Mount Adams, East Face Direct via Victory Ridge. On the weekend of July 7 Don Gordon and I camped on the north side of the mountain, hoping to complete one of the few remaining unclimbed routes—a direct ascent of the east face in line with the summit. On an ascent of the North Wilson Glacier in 1961 it was evident that there was just one feasible line through the fringing ice cliffs near the summit, and this was by climbing the upper portion of a steep rocky buttress called Victory Ridge. The climb would have to be done early in the summer in order to find sufficient snow and ice on the rock’s gullies and ledges to provide safe climbing, yet not too early, for then there would be an avalanche hazard. Victory Ridge from beneath foiled our earlier effort, since it breaks into a hopeless series of gendarmes. That time we were forced to pass close to the north side of this ridge, then climb the steep gully systems with a careful eye above for ice fragments and pellets which were continually coming down. We did not fear the ice cliffs as long as we kept away from rubble areas above.

A clear and cool night forecasted our best chance. We left camp about 2 A.M. and by daylight were already traversing beneath the Lyman Glaciers. In a few more hours we were roped and climbing up a segment of the South Wilson Glacier that led to a great headwall capped by the upper ice cliffs. Here the sun had already loosened particles of snow, and by the time we crossed a great bergschrund individual stones were hissing down the many channels grooved into the steep snow-and-ice face leading to upper Victory Ridge. After crossing the schrund, we climbed two leads on steep ice which demanded some cutting. Then we followed a snow arête on the ridge and began a two-hour traversing climb to the right, much of the time dodging small but rapid rockfall and loose ice fragments. In time we climbed into the center of three prominent ice couloirs that sweep up the cliff. On each lead we now had to cut steps and continually watch for falling fragments. We mitigated danger by belaying from safe ledges off to the sides and by climbing rapidly from safe stances to other safe stances. Eventually we cut and cramponed our way to a safe position directly under the ice cliff; but here it overhung in all directions, with huge icicles barring progress. We then cut steps to the south for three long leads, using both rock and ice pitons on this traverse and keeping immediately beneath the final cliff. On one 50-foot stretch, it was necessary to stay behind the curtain of icicles, a weird but actually technically safe traverse. Finally we cut across a section of black ice and found only 200 feet of sloping ice ahead of us. Once up this, not even a single crevasse separated us from the summit, only a few hundred yards directly ahead.

Fred Beckey