North America, Canada, Mount Tatlow, Northeast Face
Mount Tatlow, Northeast Face. In September, Mark Bebie, Mark Hutson, and I climbed a steep and remarkable route, the cascading ice cliffs of the spectacular, narrow glacier on the northeast face of Mount Tatlow. The route can be seen clearly on the drive across the Chilcotin Plateau enroute to Chilko and Taseko Lakes. It is surprising that a route of this character had not been done before, since the approach is simple, and Tatlow is one of the range’s most visible mountains. The climb was mostly on hard, blue ice, first climbing an apron above the bergschrund, then skirting the first big ice cliff. The crux of the route was a narrow channel between the chaotic glacier and the rock wall on the left. One pitch, led by Bebie, had two overhangs and involved some complicated route maneuvering. Due to cold temperatures, ice screws were very secure throughout the climb, and there was no apparent objective danger. We reached the summit at dark, just as a full moon bathed the mountain in a radiant and welcome light. This is a climb definitely worth repeating.
Fred Beckey