The name “Cathedral Ramp” is an ice feature named in Bill Mullee’s 2014 Mt Hood guidebook. Tarry and Sweeney have been climbing partners for years and planned to make the first ascent as a pair. However, just a few days before their attempt, Tarry learned that Zavortink and Nelson had the same ambitious goal. The climbers quickly agreed that competition wasn’t necessary and discovered that sharing the route was a ton of fun.

In order to really appreciate just how significant this first ascent is, it’s important to look into Sweeney’s past. During a nasty mountain bike crash on Spokane’s Beacon Hill, Sweeney broke his wrist. Since he couldn’t ride during his recovery, he started visiting the cliffs at Minnehaha, and started itching to try rock climbing as soon as his cast was off.

Then, in college, he took climbing courses through Eastern Washington Universities’ outdoor program. His instructor, Kevin Klim, made a huge impact on his life. “Kevin’s way of approaching the mountains and focus on mountain safety influences me to this day,” says Sweeney.

After college, Sweeney met Tarry, and they started hitting some of the biggest and toughest routes in the Northwest. The pair climbed Liberty Ridge on Mount Rainier and the Northeast Rib on Johannesburg Mountain. With a laugh, Sweeney admits that Tarry climbs smart, fast, and never turns down a lead. “Really, you can’t ask for much more.”

Fast forward to 2020, and like for many of us, a lot of plans were changed or modified. However, all of the climbers involved maintained a certain fitness level, and they always kept their eyes on the special route on the north face of Mount Hood. Once everything lined up, and the weather was perfect, they pulled the trigger and summitted the highest point in Oregon by a path that no one else had ever traveled.

For anyone interested in the nitty gritty details of the Cathedral Ramp route, including the approach and the ideal gear, you can visit Sweeney’s alpine climbing website at Spokalpine.com. His website also chronicles his climbs on roughly 40 other routes, such as Harrison Peak, Liberty Bell, and Dragontail, which makes it a great resource for any other Northwest rock climbers and mountaineers.

Originally published as “Climbers Team Up For First Ascent Of Mount Hood’s Cathedral Ramp” in the May-June 2021 issue.

Jon Jonckers articles and images have been featured in Out There since 2006.

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Mountaineering doesn’t have the same metrics as basketball or football, but if it did, Spokane mountain climber Chris Kopczynski would definitely belong in the Hall of Fame. When he started climbing in the 1960s, many of the world’s tallest peaks had hardly been touched. However, throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s, Kopczynski traveled the globe and climbed several Himalayan peaks, as well as the highest point on every continent, also known as the Seven Summits.

Kopczynski recently published a memoir recounting many of his wildest adventures. The book is entirely original; although, his title, “Into Thin Hair,” clearly jests at one of the greatest Everest books of all time by Jon Krakauer. Let the record show that Kopczynski’s book is riveting; however, nothing testifies to the gravity of the adventures you’ll experience while turning the pages of his book quite like first-hand tales from a few of his local climbing partners and friends.

Frequent climbing companion John Roskelley recounts one particular climb in their earlier years. “We couldn’t have picked a dumber alpine route. Neither of us had waterproof pants or decent jackets for the deep snow, cold, and wind we encountered. We made it to the ridge crest just before dark without being swept by an avalanche, which to this day I don’t know how, and then bivouacked in a howling storm that night. In the morning, we were both like popsicles. It was so cold and windy, Chris decided to abandon his homemade two-man tent. That’s right—leave it on the ridge. Well, I needed a tent, but couldn’t afford one, so I said, ‘Chris, if you leave it and go down, I’m going to take it down myself and keep it.’” Ultimately, both climbers evolved into high-altitude climbing legends, but that doesn’t mean every climb was smooth.

Another friend, climbing partner, and longtime Spokesman Review outdoors editor Rich Landers offers another fond Kopczynski memory. “Sealed in our sleeping bags while wearing down parkas, Gore-Tex overalls, climbing boots, and gaiters to endure a storm, I learned that despite climbing on Everest and other frigid ascents, Kop had suffered frostbite only once—on a cold December morning in a goose-hunting blind. He boomed out, from memory, a fine performance of Hamlet’s soliloquy: “To be or not to be…” And he seized the ordeal to offer me words of mountaineering wisdom. ‘You don’t want to think about being scared in a situation like this. Get scared and it’s all over.’”

Mountain Gear founder Paul Fish also recalled Kopczynski’s wit and wisdom during a mountaineering storm. “On our Mount Fairweather attempt, Chris’s skills as a climber were appreciated, but not nearly as much as his storytelling. On storm days, he would cut the tension or boredom with a well-chosen tale from his past life and climbing experiences. Frequently humorous, but never cruel to anyone, and with the occasional learned word, his stories stay with me just like the memories of the climbing.” Fortunately you don’t need to freeze in a tent with him to hear Kopczynski’s stories. Pick up a copy of his new book, “Into Thin Hair,” at Auntie’s Bookstore in Spokane or at another local book shop.

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Most women, at some point in their lives, get discouraged about their appearance because they may not possess the ideal body according to societal standards. I was no different. I have always lived in predominantly white communities, and with that, feminine beauty typically meant white or light skinned, tall, skinny, long hair, European facial features—the epitome of Eurocentric standards.  

Sorry, not sorry, I don’t fit those standards. However, when I was a teenager and even as a young adult those standards of beauty had a significant impact. Instead of embracing who I was—a short, physically strong black girl with black facial features—I tried to change my appearance in order to be considered beautiful. 

While many of those traits were out of my control, I found that my physique was something I could change. I decided to focus on becoming more feminine by forming unhealthy habits. Over the years, I started hitting the cardio workouts hard and eating less. I was always comparing myself to others who were skinnier—therefore prettier.  

Over time I started getting feedback from both strangers and people I knew. People would say things like, “You look so great” or, “Tell me what you’ve been doing.” I even heard statements like, “Most black women are usually bigger, but not you, you’re so tiny.” As much as I hate to admit it, those praises, so to speak, reinforced that skinny and light skin were beautiful. I couldn’t replace my brown skin, but maybe I could make up for it.  

My self-reinvention was short lived and nearly caused irreparable mental and physical damage that lasted for years to come. I began developing health issues, but it took a long time to realize that they were self-inflicted. I was always tired and weak. I developed hypothyroidism. I can even attest to fainting, due to long bouts of fasting, more times than I care to confess. I had an unhealthy relationship with exercising and an even unhealthier relationship with food, causing a huge energy deficit. I didn’t care. All I knew was I was receiving lots of praise, and I finally felt “feminine.”  

As soon as I discovered mountaineering, I wanted to be a mountaineering badass or, better yet, a black woman mountaineering badass who could help redefine the status quo. And just like that, it hit me—I couldn’t be a badass if I were too weak from dieting and lacked self-confidence. After getting into mountaineering, I also discovered a whole other world of outdoor sports: rock climbing, bouldering, snowshoeing, winter backpacking, and many others. It wasn’t just the realization that I had to focus on being healthy and strong to engage in these awesome sports that gave me confidence. There were amazing women I saw who were already smashing stereotypes and achieving goals, and these women became role models to me.  

My entire perspective on what it meant to be beautiful started to change. I stopped caring about counting calories and started eating enough healthy wholesome foods. My new goal was to keep my energy levels up so I could lead an active lifestyle. Of course, I gained some weight and a lot of muscle too, forcing me to donate my size 0 clothing, but I felt that I was finally being true to myself. I also started to notice my arsenal of makeup dwindling on my bathroom counter, which my bank account and skin greatly appreciated. I didn’t feel the need to try to impress others by becoming someone I wasn’t meant to be. Importantly, I got to focus on what mattered to me—being physically and mentally strong in order to do what I love. 

Please don’t get me wrong: I most likely will always have self-esteem issues because I’m human living in a society that rewards certain features and races over others. However, I have found that the more time I spend outdoors, the less concerned I am with looking a certain way. By all means, it’s not easy, but I’ve come a long way thanks to mountaineering. Mountaineering has truly changed my perspective on beauty and let’s face it: strong is beautiful. 

Originally published as “Strong IS Beautiful” in the July-August 2020 issue.

Rebecca Ross is an African-American mountaineer based in the Pacific Northwest. She has a master’s in public health and epidemiology from Oregon Health & Science University.  

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The Mugs Stump awards are given each year to handful of climbers to support ambitious new routes or first ascent around the globe. One of the awards major Sponsor’s is Spokane’s own Mountain Gear, who, along with Patagonia, Black Diamond, Climbing Magazine, and Gore-Tex work to promote the spirit adventure in mountaineering embodied in famed climber Mugs Stump. The money for this year’s awards has been increased over last year. Check out this killer list of expeditions that received awards.

January 16, 2008: The recipients of the 2008 Mugs Stump Award were announced at the Ouray Ice Festival in mid-January, at Ouray, Colorado. The awards, sponsored by Black Diamond Equipment, Climbing Magazine, Mountain Gear, Patagonia, PrimaLoft, and W.L. Gore, were created in 1992 in memory of Mugs Stump, one of North America’s most visionary climbers. The award annually grants $30,000 to small teams pursuing climbing objectives that exemplify light, fast, and clean alpinism.
The applications received for 2008 included many strong teams with objectives in far-flung corners of the mountaineering world, from South America to China to Greenland to India. In the end, seven teams with outstanding talent and objectives were granted awards ranging from $1,000 to $9,000.

2008 Mugs Stump Award Winners:
*Ryan Johnson, Mendenhall Towers, Alaska; with Sam Magro, Kyler Pallister, Erik Pallister, and Mike Thompson. The climbers seek 800- to 1,000-meter ice and mixed lines on the north walls of these seldom-visited peaks, in the Coastal Range of southeast Alaska.

*Craig McGee, Mount Logan, Alaska; with Brad White. The 3,000-meter unclimbed Southeast Rib of Canada’s highest peak.

*Eric Decaria, Kedar Dome, India; with Zack Smith. Bid for a complete alpine-style first ascent of the Central Spur, then up an unclimbed snow ridge to the summit (6,831 meters), for 6,000 to 7,000 feet of rock, mixed, and snow climbing.

*Jonny Copp, Dojitsenga, Tibet; with Micah Dash. First ascent of this 5,800-meter Tibetan rock peak via the continuously steep East Ridge (1,500 meters). The mountain lies between Rawu and Lhagu in the Kangri Garpo range of southeastern Tibet.

*Kevin Mahoney, Kangtega, Nepal; with Ben Gilmore and Freddie Wilkinson. Direct route on the North Face of this 6,799-meter peak, in the Khumbu Valley, Nepal.

*Vince Anderson, Makalu, Pakistan; with Steve House and Marko Prezelj. The climbers propose an alpine-style bid on the West Face of the planet’s fifth-highest peak, an objective unclimbed in its entirety and described by Messner as one of the greatest high-mountain walls in the world.

*Dave Turner, South Tower of Paine, Argentine Patagonia; solo. The virgin south face of the South Tower of Paine: an 800-meter VI+ alpine wall capped by 350 meters of steep, difficult mixed climbing.

Please visit mugsstumpaward.com for more information on the award, to apply, and for information on and trip reports from past recipients.

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