Bryan Burdo |

Athlete
Author
First Ascensionist

Northwest Climbing luminary…

30+ years of

Cascades first ascents

Unrelenting dedication to all things rock climbing.

In the this episode of the Peak Season Podcast we showcase and interview Mark Allen captured back in 2019 at a Methow Valley Climbers event. The event was called “Legend of the North Cascades” and showcased Bryan in top form. We cover three ascents, the first being Bear Mountain, Direct North Buttress, First Free Ascent. Mt. Triumph via the North face and lastly Davis peak via a new route.

Mt. Triumph showing Burdo-Murand 2nd Ascent of this feature in 1987 added the direct variation- Photo John Scurlock

Bryan has been climbing new routes in the Cascades for longer than most of us have been on the planet. He’s in his 60’s now, working on climbing 5.14 (has already climbed 13.d) and will give anyone a third his age a run for their money. Bryan’s resume spans multiple decades and far reaches of the vertical landscape that is the North Cascades. His passion for climbing is beyond obvious and his contributions to the North West climbing are vast.

Davis Peak NE Face in winter- Line depicts the Burdo-Cairns Route V 5.10. Photo John Scurlock

Podcast Show Notes:

To get to the meat of the interview skip on to 21:09 on the podcast, this is wear the live interview begins. Please listen to the intro for focused ramblings from myself and Mark. We discuss Bryan’s significance to NW climbing, and I put my foot in my mouth for a moment.

Given Bear mountain’s long lineage of NW Alpinists, we’ll highlight ascents leading up to Bryan’s first free ascent of the North Buttress here in the show notes.

a who’s who of climbing elites of the day all share a route or ascent on this remote wall. The route we discuss is Bryan’s first free ascent variation to the North Buttress Direct route. This route is a direct line climbed first by Alan Kearney and Robert (Bobby) Knight.

These two have a lifetime of routes to their name and are some of alpine climbings elite. A number of routes can be found throughout Patagonia on the granite spires that captivate anyone who sees them. Here’s a article Alan wrote for Alpinist magazine about a wild Patagonian adventure on Torres del Paine’s Central Tower.

Though, we didn’t cover it in the podcast, it’s worth noting the all star line up of Cascade climbing legends, starting with none other than, the infamous Fred Beckey and Mark Fielding. They climbed the North Buttress July 14 and 15, 1967 and was a significant effort. Beckey graded the route NCCS V, F8, A4. 44 pitons and 1 bolt. The full American Alpine Journal submission can be found here. Next we have none other than Lowell Skoog and Mark Bebie, which made the first free ascent of the original Beckey-Fielding route, their full report can be found here.

Alan Kearney and Robert Knight, completed a new route, taking a more direct route on the N.Buttress of Bear in 1980, climbing the complete North Buttress, details of their route can be found here. This is the Route that Burdo later did the first free ascent of.

Stay tuned next month for part two of the interview. Bryan will be talking about Slesse, Liberty bell and Mt. Barring.

Steffan Gregory

Host

Peak Season Podcast