The Bonds, A HELLgate of a hike, 1/28/06

[sierra]

That was a great climb, I tip my hat to you. As far as the dissenting post goes, take that with a grain of salt imo. There's always someone out there to question someone looking for adventure and this board see's way more then its share of that. Im soloing 14ers in CO and CA and have recieved much flack on different boards because of my rules, ie no phone, no itinary left, yadadada but to me its in vain. There are those who are willing to live life and those willing to coast through life and curse those who can and will do what they have not the heart to do. Learn as you go, live on the edge, you had a great adventure because you had the vision and courage to see it through.

 

[David Metsky]

Learn as you go, live on the edge, you had a great adventure because you had the vision and courage to see it through.

He also had a considerable amount of luck and/or good fortune. Others in the same boat have had different results.

This trip sounds a bit out of my comfort zone but it sounds like you enjoyed the adventure. Congrats, nice report.

-dave-

 

[spencer]

I was very hesitant about my above post b/c I certainly value a good adventure. I like to think I do things that many others would poo poo but I am also sensitive to the monkey see-monkey do leanings of the internet, particularly when we have grizzled veterans that wouldn't think twice about some things that a beginner would barely read about.

I don't mean to lambast the poster but rather to mention that it isn't a trip worth recommending to everyone.

spencer

 

[Dugan]

Had he been injured and immobilized, there is a good chance he would have died

I've hiked with NH quite a bit. He is a strong and capable hiker who, in my opinion, typically exercises good judgement. However, one should know how to self arrest prior to starting out on a solo bushwhack that includes an unknown, off trail slide. With that said, I'm glad he's a quick learner!

Finally got through all the pics, and yes, some look very familiar.

NH - Hope you're up for this one once Dugan four-legs has rehabbed. (rehabbed enough to be left home alone, not enough to attempt the slide!)

 

[DougPaul]

I was very hesitant about my above post b/c I certainly value a good adventure.

No need to be. Someone does something adventureous and risky and he gets hailed as a hero, a visionary, one pushing the frontiers of his sport, etc. A minor change, say a fist size rock falls and just happens to hit him and knock him down or a "small slip" with a resulting serious injury or death, and the same people deem him a reckless fool. People need to recognize that certain skills and judgement are necessary to do such routes safely. And that luck can be a major factor in the outcome.

Learning skills in mountaineering requires taking risks. In this case, I think NH_Mtn_Hiker got in a bit over his head on terrain that he really should have had better skills to handle. Fortunately he was also lucky. In this case, training in appropriate skills and equipment is readily available and I hope he will avail himself of same before attempting any more similar routes.

But part of mountaineering (including winter hiking...) involves dealing with the unknown, with the risk that one gets in over one's head. If he knew what he would encounter, would he have still gone? I don't know, but perhaps not. His statement "If that's what it takes to become a legend, I'm not interested" suggests a fairly realistic attitude...

One of the "guidelines" in technical climbing, is "don't climb up something that you cannot get back down". Works in the classroom. In practice, it is often easier to go up and discover that it is too risky to go back down. One is then committed to finishing the route or finding some other escape. Experienced climbers will often keep this in mind and may back off the route rather than risk being trapped. (But of course, they are lauded for their bold climb if they continue and succeed.)

Doug

 

[dr_wu002]

Micro-Analysis

I think in the end this is micro-analysis of a two line (OK, one paragraph) description of a self-arrest. In my experience, I've seen people who can pick up something like that and master it better than someone with years of training and experience. Some people can't. I think it's hard to judge NH based on anything he wrote except that he successfully self-arrested & avoided injury.

It might not be prudent for everyone to run into Hellgate and try this hike. However, most people won't because there already is a trail to Bond which is long enough, so for most people, Hellgate is out of the question. I guess you should know the risks to yourself and the risk you could put others in if you get stuck & injured out there. Otherewise, so what, it was a self-arrest. Glad it wasn't me sliding because I'd be dead but still... NH seems to be happy with his hike and his skills and that is all anyone can go by.

-Dr. Wu

 

[Dr. Dasypodidae]

I guess you should know the risks to yourself and the risk you could put others in if you get stuck & injured out there. -Dr. Wu

One the one hand, I am no one to judge, having found myself in similar circumstances on more than one occasion. But, since I joined PVSART (Pemigewasett Valley Search and Rescue Team) this past year, I am now really careful when I solo climb in the winter, as the last thing that I want is to be littered out by my PVSART compatriots, dead or alive.

 

[dr_wu002]

One the one hand, I am no one to judge, having found myself in similar circumstances on more than one occasion. But, since I joined PVSART (Pemigewasett Valley Search and Rescue Team) this past year, I am now really careful when I solo climb in the winter, as the last thing that I want is to be littered out by my PVSART compatriots, dead or alive.

I think we all get in these situations where we look up or down and say, "oh crap..."

I think equally dangerous is the drive home from hiking where I'm exhausted and half asleep. I've had more "oh crap" experiences on the ride home than during the hikes I do. I even had a recent experience where my car failed to "self-arrest" on some ice and I ended up in a ditch! Had to get 'SAR' to get me out!!

-Dr. Wu

 

[slowandsteady]

.

NH seems to be happy with his hike and his skills and that is all anyone can go by.

-Dr. Wu

That about sums it up.

I wouldn't dream of attempting this trip but I can still have a deep appreciation for the trip report. Thanks NH.

 

[DougPaul]

I think in the end this is micro-analysis of a two line (OK, one paragraph) description of a self-arrest.

IMO, focusing on the self arrest misses a bigger point. Judgement.

Technical climbers use the concept of justifiable risk--ie is the risk of what I am considering doing worth the risk? (Risk is a combination of the probability of an event and its cost where cost is death, injury, cost of lost gear, etc. Skill and equipment can reduce the probability of the event.) Developing the judgement to accurately ***** the risk and being willing to turn back (or do something less risky) can take a lifetime. Studying and analyzing other's trips--tragic or not--can help one improve one's judgement.

Winter hiking in the NE has the characteristic that it is fairly easy for hikers (untrained in technical climbing) to venture onto technical terrain and not have the appropriate judgement and skills.

There is also the issue of risk tolerance. Different people have different tolerance levels. Last year's high risk hotshot may greatly reduce his risk tolerance level if he becomes a parent. We tend to describe those with low risk tolerances "safety concious" or "too timid", etc and we tend to call those with a high risk tolerance "reckless" or "accident waiting to happen", etc.

While NH_Mtn_Hiker's trip was not injured, he took on a fairly high risk given the terrain and his skills. One is not always lucky--if one takes frequent high risks, one is likely to be injured or killed (or to have to cut one's own arm off...). Only he knows if he deems the risk justifiable, but for any of us venturing into risky terrain, it is desirable that we be able to recognize it and be able to (relatively) objectively evaluate it and act appropriately.

Note: I am not trying to second guess NH_Mtn_Hiker's actions. I was not there and don't know him personally. His trip report just offers a good opportunity for us to examine the risks inherent in mountaineering. It is standard mountaineering practice to analyze accidents and near/possible accidents or high-risk situations to see if there is a way to avoid them in the future. And it is why accident reports are published.

Doug

 

[hikerfast]

you think that slide was reckless..you oughta drive with him! ha.
hey bob...on the famous self arrest, were you about to drop off a slanted 6 foot ledge and stop, or were you going to slide 1500 feet to the bottom? I'd rather be dead than fall 1500 feet going 70 mph!
I'm jealous of all this attention...hee

 

[hikerfast]

One thing I like about the slide approach is..if you find it too risky..you can always walk 10 feet over into the woods and continue up next to the slide. The downside(no pun intended) is that you can slip and fall on the way.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Glad to see you're still with us, NH. A couple of old expressions come to mind "There but for the Grace of God ..." and "There are bold climbers, and there are old climbers, but there are no bold, old climbers".

As impressive as your climb up the slide was, there were high winds that day. Washington logged 82mph at 3PM. Last year I was with a group who crossed the col between Bond and Bondcliff when winds were in that range, and it was a harrowing experience.

Sounds like you dodged several bullets. Don't end up on Dr. Dasypodidae's litter!

Safe journeys

Kevin

 

[giggy]

if we all didn't take a chance every now and then - we would still be doing mt monadnock every weekend.

 

[the starchild]

if we all didn't take a chance every now and then - we would still be doing mt monadnock every weekend.

booyakasha!!! Me be willie G of the VFTT massive and i tink dat yo' post deserve mad props. respect! westside!

tis is a bit racialist toward blokes who enjoy monandock tho'!

BTW...monadnock was fun on sunday, i enjoyed the facial i got from 30mph winds and hail

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

I'll try to respond to a bunch of posts, PM's, and emails with one post.

As far as being properly prepared. I brought a piece of gear on this trip I've never brought on any hike before...my cell phone; as well as,: my emergency bivy sack, full length sleeping pad, 3 compasses, GPS (Vista), pocket knife, folding saw, hiking pole, ice axe, whistle, hard shell, soft shell, wind/rain pants, 4 hats, 2 pr. mittens, 4 pr socks, 1 pr. tyvec socks, extra boot laces, crampons, 2 head lamps with extra batteries for both, fire starting kit, first-aid kit, 2 different maps of the area, sierra cup, 2 sets ea. hand/foot/body warmers, my MH down parka, balaclava, goggles, tissues, and twice the food and water I normally carry on a day hike, as well as a few other minor items.

I decided at the last minute, after one last check at the weather and trail conditions, that I could get by without my snowshoes. I still think I made the right decision there.

The slide: I made a bad call on the slide with regard to trying to go up over that little ledge. I knew it would be safer to back track and go up the right side of the slide, which is what I ended up doing.

I've had no formal training in mountaineering, self-arrest, or anything along those lines. I have watched videos on self-arrest with an axe and I practiced on the summit cone of Washington last winter. I've previously used self-arrest twice; on Monroe (wind packed snow) and on the Owl's Head slide (soft ice). Both of these times I fell on the axe after slipping to keep from sliding. The difference this time was the ice was alot harder than I expected.

This is the itinerary I sent to my parents and my sister the morning of the hike.

Mom, Dad, and Rhonda
Starting at Lincoln-Woods parking area on the Kanc. Hiking the Lincoln-Woods Trail to Franconia Brook Trail in to the Hellgate Brook crossing. Following Hellgate Brook into Hellgate Ravine to the Bonds. Summiting West Bond first via the North-Eastern most slide out of the ravine below the summit. Following the trails around to Bond and Bondcliff. Backtracking on Bondcliff Trail a few tenths of a mile into the col before dropping down westward into Hellgate Ravine again and then out the way I came in. Alternate route out is Bondcliff Trail to Wilderness Trail to Lincoln-Woods Trail.

The hike is about 20 miles and will take all day and some of the night even with the early start (about 5:30am) I should be home by midnight.

Here is a link to a topozone map of the area around the ravine and summits.
http://www.topozone.com/map.asp?z=19&n=4891742&e=296811&s=50&size=l&u=5&datum=nad83&layer=DRG25
The red mark should appear between the slide I will be climbing West Bond(above) and the one I'll be descending Bondcliff (below) from.
Note: West Bond isn't marked on the map, it's just NE of the 4504 peak (same ridge).

I'll call (Ma and Pa) when I get home if it isn't too late, otherwise I'll email you.

Me

With all that said, I don't think I ever acted recklessly on this hike. I made a bad decision, one that could have had very serious consequences, but I assessed the situation quickly and took the necessary action to get myself out of a slippery situation. For those of you that don't know me; It wasn't the first time and it likely won't be the last time. Fortunately, I learn from my mistakes...the one on the slide isn't likely to be repeated.

So....will I climb that slide again?
Very likely.
Under similar conditions, will I take the same route?
No *****'n way!!



One last thing.
For those of you crazy enough to try to climb the Bonds from Hellgate Ravine, climbing Bondcliff vs. West Bond first is probably quicker and definately easier even with the backtracking to get West Bond and Bond. The trick is: Where to climb Bondcliff? Somewhere in those 92 pics I think you'll find the answer.

 

[hikerfast]

i hike with bob a lot..he is fast..and well prepared. definitely an adventurous spirit. i kinda wondered about him on that hike by himself doing a slide on some ice. i guess i always find people to hike with that push the envelope. now that said, i want to go up to west bond via the west ridge you can see in the first(sposed to be last) pic. we came down that march 1 1986, tough on the top ridge of west bond, but when we finished that piece, we went like bats out of hell down the slope.

 

[cushetunk]

I find that self arrest is generally most likely to succeed on terrain where I am least likely to fall.

If you can jam the ice axe in solidly, you usually have good snow for crampons and a self-belay. This gives you a strong stance.

If the snow is too hard (or too soft!), that's when you're likely to slip because no point of contact will be as solid. Unfortunately, it is also the time when you can't arrest.

I've always thought a hiking ice axe has three primary uses. (OK, actually I just made this up on the spot). I've listed them in decreasing order of importance:

1) Looking tough in the photos
2) Self-belay
3) Self-arrest

 

[hikerfast]

I agree.
looking tough in the photos with your ice axe is VERY important
I bring mine as a walking stick, primarily to put in front of me and shove in the snow ahead of me to pull myself up. It's definitely handy, the longer the handle the better. The steeper the snow the more usefull it is.
I have used it twice to self arrest.
I was hiking on mt washington, the cone was soft snow. On the summit, the sun went behind the mountain, and on the way down, the first step i took, the snow had flash frozen like a lake turned on its side. I had koflachs with foot fangs. Twice the front part of the hinge slipped off the little lip of the koflach, and I put my boot down on the ice and went flying. Both times I ended up at arms length holding the thing, with the end stuck in the snow. It would have been painful sliding down the cone hitting every rock that was sticking a foot out of the snow all the way over the lips of tucks. Later that winter, a couple people had the same experience and slid down the cone and over the lip of Huntington's and one of them ended up toast.
After Bob used his axe, I'm sure he will continue to carry it like I did

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Hiking all the way to the W Bond col is easy enough to be called a slog not an adventure

What's the sense of going in there if you're not going to climb a slide?

Did you really carry your skis the whole way?

I don't own any skis.