Northeast Face:
Bear/Chicken Variation, IV 5.8 Mixed
Dean Lords, Brian Wood, Oct. '00

At the head of Wildhorse Canyon sits the majestic and inspiring Northeast Face of Old Hyndman Peak. Many consider this to be one of the most challenging alpine faces in all of Idaho. The face offers several thousand feet of climbing on rotten rock and sections of snow and ice. The two-recorded routes on this face include the Northeast Face '75 and the Bear/Chicken Variation of 2000.

Drive or hike four miles past Wildhorse Campground to the start of an un-maintained trailhead leading up Wildhorse Canyon toward Arrowhead Lake. From this trailhead it's roughly three miles to the base of Old Hyndman. Once there, ascend steep Talus slopes to the beginnings of a large couloir starting in the middle of the Northeast Face. Both routes follow this couloir for the first thousand feet.

The first half of the couloir averages 45 degrees and consists of snow or alpine ice depending on the time of year. About five hundred feet up, the couloir turns to the left and gets steeper. Depending on the time of year this will either be mixed rock and ice or extremely steep snow upwards of 65 degrees. Several rope lengths lead to another left turn in the couloir. The '75 route exits at this bend and climbs a short steep face on the right wall out of the confines of the couloir and onto the moderate angled rock above.

Instead of climbing this short vertical wall the Bear/Chicken Variation continues up and left staying in the couloir then ascend a steep ramp/corner for one full rope length of mixed climbing onto a broad ledge. Once on this ledge you're separated from the '75 route by a rib of rock to your right. Follow the path of least resistance above the ledge for several pitches. This climbing, up to 5.8 in difficulty, is somewhat run out. The rock is rotten and the protection points are very suspect. Pitons are helpful on this section of climbing. Above the initial steep section several more pitches of moderate rotten rock brings you to another broad ledge about 300 feet below the summit. From here it is possible to continue strait up to reach the summit or escape left on this ledge to the East Ridge in the event of nightfall.

There isn't any easy way off the summit and back into the Wildhorse Canyon. I suggest rappelling the West Ridge and following steep slopes between Old Hyndman and Hyndman to return to the valley floor.

**Ode to the Northeast Face of Old Hyndman………
My first attempt on the NE Face was in Oct. '00 with partner Brian (Bear Chicken) Wood. He and I were looking for an adventure after a failed attempt on a one-day ascent of the Black Ice Couloir on the Grand Teton. The weather caught us off guard and our high point was the Lupine Meadows Parking Lot! Shortly after our parking lot success, friend, co-worker, and Idaho's most accomplished mountaineer, Rick Baugher, suggested we try the NE Face of Old Hyndman Peak.

It wasn't more than a day or two later we found ourselves shaking new snow off the tent early that October morning below Old Hyndman. By mid day our upward progress had been swallowed up by the enormous size of the face. With only a single 60 meter length of rope and a scaled down alpine rack to save weight our progress still was slow due to the new snow covering the face. We climbed some incredible mixed terrain in the couloir and by late afternoon found ourselves high on the face. Slowed by cold temps and terrible rock (some of the worst we'd ever encountered in all our years of climbing!) the sun set leaving us only 300 feet below the summit. We traversed a ledge system out to the left and reached the East Ridge several hours later. The rest of the night was spent traversing the Cirque eastward and finally rappelling and down climbing back into the Wildhorse Canyon somewhere near Arrowhead Lake. By dawn we had reached our tent, packed up and headed home.

Idaho is a great and wonderful place to explore. It isn't difficult to find yourself in a remote alpine setting with the world far below your feet, climbing on some of the best (and worst) rock in the world! That wonderful and scary October day we found adventure in our own back yard, climbing some amazing mixed terrain on one of Idaho's most majestic faces. Now, looking back, the NE Face of Old Hyndman gave us a run for our money! We discovered new skills that day, found a new vision, and started down a new path.

Dean Lords
Alpinist