genepires

if you are looking at doing the west buttress route, then it would be a good idea (not a requirement) to get a REALLY big 3 person tent. A tent like the NF ve 25 (1 3 perosn tent) is very good for denali but very tight for three. A few nights up at high camp is OK, but things may get tense with three for the entire 3 weeks. Think about going up with a three person tent (which in actual is really a 2 person expedition tent) and a extra small tent like a bibler. Or try to have one person sleep in a mega mid which a great thing to bring along anyway as a cook shelter.

roan wall

statistically, you will have conditions like alex states. It can suck though. We had 5 days of hard rain on a 6 day course once in august but that was the exception to the rule. The down sweater will probably stay in the pack for the whole trip. It seems like the only times people have gotten really cold has been in the rain with winds. This condition does not do well with down materials. If you got the cash and are really concerned about this, I would suggest a light synthetic sweater/jacket in addition to your regular climbing clothing. Your gear list may already state this.

walked off in rock shoes when we dropped our pack from the 3rd pitch. hurt real bad walking down. should be ok and if there is wet areas, it would be on the last pitch which is very easy anyway. I believe that most of the anchors can be made with passive pro, bring some hexes and tricams if you know how to use them. I would say that bring a standard rack with extras of hand size for the last two pitches would be good. extra 3 or 4 would be good and even then you may feel "run out" but it is a nice hand crack with sweet chicken heads for feet. let us know how it goes and have fun.

question. what kind of situations do you expect yourself to be in? what area? season? level of activity? willingness to suffer? My personal summer time choice would be a lightweight pair of scholler pants with a very lightweight goretex (full side zip) to put over if the weather craps out. Maybe add a thermal bottom under all that if it is cold out.

according to my old guidebook, for the main area there are 5.2 (x1) 5.3 (x2) 5.4 (x7) 5.5 (x2) 5.6 (x5) 5.7 (x3) 5.8 (x7) 5.9 (x16) 5.10 (a-x10, b-x13, c-x8, d-x4) 5.11 (x29) 5.12 (x12)

there is a guidebook to the bow valley, (not really lake louise but nearby) There are lots of routes in the bow valley. Bow valley rock is the title and I think you can get it in washginton.

weather and crowds should be a larger factor in your timing. The glacier travel to the routes you mentioned are very easy, except for the short haul up to the col. Much of the time in august, there is a deep trench dug in by the hordes up the col. (would still want some light AL poons and axe) But I wouldn't say it was so gnarly, even in august. August can be crowded because historically the weather is better. The routes you mentioned (w ridge pigeon and kain face?) can accomodate lots of people. Crowds may be less of a issue. I wouldn't want a late start though. Plenty of people emergency open bivy or do dark rappels down the col. I have been snowed on in july and hut bound for 3 days. But it was fairly empty so if you want a wild expereince, go in july.

Some food for thought. A senior guide for a well respected guide service locally was scouting out a new area in the talkeetna range for a guiding instructional area. He was with another talkeetna local and no one else. He approached a large open crevasse perpendicularly to check it out. What he didn't know was that he was on a covered crevasse that ran perpendicular to the open one. He punched through and cut through the bridge some 30 feet. When his buddy, who was well versed in single person rescue, went to dig a t-slot from his self arrest position, he punched a hole through, but luckily did not fall in. He was stuck in place and would have stayed there till he also eventually fell in. Luckilly, the senior guide was able to get an ice screw in to take the weight while his buddy crawled to safer ground to make a solid anchor. If he was unable to make it to a wall, they would have been killed. Experience and skills, while very important, can only go so far. There can be a situation, where with all the knowledge and skills, will do you no good and you would be dead unless you have a team of three. AND even then, it may do no good. (case in point, 3 canadian climbers all fall into the same crevasse on baker n side some 5 years ago) to answer your question "In other words; do you think 2 person glacier teams are safe? " I would say that if you are doing a remote and totally glacier travel oreinted trip, then 3 is a minimum. If you are having a trip where the glacier travel portion is a small fraction of the trip, then 2 is fine.(like appraoching technical climbs) It is all a matter of probability, the amount of time spent on the glacier. The longer you are exposed to the hazard, the more important it is to be a team of 3. The turning point between 2 and 3 is personal relative number. Any more than 4 hours seems like a glacier travel trip and would require 3 people. I don't think any technical cascade mountain route would need more than 1 hour, but alaska?

Looking for someone for either or both days this coming weekend. saturday up for whatever. then the weather looks like a good icicle day craggin. PM if interested and free. gene

canadian rockies trip with couple days in the bugaboos 1 day on sir donald 1 day in the columbia icefields for alpine ice, maybe 2 day on ha ling, castle peak and or temple. oh yeah......

not positive cause I have never done it, but I would think that getting a permit for st helens midweek should be easy. anybody have any thoughts on that? All of the above plus the sahale arm on sahale if your galcier skills are lacking.

a fifty footer on a slab like larabee probably didn't put too much stress on the draw or bolt. rock to skin friction took a good chunk of the forces. Otherwise the bolt in the shitty sandstone would have blown. I knew a guy who fell from near the middle of the cliff while soloing and landed in the low water at high tide. He walked away thanks to the high friction coefficient.

if the weather is so bad that one needs a down jacket, a large group should not be going up. besides when did a volant be a "sick" down jacket. rock and ice parka is sick.

The best mechanic is the one having the most fun. Sorry, but needed to be said sooner or later.

things were crazy crowded in the icicle. 3 groups at alphabet rock and 5 or 6 at careno corners. All good folks with same plans.

Gotta ask, when is your course? If in august, then I would say the precip is fine as the chances of a long rain is very rare. can happen as we had 5 days of hard hard rain once. but that was very rare. any june trip should expect at least 2 days of rain out of a week. So a goretex type jacket is a very good idea. There are several sub $200 jackets out there. Probably find a $100 jacket if you look around. Your "sick" down jacket may be a little excessive. Might be better off with a thin fleece pullover along with soft shell jacket. Another thougt. I assume you are taking a guided course. If so, try contacting your guide with gear questions.

Hey D. Looks sunny towards that way all day. you want me to drive out there and do you a recon?

what do you want the crampon for? alpine travel = sabertooth waterice, mixed and uber alpine terrain = g-12

wild things, ice sack. I have been using a old rock sack for 6 years now and the thing will not die. Very light and durable, no bull shit featues. the ice sack will do all the things you mntioned so give it a look. they have them at marmot and FF.

I got fred's other boot liner still. Anyone want it for a beckey museum or crazy old man foot fettish, then PM me. Maybe ebay?

Not a local expert but I would bet that there would still be avi hazard on warm days which there should be plenty of if you will be up there at the end of this month. If you do it, getting off before 1pm would be a very very good idea if it is sunny and/or warm.

piolet traction (usual waterice technique) piolet anchor (steepish ground with one tool- traction with a mantle move) several different dagger positions so why do you want another set of tools for?

I like the warning that comes on the page. sounds like it is bad to use the axe for anything that it should be meant for. I guess piolet canne is ok. But don't self arrest with it! WARNING: THE HELIX IS NOT CERTIFIED BY ANY RECOGNIZED MOUNTAINEERING SAFETY ORGANIZATION TO MEET ANY LEVEL OF MINIMUM SAFETY STANDARDS. USING THIS TOOL FOR THE FOLLOWING TECHNIQUES MAY RESULT IN ITS FAILURE WHICH MAY CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH: ICE AXE ARREST, BOOT AXE BELAYS, PLUNGED SHAFT BELAY/ARREST, PIOLET PANNE, PIOLET POIGNARD, PIOLET ANCRE, PIOLET TRACTION, DRY TOOLING, OR OTHER TECHNIQUES BEST SUITED FOR B- OR T-RATED ICE TOOLS.

it is normal and OK. You will continue to learn new things which is one of the reasons that climbing is so much fun. enjoy the confusion and keep practicing.