May 13, Mt. Torment

After reading a trip positive trip report on Cascade Climbers we (Tbill) and I decided to give it a go.  We left Seattle at 2:30a.m. and arrived a the Eldorado trailhead at a little after 5.  It took a little routfinding to locate the bootpack up to Torment, but we soon located it and the steep woods to the snowfield were quickly ascended.  Firm spring conditions were found on the snowfields (finally), we quickly gained the Torment Col. and descended towards Moraine lake on smooth windpack. The traverse to the N.W. glacier turned out to be more difficult than anticipated.  We tried three different routes, but with the exposure combined with firm snow and ice we were forced to retreat. (We each had and Axe/Whippet/Crampons). Two Axe's plus some pro would have been handy. Humbled we headed back up to the col and climbed up a peaklet of Torment to get a little more adventure.  After a steep descent off the peaklet we did a few laps on the South facing snowfields below Torment in perfect spring snow.  Arrived back in Seattle around 9p.m.  We may not have summited be we had great turns and sublime views. Kudos to those who made it to the top a few days prior.

Picts.
https://picasaweb.google.com/108365037500696236927/MtTorment#