Overview
On July 17, 2022, on a clear day in Rocky Mountain National Park, Jason and I succesfully climbed the Northeast Ridge of Sharkstooth (5.6, II). The spire stands tall behind the Petit Grepon and other classic formations. The climbing was scenic and enjoyable, the approach was harrowing, and the adventure was memorable. In total, it tooks us about 12 hours and 12 minutes car-to-car.
Link to full published trip report (includes photos).
Preparation
We did extensive prep for this trip, which ultimately led to a successful and efficient outing. The day before the climb, Jason came over and we decided on the exact rack we were going to carry. We additionally decided on departure time (2:00am from Boulder) and estimated the length of the car-to-car portion of the day (14.5 hours).
We brought the following rack:
Doubles #0.3 to #3 (C4 sizes), plus black Totem Single set of BD stoppers in sizes 4-8 Single set DMM offsets 8-12 11 alpine draws 2 double lengths 2 cordelettes, each about 20ft in length 2 ATC guides, plus two lockers per device 1 GriGri 1 nut tool 70m climbing rope Extra webbing + rap ring
I read several trip reports on the route to get extensive background information. I also adapted Rossiter’s topo with notes from mountain project and my own illustrations. In particular, I added an updated description of the descent route, which was bolted for a 70m rope as of 2020.
https://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=21689 https://www.mountainproject.com/photo/119344335/rappel-anchors-and-distances
The Approach
We started out on the trail at 3:15am, earlier than expected, and we moved fast through the opening couple of miles. We took the climber’s trail to skip Alberta Falls and save some time. This trail was a bit more rugged than the standard Loch Vale path but definitely worth the time saving. We were at Loch Vale within an hour and half from leaving the car.
Soon we took the right fork off Sky Pond trail to Andrews glacier. This trail was slightly more challenging, with both a steady uphill climb and rockier terrain. We eventually came to the Gash and trended towards a boulder field. It was pretty clear that the approach to Sharkstooth was not in the direction of Andrews Glacier, although if I had not read so many trip reports I’m not sure I would’ve known that.
The Gash approach is hard. I see why the route has earned a reputation for a difficult approach. It’s much more taxing than Sky Pond, and there are many potential paths with difficult obstacles on virtually all of them (perhaps there’s a “best” way to go, but its hard to find on your first attempt in the darkness).
We traversed several flat snowfields and scrambled over a number of boulders until we reached a crest in the approach. From here, we got our first view of the Sharkstooth and what remained of the daunting approach. We decided to take the steep snowfield to West, rather than the grassy ledges that cut through a cliff below the main formation. At different times of year, I could see the tradeoff varying between these two options. However, with microspikes and trekking poles the snowfield was not terrible (at 5:00am). Coming down it on the descent would prove to be the mental crux of the day.
The Climb
Finally, after the steep snowfield and an additional 45 minutes of boulder scrambling, we reached the base of the route and geared up for the first pitch. It took us 3 hours and 15 minutes from the car. With the ensuing transition, we were formally on the route at 7:00am.
Not too much to say about the climbing on this one. It’s relatively mellow and increasingly beautiful as you move up the ridge. We accidentally linked P3 and most of P4, which worked in our favor as we made excellent time. We dropped a nut and I could not clean one of the nuts placed on the 3rd pitch, but other than those minor losses we left no other gear behind. We summited within 3 hours of beginning the climb. We rapped the intended route, and as expected the last rappel anchor is kind of janky–a combination of a slung chockstone, a fixed nut, and a piton. We scrambled back to the base where we had left Jason’s pack which held our extra food, water, and spikes. Following the advice of one trip report, we buried the bag in small boulders and there was no evidence that marmots had touched it. The Descent
The descent from the base of Sharkstooth was the most challenging part of the day. I stumbled a couple of times on loose rocks. The risk of a sprained ankle was high, and I was trying to maintain my focus so as to avoid one of these injuries, but after an early morning start and eight hours of activity it was difficult.
We decided to take the steep snowfield back down–a decision that proved costly in terms of time, but not necessarily more so than the grassy ledge descent, which looked hard. The problem with the snowfield descent was the condition of the snow, which had softened considerably. Once it steepened, we realized that kicking steps down was not feasible. We tried to make our way to a small rock field on the skier’s left. Both Jason and I slipped on the last couple of meters and slid into the rocks. Fortunately, both of us were able to control our fall and land without injury. But this could have easily been a more consequential mistake. We got lucky, without question.
Then we still had another 30 meters of steep, 30-ish degree snow to descend, followed by a traverse above another slope that we had crossed in the morning. Our problem-solving ability was tested here. Ultimately, we improvised a rappel anchor and rapped to the base of the steep section of snow (this took one ascent to free the rope and leave our webbing behind). I don’t think there was any safe alternative to descending this section. One slip, and you could easily imagine the uncontrolled slide you’d be going on. The major hazard was a large band of rocks some several hundred meters below. The snowfield did not ease up in degree before that hazard. Thus, a fall would’ve almost surely been catastrophic.
When we traversed the last snowfield, I was on high alert. We each had complete responsibility for our own safety, a fair consequence for deciding to take this descent route. Jason was more adept at snow travel, and he made it safely to a rocky stream ahead of me. I was much slower and much more clumsy. I actually slipped once but caught myself on some rock that protruded the snow. I reverted to a tactic of kicking steps sideways into the snow, improving my stability, but slowing my pace to snail crawl. Without the microspikes and poles, I would never have been able to cross this section and I shutter to think what I would’ve done as an alternative.
Finally, after a couple more close calls and a lot of energy spent kicking steps in the snow, I reached Jason’s perch on the rocks and considered myself safe from the snow hazard. This is not an experience I’d want to repeat, nor do I think anyone should expect the same kind of luck should they take the same crossing without proper equipment–namely, crampons and an ice ax. But I guess all successful days in the mountains benefit from a nonzero amount of luck.
The Return
We continued down a steep boulder field and encountered a number of difficult scrambles on the rest of the descent, but in comparison to the snowfield it was all a relief. I would trade the risk of sprained ankle for the risk of an uncontrolled snow fall every time. We found a bivy spot underneath a massive boulder about a third of the way up the Gash–worth noting for another trip.
Once back on Andrews glacier trail, we were in the clear. We took a short break around the creek to rest and eat, then we blitzed the remainder of the trail back. We only stopped at Loch Vale to appreciate a mother elk and her baby some 30 yards ahead of us, walking into the lake and going for a swim.
We were in surprisingly good shape for such a long day, and we ran down several steeper sections of the Sky Pond/Loch Vale trail system. We passed a lot of other hiking parties and several climbers that had climbed the Petit Grepon that morning. We took the shortcut back, reaching the car just 12 hours and 12 minutes after leaving that morning.
Reflection
I don’t like admitting how close of a call we had on the snowfield. I also feel foolish for taking the descent trail without proper gear–I was reading some passages on snow travel in FOTH just a few days prior that scared me from casually traveling on snow. I can only say that I have a lot to learn when it comes to that medium of terrain. I’m lucky that I got some forced experience on this trip, rather than a broken bone and a rescue bill.
Other than the snowfield, the trip itself was an overwhelming success. We slashed our expected car-to-car time by over two hours. We cruised up the technical climbing terrain with an invigorating ease. I enjoyed getting to know Jason a lot better. He has an impressive degree of physical and mental strength, while also keeping a level head in tight situations. I hope that we plan another adventure together. Edit: Our next objective in the park was the South Face of Zowie (5.8+).