Thompson - Again
So last weekend, Brian and I decided we would try Thompson again. This attempt would be different:
- Leave from his cabin @ Alpinetal
- Leave super early
- Go as light as we can
- Go as fast as we can
As we're unloading things from my truck, I lock the keys in the cab. Nice. Not a big deal as most of my climbing gear is in the shell, and it is unlocked. So it looks like we will walk to the trail head. No biggie, maybe half a mile.
Brian and I drink a beer and relax. Try to get to bed early since it is an early rise. At 12:15 I wake up and remember I have a special credit card key in my wallet. How could I be so stupid as to not remember that? Jesus, am an idiot. I lay awake for the next 3+ hours waiting for the alarm. It doesn't go off and finally I get up @ 4am.
I eat a big bowl of Museli, as I'm not gonna bonk on this epic SOB. We're on the trail @ 5. Not bad, actually 5:02. An hour or so up the trail, we're making good time, but I'm hearing voices...Shit, somebody is on the trail behind us? Hell. An hour or so later, they pass us. Climbers. Where they headed? They say Thompson. Shit. Shit. Shit. It could be a problem. If they get on the rock BEFORE us, then we have to wait for them. Thompson is a long approach in and out. Last time (about 2 months ago) it was a 17 hour day. We were back at the car at midnight. Brutal. I have never been so completely wiped out.
Brian was on his toes as in the fog we nearly miss the left hand turn to scramble up what is called Bumblebee Pass. We hear voices behind us and really start moving. We get to the top and it's wet and cloudy and foggy and looking really bad. Shit. Shit. Now the weather is gonna keep us from attempt number 4? Shit. We eat a bite and take a breather trying to decide what to do next. I'm about 50/50 on bailing. Brian says, lets at least get to the other side of the bowl. We push on. 
The fog is super thick as it's really difficult to see where the notch is on the other side. None of the snow is left from our attempt 2 months ago. Where is that notch? We know where it is in general as we've been there 3 times before, but pretty hard to make out when you can barely see 100 feet in front of you. Then, the sky breaks for a minute, and we see the notch. We are so psyched. Hell maybe the weather will let up.
As we put on our boots and start to rack up on the first pitch, we hear voices. There they are, just minutes behind us. As the four of them come around the first big rock, we're ready to go. Brian has built a rock solid (ha ha) anchor and I'm tied in and ready to try this bastard again. We brought a new 9.9 mm 70 meter dual weave dry rope, I got on sale @ backcountry.com. Those guys have good stuff at good prices.
Pitch 1 - Climb a chimney. I remember. Turn towards they north and climb another climney. I remember it too. Scramble over the burley bush. Go. I'm feeling good, but the rope drag is really starting to be burdensome. I'm near the end of the rope. I find a decent ledge and set up a belay station. I have to huff and puff to really bring in the rope. We should have used more doubles and triple runners.
Pitch 2 - Climb up and around a corner. Move up slow and steady. Ah here is the ledge I remember last time. How did I get up this? I move to the right, and put in an Alien...Hmm, I don't like it. I step down and head back to the ledge. Shit what now. Ah hell, just climb. I put in that same Alien Cam @ the ledge and hope that if I fall, it will stay stuck in the crack. It was a while ago that i put pro in...If I fall, and that Alien pulls, it's really gonna hurt. Later I get to the ridgeline. I remember this spot as my water bottle fell out of the sleeve last time. I think it went a couple hundred feet. I wonder, did it break? It was my livestrong bottle. Damn. Oh well. Better the bottle than me! I decide the rope drag is so bad that I have to belay Brian from this spot. I tug on the rope and it barely moves. Jesus. This is gonna take a while. After quite a while of tugging, and my arms are burning like hell. I get Brian up the the ledge.
Ridgeline - I bring Brian up and we're gonna protect the next slabby section. I put in a couple pieces but soon I'm out of rope. Good thing too. I was getting tired of rope drag, once again. Our climber friends are right behind us. They are proably better climbers, and they are in rock shoes, not boots. Two distinct advantages. I tell Brian, I need a break. He has to lead as the rope drag is killing me and I need just a bit of a breather.
Brian heads to the left up a little ramp and around the corner. The rope is moving pretty fast as I'm guessing, it's pretty easy climbing. It is. In a few minutes he's on the top, but this is not the summit. We walk along the top and discover a small ridge. Brian leads out, as he scrambles over and climbs an easy 4th class pitch. He brings me up and we toss the rope down and walk to the top. The sun clears up the fog and we sit for a half an hour enjoying the view.
Money Shot
Me on the top, facing north, the southern hump is just behind me.
Summit Movie
We walk north and with two rappells down, are near a meadow where we can walk down the far eastern side of Thompson. This appears to be the scramble route up. You mean we could have walked up? Jesus H?
We get down the scree/talus field and in to the bottom of the bowl. Nice snow melt water. We fill up the water bottles, eat a snack and head back up the other side of the bowl, back to bumblebee pass and PCT will take us home. Moving fast, we are back at the parking lot in 3 hours.
- Trailhead - 5:00 am
- Bumblee Pass - 8:30 am
- First Pitch - 10:00 am
- Summit - 2:00 pm
- Depart - 2:30 pm
- Bottom of bowl - 4:30 pm
- Trailside - 5:30 pm
- Trailhead - 8:30 pm
- Total Time 15:30 hours
