North America, United States, Washington—Cascade Mountains, Mount Maude, North Face

Publication Year: 1968.

Mount Maude, North Face. Mount Maude’s ice-clad north face is belted by an impressive hanging glacier. The most outstanding feature of the face, however, is a steep icefall high on its left side. In 1957, Fred Beckey's party made the first ascent of the north face, climbing a prominent snow couloir on the face’s right side. From the Ice Lakes, the Beckey party reached the base of the couloir by traversing west across a snowfield above the hanging glacier. On August 24, after bivouacking in the upper Entiat meadows, Fred Dunham and I climbed the scree and water-polished rock slabs leading to the belt of ice cliffs forming the hanging glacier. By climbing a steep finger of snow between two ice blocks we were able to avoid the use of aid. Our nerves were shaken somewhat when a large block of ice broke away, and thundered down the rock face where we had been only minutes before. In the upper icefall, we used numerous tubular ice screws for protection and belays. Several of the nine pitches were 55°-60°, but since good belay platforms were readily available, the exposure was minimized to some extent. The last obstacle in the icefall, a narrow 20-foot ice chimney, required aid. An enjoyable scramble on easy rock took us to the ridge just east of the summit.

James F. Wickwire