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routes in the park complex are located in wilderness, but some are wilder than others, and there may be limited or outdated information.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
Sharkfin	Approach gully has large moat, difficult to cross--5.7 to 5.8 rock climbing required to get around moat. Snow ramp near Sharkfin Col still present and can be used as an alternative, but involves steep, exposed traverse. Otherwise, route in good condition.	7/5/09	Ranger
East Ridge Forbidden	Approach gully still mostly snow, but melting quickly. Route in great condition.	7/5/09	Ranger
West Ridge Forbidden	Snow gully still in good condition.	7/5/09	Ranger
General Boston Basin Conditions	Approach route into Basin brushy in lower sections, still avalanche debris over trail in middle sections. Route in upper Basin mostly snowfree, beware snow bridges over Boston Creek--will probably melt out soon and creek crossings will be high. Both Upper and Lower composting toilets melted out.	7/5/09	Ranger
General Conditions	Approach route to treeline snowfree. Two new sections with winter's avy debris. Lower toilet melted out, upper toilet still under snow. Route from low camp to high camp mostly snowfree except last traverse.	6/28/09	Ranger
West Ridge Forbidden	Gully is mostly snowbound. Ridge free of snow.	6/28/09	Climber
Torment-Forbidden Traverse	Snowy on Torment - bailed. Taboo Glacier in great shape.	6/27/09	Climber
East Ridge Direct	Snow at upper camp. Snow-filled couloir to about 1 pitch below notch on West Ridge. Some snow on ridge.	6/27/09	Climber
General Conditions	Torment bergschrund still crossable, route in good condition. Sahale via Quien Sabe also in good condition. Snow starts just as trail exits forest, lots of snow in basin still. Lower composting toilet melted out!	6/19/09	Ranger
Forbidden - West Ridge	Approach is good - stayed on snow instead of following summer trail. Things have firmed up, punching only as deep boot top in late afternoon. Early morning snow to and through gully was soft but manageable. Route in good shape slthough there is still a lot of unconsolidated/wet snow on ridge.	6/4/09	Climber
Boston Basin	Route has patchy snow until about 4600', where route is lost under snow and avy debris.	6/2/09	Ranger
Torment-Forbidden Traverse	Lots of soft snow on approach. Postholing from first creek crossing.	6/2/09	Climber
Forbidden - West Ridge	Deep slush, nasty postholing. Lots of slush in gully after 10am. Bailed	5/30/09	Climber
ALL	Cascade River Road closed at mile 20 (Eldorado Creek) for bridge repairs and avalanche debris.	5/23/09	Ranger

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