Yup. Cortney, Joel, Geoff, and I hiked up to some boulders above the Alpental ski resort in Snoqualmie Pass this past weekend, and needless to say we were psyched about what we found. I did a recon hike to the area last fall, and I was inspired to check it out again by recent internet posts from Colordao. I wasn't sure about how much snow we would encounter on our journey, but we weren't very far into the hike before we found out...
The Last Leg of the Approach
Most of the boulders were buried in snow, but the one primo face in the area is so overhanging that it was dry, and it was well worth the two-mile hike/climb. Without any snow, this face would be a very committing highball. There are still many lines to be done in the basin, including some on boulders where the snow is literally fifteen feet deep. Here are some photos from the day, and a video of Joel doing the FA of the only (known) established problem in the area, a five star problem by any standard. There's not much more I can say to emphasize the quality of this face. Enjoy!
Finally in the Basin
Lookadat!
Geoff and Me on Xibalba
Joel is Pissed About the Hike
But It Was Worth It!
Magical Evening Light
Joel on the First Ascent of Xibalba and Attempting a Project
(HD on Vimeo)
(HD on Vimeo)
from your photos I cant really tell but are the boulders in the basin or out of it?
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