North Cascades National Park Service Complex - Climbing Conditions - Boston Basin Area (U.S. National Park Service)

This page provides climbers with the latest conditions for climbs in the Boston Basin area, including Forbidden, Sharkfin, and Sahale via the Quien Sabe Glacer. For conditions on other climbs, return to Planning a Climb.

Condition reports come from climbing and wilderness rangers, the voluntary climbing register, and other climbers. To make a climbing report, please email the Wilderness Information Center in Marblemount. Please include the route, snow level, any hazards encountered (or not), peak(s) attempted, and whether your party successfully summitted.

All of the climbing routes in the park complex are located in wilderness, but some are wilder than others, and there may be limited or outdated information. Use these reports as a baseline, but plan for changing conditions and a true adventure. On many routes, the discovery, physical stress, and route-finding challenges are half the fun.

Boston Basin Area Routes: Forbidden, Sahale via Quien Sabe, Sharkfin, etc.

Peak / Route	Conditions Report	Date	Author
Torment Basin	Torment Basin approach relatively easy to follow (some intermittent sections). Snow melted out to 6500' along traverse to Eldorado Basin.	8/17/08	Ranger
Torment - Forbidden Traverse	Sizeable moat at Torment SE face, pursue south ridge instead. moats on north face negotiable without difficulty. Route-finding on traverse is challenging!	8/17/08	Visitor
Sahale via Quien Sabe	Quien Sabe in great condition.	8/16/08	Visitor
Forbidden W. Ridge	Snow in couloir is a knife edge ridge that is melting fast. There is a 2' gap in the couloir snow that must be stepped over. Be prepared to approach route on rock. Rock route is in great condition. Some cracks in snowfields below route are beginning to open, use caution.	8/6/08	Ranger
Forbidden W. ridge	High camp still snow covered. Couloir was in good shape for kicking steps and solid self belays, although the bridge over the lower bergschrund was about 4 ft wide and probably won't last too much longer. Use caution on snow that might have rock underneath (near the edges at the top of the couloir especially) as we saw someone slip on a rock slab hidden beneath slush.	7/19/08	Visitor
Sahale & W. ridge of Forbidden	Both in good shape. Gully up to Forbidden still in good shape.	7/11/08	Visitor
All Routes	Cascade River Road now open to road's end (Cascade Pass trailhead)	7/10/08	Ranger
Boston Basin	Climbers route to Basin in good condition. Use caution at snow bridge going to lower camp.	7/10/08	Ranger
Forbidden	Creek crossings flowing high but still possible without too much trouble. Approach to couloirgoes very direct via snow ramps on right side of glacier but this may change soon. One big crevasse easy to end around on left side. Couloir still in great shape but mushy and thin in spots. Rock rappels left of couloir is the way to go.	7/8/08	Visitor
Boston Basin/Sahale & Quien Sabe Glaciers	Toilet at lower camp is melted out & some snow-free camping available. Upper camp still snowed-in and requires blue bags. Moraine route over to Sahale Arm 70% snow-free. Both Quien Sabe and Sahale Glaciers are in good shape.	7/6/08	Ranger
W ridge Forbidden	Couloir intact, ridge dry, soft snow, raging stream just downhill from slide uncrossable led to extra bivy.	6/28/08	Visitor
Forbidden	No snow until 2/3 way into Boston Basin. Attempted east ridge but weather prevented ascent. Descent on north side had snow patches but looked good.	6/24/08	Visitor
N. ridge of Forbidden to Sharkfin Col	Mix of snow, water, ice, and rubble. Can rap off backside with 60 meter, but a little funky. Glacier in good shape. Ridge is mostly snow-free. Descended west ridge, which is also mostly snow-free. Couloir is in good shape with mid-slope crack just starting to show.	6/21/08	Visitor
Torment SE face	Couloir in good shape, bergschrund passable.	6/17/08	Visitor
W. ridge of Forbidden	Bergschrund easy to pass, route relatively dry and in great condition.	6/16/08	Visitor
All Routes	Access issues for Cascade River Road.--check road report.	5/8/08	Ranger
	No recent reports.

Email an updated report for any routes or peaks in this area: Forbidden, Sahale via Quien Sabe, Sharkfin, etc.