7 Summits - Brandon and Kristine Chalk

Partner Traverse

by Brandon Chalk | Jul 31, 2010 | Colorado 13ers, Colorado Traverses

In trying to take advantage of the wonderful Gore Range in our backyard and link up a few more of these little-known traverses, my buddies J, Steve, Caleb (RoanMtnMan) & I set out for Pitkin Lake friday afternoon with the intentions of climbing East & West Partner Peaks (Peaks “V” & “U”) and linking the traverse between the two peaks.

After some rain on the 4.5 mile pack into Pitkin Lake, we dried things out at camp with the help of a campfire. Pitkin Lake & the surrounding basin are gorgeous and while we could have done this trip in a long day, we opted to spend 2 nights in Pitkin basin to enjoy some camping. We began hiking around 6:15am on Saturday up East Partner’s standard south ridge (mostly class 3 with maybe a few class 4 moves). The ridge was very fun and we topped out around 7:45am.

Camp at Pitkin Lake (11,400′)

East Partner Peak (13,057′) from Pitkin Lake

Me on East Partner’s south ridge before the class 3 rock begins

J & Steve starting up East Partner’s class 3 rock on the south ridge

J & Steve on East Partner’s south ridge

J getting ready to cross a mini knife-edge on East Partner’s south ridge

J & Steve before the mini knife-edge

Steve on the mini knife-edge

East Partner Peak summit (13,057)

The traverse to West Partner Peak

We then started the traverse over to West Partner Peak. There were many initial towers to climb up and over coming down off East Partner’s west ridge which did not exactly make the climbing “fast” by any means. However, the rock is solid, for the most part, and there were some exciting downclimbs with decent exposure. I would say most of the climbing on the 1st half of this traverse from East Partner is class 3 with some class 4 moves. We stayed on the ridge proper for the most part unless a cliff blocked a descent and we had to find a way around.

J downclimbing an exposed section to the next notch while descending East Partner’s west ridge

J climbing up and over another tower

Me on the traverse

This saddle almost represents the halfway point on the traverse and is about the only “easy” terrain on the entire traverse

Caleb was not feeling well due to a likely stomach bug, so he descended from the saddle between East & West Partner Peaks back to our camp at Pitkin Lake to rest. The real difficulties occured after the saddle and the 2nd half of the traverse on the ascent up to West Partner Peak. The climbing involved many exposed initial downclimbs and then some tricky traverses/upclimbs around and up several towers. I would say most of the climbing is class 3/4 with some potential low 5th class moves and all pretty exposed.

J climbing with Caleb on top of the last tower right before he descended back to camp

J & Steve downclimbing into a notch on some low 5th class rock

Steve downclimbing into another notch

Me climbing another tower out of the notch

Steve on an exposed traverse on the ridge proper to the top of another tower

Me slipping thru a crack we used to traverse to the next tower

Finally, we get on easier terrain on West Partner’s southeast slopes (East Partner & the traverse in the background)

After the majority of the traverse and the real difficulties behind us, we hopped on West Partner’s standard south ridge route and followed the fun class 3/4 ridge to the summit. I think we topped out around 10:45am yielding a traverse time of about 2 3/4 hours.

J & Steve climbing down into a notch on West Partner’s south ridge

J & Steve climbing up and out of the notch on the south ridge

The remaining portion of West Partner’s south ridge to the summit

West Partner Peak summit (13,041′)

We then retraced our steps back down West Partner’s south ridge for some distance past where we hopped on the south ridge from the traverse. After some fun “easy” scrambling down lower on West Partner’s long south ridge, we exited left (east) and made our way back down to our camp at Pitkin Lake. We found Caleb feeling better after he took a nap and we had a great afternoon and evening of swimming and fishing as well as a raging campfire that evening. The rain held off the entire day and night.

Heading back down the lower part of West Partner’s south ridge (Pitkin Lake below)

The Partner Traverse on the descent of West Partner’s south ridge. The most difficult sections are in the center (East Partner on the far right)

Close-up of the most difficult sections of the traverse on the West Partner half of the traverse

Caleb showing us how its done

Nothing like a refreshing dunk into an alpine lake

A great weekend with my buds in one of my most favorite ranges. The Partner Traverse was very exciting and I highly recommend it for the experienced scrambler. It was great to get to the tops of the Partner Peaks and really see how to link up Ripsaw Ridge to the north and then to Peaks W, etc and over to the Grand Traverse to the south. We always love getting into the Gores where you will likley see very few people and have the peaks all to yourselves. I hope this report is useful to some who would like to try this traverse.

Mt. Columbia in Winter

by Brandon Chalk | Mar 13, 2010 | Colorado 14ers

I mainly just wanted to do a quick TR to give an idea of snow conditions on Harvard & Columbia for those looking to get out in the upcoming weeks. In an effort to get in a long 14er day in preparation for our upcoming Everest climb, my wife, Kristine, good friend, J, and dog, Kona, & I hit up Columbia last Saturday. After a cowboy camp at the winter TH around perhaps 9,000′ (3.8 miles from the summer TH of N. Cottonwood), we hit the trail around 7am. Kristine & I on snowshoes and J on his plastic mountaineering boot/AT setup we had used on Denali years ago. There was a decent broken trail all the way to treeline which was extremely helpful.

Kona crossing the 1st bridge after the summer TH

It was definitely a slog to Horn Fork Basin, but was a nice day. We broke trail over to the west rib of Columbia and made our way up.

Kona with Columbia behind

Harvard blanketed

J & Kristine making their way up Columbia’s west rib

Yale’s Silver Creek Cirque

Kristine making her way to Columbia’s south ridge

Southern Sawatch (Princeton, Yale, etc)

We gained the south ridge and headed north to Columbia’s summit

Here is a little video I took of Kristine & Kona topping out on Columbia:

Me, Kristine, & Kona on Columbia’s summit around 2pm (7 hrs after we started)…a new 14er for Kristine & Kona

Looking west on the descent

Looking back at Columbia’s west rib from Horn Fork Basin

J was the smart one and got down quick on his skis. Kristine and I and Kona got back to the truck at 7pm. All in all, a great day and good training climb (18 miles RT, approx. 5,000′, and 12 hrs RT).

Traverse of Rainier

by Brandon Chalk | Jun 12, 2009 | Other Peaks

I had climbed Rainier 9 yrs ago in August of 2000 via the standard Disappointment Cleaver (DC route) with two buddies of mine as my 1st real glaciated mountain climb and absolutely fell in love with mountaineering. I hence named my golden retriever after the mountain as well and have been climbing higher and more involved glaciated peaks ever since. When my two buddies, Steve & Nico (the Cizik brothers), asked if I would like to come with them to attempt the Tahoma Glacier route on the west side of the mountain, I was definitely in as was buddies Matt, J, and Baba. I had done many glaciated climbs with J before including Hood and Denali and I think the Ciziks liked having us along because they believe we bring good luck with the weather. This would be Baba’s 1st big climb on a glaciated peak. The Ciziks had attempted this route 3 yrs prior but due to the lower part of the glacier being heavily crevassed and hence difficult and time consuming route finding, they made it to 12,000′ on the Tahoma Glacier headwall before having to turn around. They had also avoided the lower part of the Tahoma due to being heavily cracked up as it was August and ascended the Puyallup Cleaver adjacent the glacier which took up additional time. Thus, the Ciziks were extremely motivated to climb the Tahoma and our plan was to carry full loads up and over the summit with a camp in the crater rim and descend the easier standard DC route. The Ciziks’ father, Rob, had tried this route three times throughout the 80s and 90s and again with his sons but unfortunately never made the summit from the Tahoma. However, Rob and Nico’s wife, Celeste, would climb the DC route and meet us in the crater rim after our overnight at 14,200′ and we would all descend the DC route together. It was a great plan and fortunately it all went according to plan.

Me & J packing up at 2,800′ on the Westside Road in Rainier National Park (11,600′ to go!)

Point of Success and the Tahoma Glacier and headwall from around 3,000′ on the Westside Road

We backpacked with heavy loads of gear and food from 2,800′ to 6,000′ on Day 1 and camped at the easternmost point of Emerald Ridge on some dry ground

Here is a look up the lower part of the Tahoma Glacier and the 2,300′ Tahoma Glacier headwall from camp 1 at 6,000′

On Day 2, we slept in a bit, cranked some coffee, jammed out to some 80s on my solar powered radio and then we were off onto the lower Tahoma Glacier

The lower Tahoma Glacier was filled in enough where it was much more direct and less time consuming then climbing the Puyallup Cleaver to the north. Our late start that day had a small price of some annoying post holing for the leader but we didn’t mind one bit considering we didn’t have to deal with the additional weight of snowshoes on our person. The lower part of the Tahoma Glacier was definitely some fun crevasse meandering and route finding.

Me negotiating one of the numerous crevasses and snow bridges

After 4,000′ of moderately steep glacier travel and route finding and sitting out an intense electrical storm in which our poles, pickets, ascenders, biners, etc were building charge and making noise, we rolled into our camp 2 at 10,000′. I’ve never had to deal with electrical storms on a glacier but I tell you it is a scary ordeal. Nowhere to hide or run…all you can do is take off your pack and metal gear, put it a good distance from yourself and get low and wait it out.

Our camp 2 when the storm passed and the sun came out with the Tahoma Glacier headwall on the left and Tahoma Cleaver on the right in the background

Me looking up at the Sunset Amphitheatre with the Tahoma Glacier headwall out of view to the right

The Ciziks did a bit of route finding through the remainder of the lower Tahoma Glacier to the base of the headwall after we rolled into camp. This was much appreciated as it probably saved us 2 hrs of route finding and headaches in the morning for summit day.

Sunset from my tent at 10,000′ on the Tahoma Glacier

After waking up at 2:30am and entirely packing up camp on our backs (as we would carry all our gear up and over Rainier), we departed camp 2 around 4:30am.

Summit day morning around 4:45am shows Matt with a monster crack we crossed over

We made it to the base of the headwall (around 11,000′) and considered our future.

J with the Tahoma Glacier headwall behind (2,300′ of crevassed 50 degree snow)

Matt & Steve climbing the Tahoma Glacier headwall with the lower Tahoma Glacier far below which we ascended

Me climbing the Tahoma Glacier headwall with Liberty Cap behind me

The headwall’s sustained 45-50 deg snow let up around 13,300′ but not without a major obstacle for us to overcome…a major crevasse that traversed the entire glacier and only two potential snow bridges to cross at around 13,100′. We decided on the larger one, but the uphill side was severely overhanging the crack. Steve went first on a tight boot axe belay from Matt and made it across. Then, Matt went on a tight boot axe belay from above by Steve and below by Nico. Then, when we thought Matt was across, the entire bridge and overhanging part of the crevasse wall went! Nico immediately hit the ground to arrest the fall, J jumped on top of Nico and I set up a picket as an anchor with ascender on the rope to Matt. However, there was no tension on the rope. We did not know what was going on and why there was no tension. Low and behold, the crevasse constricted to about 7 feet in width about 20 ft down and the snow debris had wedged in between the constricted part and Matt had fallen 30′ onto his back on top of the wedged debris. Fortunately, he was ok as Baba called down to him. We pulled Matt out on the downhill side of the crack and he regained his composure. I don’t know of anyone who could have regained their composure as quickly as Matt did.

The aftermath of the snow bridge and crevasse wall collapse

So, we had a dilemma…Steve was on the uphill side of the 8 ft wide crack and the remaining 5 of us on the downhill side with only a foot wide by 3 foot deep bridge that we didn’t even consider crossing before. It seemed like it would go if we just touched it. However, it was our only hope. Matt got back on the horse again after his fall and crawled across the narrow bridge without his pack while Steve anchored himself in from above with a picket and belayed him and Nico belayed him from below. He made it! The bridge held! We went one by one, crawling across the bridge and all of us had made it except Baba who was deeply concerned with the bridge holding considering he was 215 lbs and had a 60 lb pack on his back. However, we had 4 pickets in the ground and belayed him from above with a very taught rope essentially trying to pull him upwards and the bridge held much to Baba and our relief.

Matt crawling across the tiny snow bridge spanning the crux crevasse at the top of the Tahoma Glacier headwall

Me belaying Nico up the narrow snow bridge

If there had not been any bridge to get across after the collapse of the seemingly large one, Steve would have had to set up a bombproof anchor from above and we each would have had to drop down into the crevasse and ascend the rope up the uphill side…it could have been very time consuming but doable for us. Fortunately, we didn’t have to go there. Another couple sunny days and that small bridge would be gone and the route wouldn’t go anymore without setting up a ladder or tyrolean traverse. With the drama behind us, we gathered ourselves and climbed the remaining 1,100′ to the west end of the west crater rim dodging crevasses here and there.

Me almost to the west crater rim with Baba behind after climbing the much gentler, less crevassed final 800′ of the Tahoma Glacier

We made the west crater rim at around 11:30am and then deroped and walked across the west crater rim to Columbia Crest at 14,411′ and topped out around 11:45AM.

Baba, J, and me on Rainier’s summit after climbing the Tahoma Glacier

Group summit shot (left to right: Matt, Steve, J, Baba, Nico, and me)

I knew my good buddy Caleb Wray and his team of skiers had successfully summitted Rainier the day before since I saw their ski tracks heading south off the summit towards the upper Nisqually Glacier and the Fuhrer Finger. Congrats guys on a great climb and ski descent! We then headed down to the east end of Rainier’s main crater rim and set up our camp 3 about 50′ away from where the standard DC Route comes up and over the crater rim so we could watch out for Rob and Celeste the following morning coming up that route. After hours and hours of eating, drinking, sipping some scotch, and napping, Baba, J, and I walked back up to the summit for some sunset views from the top of Washington.

Our 14,200′ camp 3 at the east end of the crater rim as seen from the summit that evening

Me back on top of Rainier again that day at around 8pm

We then hit the sack for as soon as the sun went down it got really chilly. I think the low that night was around 5 degrees on the summit. However, the weather couldn’t have been better for a summit crater overnight. We woke up at around 7am and brewed coffee and ate bagels and listened to some Seattle radio stations on my solar powered radio. A few RMI guided groups reached the crater rim at that time and I have to admit they looked at us with a bit of confusion like what were we doing up here. Nevertheless, one of the guides asked where we were from and we said Colorado and then he asked “Is Brandon Chalk there?” Wow…it turned out to be my good friend Mike Horst who was guiding for Alpine Ascents. Last time I saw Mike was at Aconcagua base camp 3 yrs ago when he was guiding a group and I was climbing Aconcagua independently with two good friends. We asked his clients to wait a bit and he and I caught up on old times. It was great to see him. Celeste and Rob crested the crater rim around 9am and the Ciziks went with them to the summit while J, Baba, and I explored the many deep caves expelling sulfur below the crater rim. We then all packed up and headed down the upper Ingraham Glacier down the normal standard DC route…it was indeed a highway and made me feel so happy that we ascended the much much less traveled Tahoma Glacier.

Descending the upper Ingraham Glacier with Little Tahoma Peak in the background

J descending Disappointment Cleaver with a monster crevasse below

Upper Ingraham Glacier

We then made it in no time to Camp Muir, had lunch and re-filled water bottles, and plunge stepped our way down the Muir Snowfield to Paradise for a total descent time from the summit to paradise of 6 hrs and 9,000′. Rainier beers were on the menu and we celebrated our success and safe return and how this climb (excluding the crevasse fall), the weather (excluding the electrical storm), and timing with Celeste and Rob worked out just perfectly.

Me with my good ole Rainier Beer hat and Rainier Beer after a successful 4 days and 3 nights on a fantastic mountain

Christmas Eve on Mt. Elbert

by Brandon Chalk | Dec 24, 2007 | Colorado 14ers

My girlfriend, Kristine, and I and our dogs, Rainier and Kona, thought what better way to spend Christmas Eve than to climb Mt. Elbert in winter. So, we packed it up and headed down from Vail to the South Elbert Trailhead and started skinning up the 4WD road at 9:15am.

Kristine skinning up the 4WD road

Rainier ready to hike w/ her boots on

Despite a few setbacks w/ our skins and a few blisters, we made it almost to treeline on a decent packed path and then broke our own trail from there on.

Kristine breaking trail above treeline

Kristine with Twin Lakes below

It got so warm at one point skinning up the east ridge, the shirt had to come off – amazing considering it is winter on CO‘s highest peak

Then, we left our skis at around 13,000‘ on the east ridge because the remainder of the route was very dry in terms of snow cover and wouldn‘t be very fun rock hopping in our skins and skis. So, we hiked the rest of the way to Elbert‘s summit in our tele boots.

Kristine climbing above 14,000‘

Rainier & Kristine climbing to Elbert‘s summit

Then, around 3pm, we all reached Elbert‘s summit w/ high winds and cold temps, but fairly clear for a winter summit.

Kona and Kristine on Elbert‘s summit

Me and Kristine on the summit

All four of us on Elbert‘s summit (Merry Christmas Eve from the top of CO!)

Elbert casts its shadow on the Arkansas Valley below at dusk

The Box Creek Cirque couloirs on the way down (Gotta come back and ski one of these)

Mt. Massive to the north at dusk

Kona & myself skiing down the east ridge at dusk

We got back to the car at the South Elbert Trailhead at 6:15pm (a 9 hr ascent and descent, 11.5 miles and almost 5,000 vertical) and a great way to spend Christmas Eve w/ Kristine and the dogs. We even got a little full moon skinning in at the end of the day back to the car.

Hope everyone has a happy holiday!

Peak C

by Brandon Chalk | Nov 3, 2007 | Colorado 13ers

I have been wanting to climbing the awesome Peak C in the Gore Range as a snow climb and thought w/ the early snow this year in the high country, it may be a good climb. So, I hiked up Meadow Mtn near Vail to get a glimpse of it and neighboring Mt. Powell this past Friday and sure enough looked like its prominent southwest couloir should be a good snow climb.

Peak C and its southwest couloir on the approach up the Piney River Valley

Along with my good friends Ryan (Baba), Mikey, and my golden retriever, Rainier, I set out this past Saturday morning at 7:30am from Piney Lake and had a spectacular climb of Peak C. We followed the Piney River trail for 3 miles to the base of Mt. Powell & Peak C and beared right towards upper Piney Lake. I knew we needed to get to the upper tarn filled basin at 11,400‘ below Peak C‘s southwest couloir, and so we took a left off the trail and bushwacked and climbed spines of rock and gullies for over 1000‘ from the valley floor until we reached the snow filled tarn basin.

Piney Lake as seen from almost to the tarn filled basin below Peak C’s southwest couloir

So, we put on our plastic boots, crampons, and got our axes out and traversed across the tarn filled basin to the southwest couloir.

Peak C’s southwest couloir as seen from the crest of the tarn filled basin

Then, we climbed the 1000‘-1200‘ couloir, which was a great snow climb – better than I expected.

Baba & Rainier entering the couloir proper

The boys making their way up

A good snow climb

Looking down the southwest couloir from the very small notch at the top of the couloir between Peak C and Peak C Prime

Then, we left our axes and crampons at the small notch and took a left and climbed 30‘ of fun class 4 rock to start Peak C‘s south ridge.

The class 4 rock we climbed to gain the south ridge above the notch

Baba climbing the class 4 headwall above the notch

The gnarly Peak C Prime as seen from Peak C‘s south ridge

Then, we climbed the very exciting class 2-3 south ridge all the way to peak C‘s summit.

Mikey on the south ridge

Mikey downclimbing a section on the south ridge

Baba on Peak C’s south ridge

At about 12:30pm on a beautiful Saturday, we reached Peak C‘s summit.

Me & Rainier on Peak C’s summit w/ Mt. Powell in the background

Peak C summit (13,220′)

Rainier on Peak C’s summit w/ Vail and Holy Cross in the distance

Vail Mountain from Peak C’s summit

Me on Peak C’s summit on a stunning November day

We were getting cold and the wind was picking up, so we descended the south ridge.

Me downclimbing the class 4 section to the notch at the top of the southwest couloir w/ Mikey and Rainier below

Me plunge-stepping my way down the southwest couloir

Once at the bottom of the southwest couloir, we snacked and had a great bask in the sun and enjoyed the view for 30 minutes. Then, we packed up and headed out.

Rainier, Baba, & Mikey crossing the tarn filled basin

Then, after bushwhacking and finding our route back down to the valley floor and Piney River, we made our way leisurely back to Piney Lake and the trailhead at about 5pm. All in all about 9.5 hrs roundtrip and a fantastic day out on a great, seldom-climbed peak!

One last look at Peak C and its southwest couloir from Piney Lake. The south ridge heads up and to the left from the top of the southwest couloir all the way to Peak C‘s summit