This article may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks!Classic–one of the select routes chosen for inclusion in the Fifty Classic Climbs of North America, one of just six in the Pacific Northwest. The Upper North Ride of Mount Stuart (9,415′, Grade IV, 5.9) …
Climbing Mount Whitney via the East Buttress
Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the continental United States, and the East Buttress route is considered an absolute classic. When the opportunity presented itself for unexpectedly climbing Mount Whitney, I couldn’t resist. While I was hanging out in Lone Pine, California, I met up with an old DC climbing buddy, Ryder, who was just making the move …
Litter Rescue Class and the Potomac Mountain Club’s 75th Anniversary
I joined a crew of a couple dozen or so members of the Potomac Mountain Club (PATC-MS) for their 75th anniversary celebrations at Seneca Rocks. I unfortunately missed out on their DC area celebrations in the days leading up to this event, which also included an alumni and history night with Jan Conn at Hearst Hall and climbing at Carderock, …
Backpacking North Fork Mountain (24 miles) and Climbing at Seneca
I finally got out to North Fork Mountain with a small crew from DC UL Backpacking… This one has been on my to-do list for awhile now, since I have seen some cool photos from friends that have done it in the past and just because I always notice it while climbing at Seneca (it is the long ridgeline to …
Climbing at Indian Grave Ridge
About a dozen of us from the Potomac Mountain Club headed out for a day trip to climb at the relatively off-the-beaten path crag known as Indian Grave Ridge. The crag is located about halfway between Luray and Front Royal, Virginia in the Massanuttens and is considerably remote for a day trip—long drive up a dirt road and a 45 …
Seven Days in the North Cascades: Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership 2
I recently met up with Chad Cochran with the American Alpine Institute (AAI) for a shortened, 1:1 version of AAI’s Alpine Mountaineering and Technical Leadership 2 (AMTL2) course. The AMTL course is a 4-part series, with the primary goal of Part 2 to make you a qualified rope team leader on rock and glacier routes. My seven days in the …
Torment-Forbidden Traverse
This past weekend I met up with Kel Rossiter of Adventure Spirit Guides for a two-day run at the classic Torment-Forbidden Traverse (Grade IV, 5.6) in Washington’s Boston Basin. The traverse was an absolutely outstanding route in one of the most spectacular and wild settings I’ve ever seen. The traverse is not particularly difficult climbing but it is long, committing, and features …
Melting on Little Devils Stairs and Baking on Buzzard Rocks in Virginia
This past weekend we reached the pinnacle of the DC heatwave with temps soaring to 105 degrees in the city and planes literally melting into the tarmac at the airport… With the oppressively hot weather in the forecast, there was only one thing to do—escape to the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains in search of at least slightly cooler temps. This …
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