eye contact!

Prepping for glacier travel at the base of the Taboo Glacier

Traversing the glacier below Torment was easy, we dodged a few crevasses and slithered our way across the remaining snow finger to the base of Torments South Ridge.

Anastasia leading to the base of torment

Lance on the Taboo Glacier (photo by Anastasia B.)

A few pitches up with Johannesburg in the background

Lance on the summit of Torment "belaying" (photo by Anastasia B.)

From the summit of Torment we began a speedy descent back to our packs and continued on our way to our bivy.

Looking at Forbidden

Eldorado

Rappelling into the moat on the North Side of the Traverse

Steep snow traverse just before the bivy

Lance at the bivy what a view!

View from the bivy! Livin' the life!

View towards Forbidden. Our objective for the next day

Arriving at the bivy I was totally smoked, after climbing Mt. Rainier the day before and the 17 hours on the move I needed sleep bad! I slept great despite the wind and precarious position. The next day we work up fairly early and headed out, hoping to be the first to the top of Forbidden for that day and get down early enough. I had a crevasse rescue test for new guides at work the next day.

Looking along the ridge towards Forbidden peak 

Upon waking up from our bivy I had the singular focus of cruising the fantastic West Ridge of Forbidden peak and completing the traverse.

Johannesburg and an alpinists wet dream 

Forbidden peak getting closer

 Finally after 4 hours of climbing we arrived at the West ridge notch of Forbidden peak! Finally we were done with the stressful chossy climbing and irritating third class "kitty litter" ledges and could enjoy the classic West Ridge of Forbidden peak. We dropped our packs at the notch taking only a liter of water a snickers bar each and a wind breaker and began to cruise. I selfishly grabbed the rack and took off! One group was ahead of us and of course I had to pass them! We simul-climbed the whole ridge stopping a few times to transfer our meager rack and high five.

Climbers below us on the West Ridge

Looking up at Forbidden Peaks false summit

We passed the team and front of us and had the upper ridge to ourselves after a brief screaming session due to a small route finding error we both sat on the summit where Anastasia signed the summit register while I stared back at Mt. Torment reflecting on the climb. Before beginning our descent I welcomed the three ladies who were climbing behind us to the summit with high fives and congratulations. Then the descent began!

Lance on the Summit of Forbidden Peak

From the Summit of Forbidden we began down climbing, rappelling and traversing back to our packs at the notch where we put our boots back on and began rappelling down the standard descent gullies to Boston Basin. 16 hours after our day  began we were back at the Trail head looking at a long drive home. Overall a successful trip!

Notes:
-Awesome bivy half way along the ridge! So awesome you have to bivy
-We brought an ice tool each and light 10 point crampons (one pair each)
-Pretty light rack with a lot of slings (doubles and singles)
-Could do the whole route in boots but climbing shoes will make travel over steep terrain more comfortable and efficient.

Get off my nose!