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Trip: Dragontail Peak - Triple Couloirs - May 4, 2025 - Triple Couloirs Trip Date: 05/04/2025 Trip Report: This is more of a conditions report rather than a trip report, but I just wanted to post as I had not seen any reports since mid April, and was curious if the route would still be in when I was planning for this climb. I climbed the triple couloirs C2C on May 4, 2025. Approach on eightmile road is snow-free to Stuart Lake Trailhead. There are a few small patches of snow after Stuart Lake Trailhead (luring me and my partner into ditching our trail runners too soon), but then ~1.5 miles of mostly clear trail before hitting continuous snow. Snow on the rest of the approach is slightly punchy, but not terrible. Lake is not frozen enough to support weight. Snow in all three couloirs is in very firm and secure conditions. Pitch 1 of the runnels is presently easy ice, although not thick enough for 10cm screws. Pitch 2 has some easier ice in the bottom and top sections, but the middle section was delaminated snow/snice for which the only good protection felt like pins, and the slabby granite didn't feel super confidence inspiring. I found this section to feel quite insecure with difficult gear placements (I am not leading much more than ~WI4 M4 on gear in cragging contexts -- if you're well above this level, I'm sure this mixed section would feel reasonable), so I would consider the bypass if you're not a stronger mixed climber than I am. There was a thin layer of ice in the chimney of the 3rd pitch of the runnels which was extremely well-bonded to the rock and provided secure climbing. There were good anchors in the runnels exactly where you want them pitching it out with a 60m rope. The final mixed pitch between the second and third couloirs had relatively poor ice conditions (we made the mistake of traversing slightly too high), and I was happy to have a rope for this section. Descent was straightforward, but Asgard Pass was fairly icy, requiring care and a small amount of face-in down climbing in particularly icy sections. Pictures of the first and second pitches (for reference on the angle of the second pitch, the climbing was near-vertical after the fixed piece visible) of the runnels are attached, as well as a larger picture of the route. IMG_6037.HEIC IMG_6041.HEIC IMG_3622.HEIC Gear Notes: Recommended rack in current conditions: 2-3 angles, 2 knife blades, standard rack of nuts, few cams .4-2, 1-2 10cm screws, 2 pickets. Approach Notes: Approach described above in the text.

I found a mentor! im headed up the baker north ridge soon and then I will resconsider LR depending on how much I progress. Im so happy I got into this at my age.

Hi all, I would love to make more partners for year-round volcano climbs from Baker to Shasta and everything in between. Details: 36M, engineer, from Bend, OR. I train and climb frequently but only have a couple partners who live out of state. I have training/experience in crevasse rescue and glacier travel and I’ve been mountaineering since 2017, mostly in the last few years. Currently training on the Three Sisters, Hood, and Shasta, with a Rainier trip in July. PM me if you’re interested.

good luck with the PF! I've had that in the past and it's a bitch for sure

Today’s lesson: a backup lighter doesn’t weigh much. 👍

It’s awful tough to do anything novel these days. And the old people who scoff at you know someone who did it up hills both ways, back before the invention of the wheel (which makes everything so easy for the kids these days). So you’re left with being the first 12 year old up Willis Wall. Best of luck though! But the best climber is the one having the most fun, right? So try to be that climber maybe, I guess.

Holy cow that was hilarious!

Hopefully some Washington Pass action once the snow melts a bit and plantar fasciitis/achilles tendonitis heals up.

More evidence that boomers ruin everything for the youngsters. How's this kid supposed to be the youngest to climb anything now?

Yes, back in the days of myth and legend

Things happened before the internet?!

My good friend and climbing partner for 50 years climbed LR at the age of 14.

Wow, that sounded like quite the rescue in 1978! I would not be psyched at a 1000' lower in that shooting gallery..... glad nobody was killed.

Liberty Ridge is low key a chop route with seracs at the very top that threaten the route that really aren't discussed much, maybe due to its 50 classic inclusion. tons of sidehilling on the ridge as well = not really classic climbing imo. It is certainly a big cool feature on an amazing mountain. youngest person to climb it so far was 4 years old. https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/young-and-old-make-it-to-the-top/. AAJ talks about 15 year old having accident at thumb rock in 1978, my bet is some 13-14-15 year-old did it long ago with no hype. https://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/13197803202

Hey @Joshwl.....Sounds like you should hire some guides and not put that sort of responsibility on partners to bring a minor home alive to his parents. I worry that anyone under 25 won't properly understand the gravity of having someone's son in their care on a route like Liberty Ridge. As the parent of 15 and 17 year old boys, I would ground my kids if they were trying to do something like this with your level of experience- mostly because I've climbed Liberty Ridge! While you may pull it off and be the "youngest" to climb the route, it won't result in much attention and really isn't something that will change the the trajectory of your life for the better. Sorry to be the wet blanket old guy, but I do believe it is the truth. Glad that you are so psyched on the mountains though! It is a grand hobby that can enrich your life for decades....

At risk of sounding rude, this doesn't seem like a great idea. Are you prepared to simul-climb/solo endless amounts of steep snow/AI2 on the upper route? Are you prepared to tackle a potentially overhanging bergschrund problem at 14k? This is certainly a route where you would want some mileage on ice, which admittedly you say you do not have. Not to mention the approach itself is an undertaking- routes such as the wanded, bootpacked DC won't prepare you for the crevassed maze of the Carbon. There are numerous other routes of more moderate difficulty and less commitment in the Cascades (and even on Rainier itself, i.e. Kautz) to hop on and build the necessary skillset. The Emmons glacier may be a more appropriate "step-up" if you feel you have you crevasse rescue techniques pretty dialed and felt the DC was too bland- a bit more independence and routefinding than the DC, with the benefit of low commitment and minimal to no technical movement... And if you wish to do Liberty Ridge in the future this has the added benefit of getting familiar with the primary descent option.

Next month i'm headed up Liberty Ridge to try to get the youngest accent at 16 (nobody older than me has done it from my research). Looking for 1-2 partners with Ice/Mixed/Glacial expierience and ether previous Rainier summits or previous Liberty Ridge climbs. Preferably under 25 years old, but not required. The goal is to make a documentary of the route since it doesn't see very much media. I have 1 previous rainier summit (DC, nothing to crazy) 2 summits of shasta (1 during winter and both were on challenging routes) advanced mixed and rock climbing skills, as well as glacier travel. Haven't gotten into full on ice yet but i'm headed up to the sierras to practice before hand.

[Edit:corrected a few spelling mistakes] Hey that gear is neat. I have made a climbing sac that a I no adding a [edit:mesh padded back] panel to . I was not happy with the back panel, adding mesh covering and a plastic reinforcement to keep the padding shape definition. I also reworked the hip belt.

Trip: Davis Peak - South Route - Skiers Variation Trip Date: 04/23/2025 Trip Report: After reading this recent TR on a skiable route to Davis Peak in the NCNP we had to give it a try. My buddies and I had attempted Davis in January of '22 so we knew what we were getting into with the approach, but a skiable route to the summit that avoided the difficult scramble near the summit sounded awesome, plus it's always great to do a 3000' bushwhack with skis on your back. So the next time we were too sick to work but not too sick to go skiing we hit it up, Wed the 23rd. The bushwhack is bad, but not terrible, there is little undergrowth, just deadfall so it's mostly just navigating. Above 2600' it gets much better. The track Ryan Stoddard and Nick Roy posted is pretty much perfect, when we deviated from it by more than 30’ we regretted it. We hiked to the start of a boulderfield at 4200’ before we could start skinning, which was a bit farther than optimal, but not much, the 4000'-4200’ traverse below cliffs was postholing intermittently, so not ideal. Above 4200’ we cruised on firm snow, making great time skinning. The route up is straight forward hooking around to the west and up to the summit. We didn’t spend long on the summit as the snow was calling, naturally the skiing was over WAAAY too fast and we had to swap out for shoes and walk down, down, down. 12 hours after we started we were back at the car for a hot beer (not used to this spring thing yet). It was a nice route, rugged for sure, but an amazing peak in a spectacular position with views from an interesting angle into the Snowfield group and the southern pickets. Everyone should go do this! Ryan has a GPX on NWHikers No snow in sight, lets get it! Dylan and the Pickets. Gear Notes: Ski gear. Carried avy, axe, crampons. Dark clothes, the forest is sooty, I found work gloves to be nice for the deadfall and burned forest. Approach Notes: Park at the Gorge Creek overlook, at the east bridge abutment there is a trail up, go up.

Trying to do some bike -> climb this summer since taking a car all the time proved problematic with my family last year. Also saves on gas and I got the time. Definitely want to get out to cascade river road since it was closed last summer. Maybe a northern pickets traverse and the ptarmigan??? I just want to get out for longer overnighters really. Bike's mostly ready by now after a little sewing. Just need some new tires - lmk if you got any 27.5" tubeless compatible gravel/road tires you're tryna sell

Here is the plan. Just scrambling. Stein Valley Traverse Stefan Feller - CalTopo

Nice, way to get out and learn, does look a bit icy there, just the way conditions go, sometimes it all warm and sunny!