Adventures on Base Camp Peak, various days

The ridge that rose a hundred yards or so from our base camp had some potential on it. About 400 feet high, the bottom hundred feet below the bergscrhund was a nice late afternoon quick ski jaunt.

Base Camp Peak - the lowly ridge next to camp

Above the bergschrund were three pitches of climbing, including a pitch of ice up to 60 degrees. After our failure on peak 10150 (you will note that I use the elevations 10140 and 10150 interchangeably here - I will make no attempt to be consistent) on the morning of June 19th, we were just lazing around, with nothing to do. Dave and Marcus decided to forge a route up Base Camp Peak, while Greg and I went for an exploratory ski to the col next to the peak, hoping to check out some solid-looking rock.

Dave belaying Marcus through the main ice pitch on Base Camp Peak. That is one long shadow you have Marcus.

Greg and I watched Marcus and Dave for 45 minutes or so, feeling just like European tourists watching famous climbers on the North Face of the Eiger. Then we took off. We found an easy way to ski over the bergscrhund, and continued along a gentle ridge (which showed how necessary skis were - it was slushy under a thin crust - we would have been post-holing 5 feet if not for the skis!), until we got to the rock in question. Individual pieces of the rock slabs look solid, but they did not look like anything was holding them together. This just reaffirmed that the rock in this area is horrid.

We returned to camp, and shortly thereafter, Dave and Marcus walked off the peak, successful.

On June 22nd, Greg and I attempted Base Camp Peak shortly before noon. Dave confidently stated that the conditions should be even firmer now, than when he and Marcus climbed it. How he was able to ascertain this while relaxing on a thermarest in base camp was beyond me. Greg and I were doubtful this was the case, as, even though we were starting earlier than they did, the snow immediately around camp was quite sloppy already.

We headed up, Greg in the lead. He stopped when he got to the bergschrund, and put in a T-trench anchor. He then tried in vain to climb over the bergschrund, which had been a very straightforward affair for Dave and Marcus. He shouted back that he was able to run the whole shaft of his ice tool through the bergscrhund wall no problem. Thus he could get no purchase at all. Time to go back.

Greg probing the bergscrhund.

Back at camp, Greg stated "There was only one way I was getting up that 'schrund: The breaststroke, or the crawl".

The snow was melting at an alarming rate, and it was only to get worse.