picozza

I stopped by the Taboo glacier this Friday (7/9). I can only compare with 2020/8 (third week of August last year), but Boston Basin and Torment Basin snow coverage is about 20% more than it was on 2020/8: 2021/7: Snow below waterfalls in Torment basin, some bivy sites covered with snow in Boston Basin 2020/8: No snow below waterfalls in Torment basin, no bivy sites covered with snow in Boston Basin So snow coverage is relatively good despite the heat wave. The real surprise was the Taboo glacier: Despite more snow and higher&smaller moats with respect to 2020/8 (good news), the bergshrund was huge, fully extending the full width of the glacier. Much wider, deeper, and longer than 2020/8. Only a bordeline snow bridge on the far left allows crossing (belay advised). It may be gone soon. Beside that, a very questionable crossing option would be descending into the schrund debris blocks on the far right, step on rock, and then climb an unprotectable rock band with downsloping holds. There are a couple of wet slab moves at the very top before getting to the snow above. The 4.5 miles of road closure was covered in 1 hr and 30 minute with a steady pace and heavy pack. 2021/7 Taboo glacier bergshrund: Snow bridge at the far left: Questionable rock crossing on the far right (it would require to descent down into the bergshrund on some blocky debris): 2020/8 Taboo glacier bergshrund:

You probably shouldn't climb with us then. Double-negative, Dan: He's agreeing with you Yep, double negative = I agree with you guys. Thanks for pointing that out and sorry for the bad English:-p

I cannot not agree with you guys. As a matter of fact, I started my "climbing career" completely outdoor on long climbs in the Sierras. I only recently decided to move to some indoor pure rock climb / waterfall ice for a fine tuning of my technique as well as for confidence boost to negotiate some tricky bergschrund and rock sections. I like more the sustained "man versus nature" feeling of long moderate technical alpine snow/rock climbs in harsh conditions than the surgical techinique of waterfall ice and 5.11+ short rock climbs.

I just moved to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle/Issaquah) from the San Francisco Bay Area where I started mountaineering less than a couple of years ago. I got my share of adventures in the Sierras despite the last bad two snow seasons. With all my good mountaineering partners left behind, I am now looking for new connections to start my exploration of the Cascades and beyond. I am in my mid/early 30s, I work out regularly to stay in "mountaineering" shape, and I am willing to commit almost every weekend for day climbs, and a couple of weekends a month for overnight trips. I am interested in pretty much all aspects of mountaineering: ice climbing, steep snow, glacier, rock alpine, multi-day backpacking, winter ascents. I have most of the basic gear: ice tools, step-in crampons, a few ice screws, snow pickets, 4 season tent. Planning to build a light alpine rack soon (only a set of nuts so far, but some cams in the near future), and get my own rope Experience: I received proper mountaineering training through multiple paid classes over the past two years (glacier rescue, snow and rock anchor building, snow/ice climbing, etc..). I got a decent amount of general mountaineering climbs in CA (Shasta Casaval Ridge, the Palisades in the southern Sierras, Mt Whitney mountaineering route, and some spicy unroped class 4 in Yosemite). I am not super experienced due to the bad past two snow seasons in CA and a lot of traveling to China with my previous job, but I have the training, I stay in shape, I have the gear, and I am willing to commit. Not overstating my climbing skills is one of the first lessons I learned. Right know, I would not mind to take the chance for some waterfall ice climbing until cold temperatures last. Not much experience in this regards, only two days of top roping training in Lee Vining CA last year, then the waterfall ice climbing season ended (if even ever started...), but my still shiny ice tools are craving for revenge. I am also trying to get into pure rock climbing (always mountaineering oriented), with final objective of some easy multi-pitch alpine, but I am still working on consistency with top rope low 5.10s indoor at the moment. Planning to take some lead climbing classes in a few months. My training/learning approach is the overkill: Practice waterfall ice, and those 60 degree alpine ice couloirs are going to seem like a piece of cake. Practice pure rock climbing, and those low class 5 / exposed class 4 rock climb sections at 14000 ft in mountaineering boots are not going to be that shaky. Cheers, Diego