The Torment Forbidden Traverse is a wild and challenging route. It involves summiting Mount Torment, wild and exposed snow and glacier travel, knife-edge rock ridges and over a mile of rocky ridge traversing before summiting Forbidden Peak by the West Ridge. While the climbing never exceeds 5.6, climbers must be comfortable on exposed terrain and move well on steep snow and rock. There is a lot of terrain to cover and climbers must maintain a fast pace to make it happen. For most of the climb, guide and climber will be moving together in a combination of short-roping and short pitches to stay protected from consequential falls.
Once climbers have traversed the Torment-Forbidden ridge, the final push is to the summit of Forbidden Peak via the West Ridge route. The West Ridge of Forbidden Peak is an outstanding alpine route in its own right and has proven its standing as one of the .
From the base of the West Ridge, beautiful, blocky granite is the only thing between you and the summit. The climbing is grippy, blocky and featured and mostly low 5th class. The crux weighs in at 5.6 but isn’t sustained for long and the exposure is as incredible as the views. The movement is fun and fluid and it makes for a great climb. Once atop Forbidden’s small summit block, climbers are rewarded with incredible views of Mount Buckner, the Boston Glacier, the Forbidden Glacier, Johannesburg Peak.
The Route
A true Cascadian approach (read: overgrown and rugged) leads climbers to Boston Basin, an iconic rock amphitheater choked with glacial ice that feeds the creeks and lush meadows below. Typically, we will camp our first night in Boston Basin. From camp, the alpine climbing possibilities fan out 180 degrees from Mount Torment to Sahale Peak. Directly above camp looms Forbidden Peak, and from the basin it’s easy to understand how the ominous peak got its name.
Mount Torment, on the far western side of Boston Basin, is connected to Forbidden Peak by a rugged granite ridge over a mile long. This ridge is the Torment-Forbidden Traverse, and the climb begins with a summit of Mount Torment. From there we rappel onto the north side of the ridgeline and find a bivy site where we can below the ridge.
Our second day of climbing is a long one. After packing up camp, we traverse snow and steep rock to the base of the West Ridge of Forbidden. It's imperative that teams move quickly in this section because there is a lot of terrain to cover, and the descent is time consuming as well. From the notch, we climb the West Ridge of Forbidden to the summit.
The descent back to Boston Basin, where the entire climb begins, requires exposed down-climbing and a number of rappels (usually around 6-8 to return to the snow in Boston Bason. Climbers must be comfortable with down-climbing and be able to rappel quickly and efficiently. Once we’re back to camp, it’s time to drop the gear, have a nice meal and get some well-earned rest!
Requisite Experience
This climb is for experienced alpine climbers who have established their movement capabilities on other alpine climbs with our guides. Due to the committing nature of the climb (there is no simple way to turn around on the route) and the need to move quickly on very exposed terrain, climbers must have established trust with their guide on a previous climb with exposure, snow and steep rock. Climbs that would be good pre-requisites would be , or the and any standard rock climb.
Participants should be proficient on steep snow and move well on low 5th class rock (5.6 or better). Climbers must be proficient with ices axes and crampons. Climbers should be able to follow 5.8 rock climbing and feel comfortable with exposure. This is a demanding climb that requires excellent endurance and fast movement on exposed rock and steep snow. Fitness and movement skills must be vetted by your guide before
