Trip Report: Mount Carl Heller

East Ridge Class 4, Summit 13,225 Ft

 

This peak has been on my back burner list for at least a decade.  It has an infamous loooong ridge scramble. Distinctive from many angles. That alone was enough to sell me on it.  It just took the right timing, and company to make a trip happen. Which turned out to be in late Sept 2024.

 

 

Approach:

 

The traditional approach is up George creek, but we opted for a North Fork of Lone Pine Creek traversing over and down. This was less direct but perhaps easier movement than the George Creek route.

We veered off at lower Boy scout aiming for a feature called ‘The Cleaver’.  This alone was a worthwhile hike and view.  It’s a stunning chunk of rock in a narrow arc of granite.

 

Once at The Cleaver we generally stuck to the climbers left picking a path of preference. Cleaver Col is listed as class 3. You can make this more or less scrambly.

 

You can review class systems HERE.

 

From the saddle next to Cleaver Col, you gain an amazing view of Tulainyo Lake. We navigated the right side of the lake and summited Tunnabora Peak.

 

Note* this was our last water until we returned to the lake.

 

Walking a short distance down the east arm of Tunnabora Peak we turned north descending a class 2 chute to the base of the Carl Heller Ridge.

 

The Climb:

 

The slabs at the toe of the ridge were perhaps the most consistent climbing movements we had. For folks versed in climbing this is readily done with approach shoes and felt comfortable without a rope.  It is, however, important to feel confident in movement as this is an no fall zone without ledges for breaks.

 

Once the main ridge was gained most of it was walkable with occasion step ups or climbing movements needed. It continued in this fashion for a large portion of the ridge.

 

 

Towards the final section of the ridge before it joined the notch, it seemed to make more sense to take ledge systems on the northeast side. This put us into pockets of snow which might have made this section feel harder than needed.

 

At the notch you then still need to scramble up to gain the summit. This final scramble was steeper and more physical. Though there are ledges, and everything still felt very secure.

 

Descent:

 

Once on top of Carl Heller you can create a loop back towards Tulainyo Lake.

First, we dropped down a bit off the top and then began side traversing. Ultimately giving up on maintaining elevation, we descended about 1k before having to regain that elevation at the saddle between Wallace and Tulainyo Lakes. This kept things more class 2.

 

I think one could aim for a traverse across Carl Hellers south ridge, but it looked slower and more complicated than we felt at this point of the day.  One could also summit Mt Russell after regaining the lake.

We were very satisfied with our day and opted to take the Russell Carillon Col to Upper Boy Scout Lake then hike down the North Fork trail to the car.

 

Gear:

 

I think approach shoes are nice for this.  As always bring your navigation tools and map.

 

A rope and very light alpine rack should be considered if guiding (as an option for short pitching not just short roping). I also encourage anyone not comfortable soloing 3^rd class with exposure and no fall zones to consider a short section of rope, just in case.

 

A close Call:

 

While I solo moderate 3^rd and 4th^th class often, I don’t want that to diminish the risk for folks. This is an exposed route where a fall could be catastrophic.

 

All risk should be assessed individually and if one is not 100% confident in movement (which is still an arbitrary guess in our own estimation) then do something to make the movement more secure.  Add a rope, or add climbing shoes, climb more before the trip etc.

 

I was made keenly aware of the risk on the scree slope approaching this peak. I lost my footing, which happens, but instead of regaining balance I slowly fell while my right leg wedged between two boulders. As my upper body continued to twist down, I felt pressure in my knee and knew something was going to pop.  I honestly couldn’t do anything to stop the momentum or leveraging forces.

 

Luck was on my side, and I stopped prior to a catastrophic dislocation or total tear.  I certainly still strained my connective tissue. I had to stop and assess for stability. Then consider my options. We were about 8 miles in with 8 miles to go to get out. Basically, going up still was my best option. If I hadn’t been able to walk, it would have been a very deep and difficult situation to self-rescue out of.

 

Always a good reminder of why even simple injuries can be complicated and risky when deeper in the backcountry.

 

I too need to adjust my risk with this in mind.