Unnamed at GR380492 and GR385487

Unnamed at GR380492 and GR385487 (south of Mount Baldy South) again (!) – February 25, 2006

Mountain height:       2,348 m (7,701 feet) and 2,342 m (7,682 feet) respectively
Elevation gain:           1,190 m total
Total ascent time:      5:05
Total descent time:    3:25

Scrambling with Mark.

The only thing missing from my superb trip up these two peaks last week was someone to share it with and so I decided to return with a partner. Unfortunately, Claudia Schiffer, my first choice, was on assignment, making more money in ten minutes than I will in ten years and so I just took Mark.

Actually, there were several reasons for choosing to repeat a trip I had done only 7 days earlier:

1. it really is a terrifically scenic trip that is worth sharing;
2. I was suffering with the flu, Mark had a long week at work and we, therefore, both wanted something short and not too strenuous;
3. we intended to extend the trip by continuing on to the next unnamed peak to the southeast;
4. recent new snow had increased the avalanche danger in other areas;
5. the weather looked very promising and this is not a trip I’d do in cloudy conditions.

Unfortunately, all didn’t go as planned. Firstly, the weather didn’t cooperate: last week, completely cloudy skies gave way to completely clear skies, with some incredible transitional lighting effects in between; this week the clear sky in the morning turned cloudy as we reached the first peak and there with no cool lighting effects.

Secondly, because of the very cold temperatures, we decided to go in our mountaineering boots, instead of our scrambling boots and for some reason, they didn’t provide the good footing that my scrambling boots had last week. We were constantly slipping on the snow-covered terrain and were frustrated by problems on the slabby traverse from the first peak to the second.

Thirdly, we were both so physically depleted, before we even reached the first peak, an attempt of the third was out of the question. We continued on to the second and then did a very minor extension onto a nearby buttress, but had little energy to do anything else. The severe cold also precluded the attempt to the third, where we, more than likely, would have had to rappel a couple of sections to get down to the connecting ridge.

We did enjoy some very pleasant scenery throughout the first part of the trip and Mark was certainly impressed with the beautiful connecting ridge between the peaks and the wonderfully steep, east face of the mountain, but it was not the triumphant and glorious return I was hoping for. Nevertheless, a slightly disappointing day out is better than no day out at all.