This was a great climb, one of those trips where everything goes well, even if not according to plan. My partners were enthusiastic and full of good humor, the weather was perfect, and the setting was awe-inspiring. I managed to take a lot of photos (one of the benefits of climbing in a group of three -- someone's always got their hands free at belays), so I'll let them do most of the talking.

Our plan was to take two days and spend them ensconced in the alpine. Day one: hike up, climb Sharkfin Tower, and make camp in Boston Basin. Day two: climb the East Ridge Direct on Forbidden and head home. We made it nearly to the base of Sharkfin the first day, but were feeling lazy and just headed down to loll about in camp. An AMGA guide-to-be found us at sundown, looking for his classmates, then wandered off again. Headlamps flickered up high on the east ridge until they, too, disappeared. Smooth, flat gravel beds soon lured us to sleep.

The next morning we rose to a smoky haze in the valleys and golden light illuminating our route. Eric charged out of camp with the rack (his share of the gear), while Nick and I followed a bit later, ropes, pack, and provisions in hand. We caught up to eager Eric at the snowpatch, crunched our way up some neve and dirt, then sent the boy off on lead. The exposure was spectacular and the rock was decent enough. I drew the loosest pitch to lead, but was rewarded with an exciting move to the top of the big gendarme. Ah! The sunshine and views put smiles on our faces as we grabbed big handfuls of granite all the way to the summit.

Guides were coming up the north ridge and a tennis-shoed pair was behind us as we tossed down our rappel ropes. Someone trundled boulders down at us from the top, but we were soon scrabbling along the northeast face back toward our stashed shoes. The sun burned orange through the smoke behind J-Berg as we retrieved our rodent-proofed belongings back at camp. The way out seemed much longer, as usual, than the way in: moraine, avalanche path, choking dust, the last rocky half-mile.

Nick wrote up a fine trip report for this climb, too.