North Peak

Ron Karpel was rightfully tired of North Peak. He had climbed both, the right and the left couloirs in years past but had not tagged the summit because he had run out of time, so with the summit goal in mind and doing it the way of the left couloir, we decided on doing it as a two day trip and so we hiked in the three or so miles from Saddlebag Lake to Cascade Lake in about two hours on late Saturday evening, just as darkness fell.

Sunday, up before dawn and rolling by 6.30am, we climbed to the toe of the steep left couloir. By 8.30am we were ready to go and Ron soloed three fourths of the first pitch on the icy slope and belayed me up, having found a secure place on the right wall. I took the second pitch after that which was mostly neve and angled diagonally to the left wall needing to set up two screws on the way. Hard ice nearer the rock, but I made it to the rocks, almost running out the rope. Ron then took the next pitch and brought me up and I continued on, past him to a more secure spot, traversing some more horrible ice to the rocks on the left. I belayed him on the 4th pitch and he stayed on the center of the couloir willingly going to the steeper and icier sections. After a while, he moved to the right wall at the point where there was a flake met by a band of lighter colored rock. Ron also led the fifth pitch, staying on the steep right side (probably 50-deg), sometimes dropping into the gully between the ice and the rock, ending at a huge rock behind which he set up for belay. The area near this rock looks superficially as neve but underneath is hard ice and sometimes chunks of ice fracture off.

I took the sixth and last pitch, staying to the center and this was much clement and I did not have to front point and a little after noon we had topped off, enjoying the warm sun. Great ice climbing and then warm sunlight at the top, blessed California! From there we traversed on the rock staying below the top-off point for the right couloir. We were hailed by PCS-er, Tim Hult who had just topped off the right couloir. I gathered later on that Jim Curl and Dot Reilly, also of the PCS had climbed up the right couloir and the summit after Tim. Traversing on, we found a spot to dump ice gear and went straight up a gully to the ridge and then to the summit at about 1.30 pm. Back down to get gear and then traverse behind and below the couloir to a plateau and then down a rock gully which soon turned into steep ice. The angle was easier than the main couloir that we had just climbed and we were in no mood to do technical stuff coming down. Ron down climbed with his tools and crampons. I asked for a rappel and very soon after that, we were back at camp (3.45 pm), packed and headed out to be at the cars at 6pm.

Some details from Ron

Location: Sierra Nevada, California
Photographer: Ron Karpel
Email: ronny@karpel.org
Phone: 415-987-5109
Date: October, 2000
ID: 20001001_01

North Peak

Left Couloir

First Pitch