Mark_Husbands

I climbed Sultana with a couple buddies in 1999. 1. How long did you plan on for the route? (did you just go with the AK standard 3 weeks?) I think we were on the glacier 23 days and budgeted a month for the trip. I had that kind of time then. We did sit several days at the airstrip waiting to fly in. 2. What was your plan of attack for the ridge? Alpine style straight from the Kalhitna? A double carry to the summit of Crosson? The route seems to be fairly committing given that retreat involves climbing all the way back the ridge, up Crosson, and back down the steepest parts of the route - how did y'all amange this risk? Our plan was to double carry to summit of Crosson then go from there. As it turned out we double carried and cached on Crosson, retreated to Kahiltna basecamp for 2-3 days to sit out a storm and let some minor lung sounds dissipate, then completed the climb without additional carries. We tried to summit three days in a row and retreated twice due to severe wind - made it the third try in light wind. 3. What time of year did you go (we're planning mid-June)? How were the crevasses along the ridge? How were the 'crux' pitches up to Crosson (icy or just snow)? April. Crevasses were real big (for a ridge) and real easy to hike around - often filled in. Steepest section on Crosson (which is not very steep) below the "thumb" camp were all snow. Good snow going up Crosson, total nasty sticky balling mush going down Crosson. Some parts of the Sultana ridge near Foraker and the Northeast Ridge of Foraker itself were perfect styrofoam. Other places on Sultana were postholing in wind deposited powder, yet other spots wind stripped. I have heard of people gettng shut down from exposed rock on Crosson. Some pictures of the route seem to start well to the left of where we started, and that looks rockier. We pretty much started out to the right of the toe of the ridge and maybe 1/3 of the way up gained the crest of it. 4.Any other thoughts / comments? There is a pretty tall peak behind Crosson you have to just about go over. We tried to get cute and traverse across to avoid the extra climbing. Mistake. Basically go right over the top of it almost.

Mostly because I had a good deal on them I bought Naxo 21s last year. I mounted them myself on BD Havocs (also got a deal) and have liked them. Overall it is a heavy set-up but I use them at resorts and day tours mostly and rarely do overnight tours anymore. However I did just use them on a week hut tip in Canada and it wasn't a big deal. I was pretty slow but why blame the skis? Very easy to get in and out and easy to switch modes and raise the elevators with a ski tip. Comfortable for touring and the main pivot point is forward making it easy to kick turn on the up tracks. One day I'd like to get a Dynafit kit but I can't really justify the expense where I live now.

You'd have to put a gun to my head to get me to do this.

I'll take the opposite position and politely disagree about writing off resort skiing and lessons. It's not that hard to find crud and chopped up old snow at Pacific West resorts in my opinion, and you can get the mileage you need to make breakthroughs that you can't make falling down all over the backcountry in various types of really bad snow; save that joy for later since for most of us that never goes away. My opinion, if you are a strong athlete with mediocre ski form, I would take a lesson or two with an instructor that understands your ambitions, spend some resort time off the groomers, and see where that gets you.

I used to take occasional lessons even when i was on ski patrol. I wasn't an amazing skier then or now, but i do think that lessons can help at just about any skill level. lot of fine points to really good skiing.

i have thought about mounting my Silv 300s on a short (160 I guess) Karhu Guide as a approch and kickabout setup with plastic climbing boots.

I buy and use half-assed crap all the time. It works!

I used old Viva Softs in Ecuador, but my buddy used first generation Nepal Tops and they were warm enough and better on cobbled roads and cow trails. I plan to use plastics in Peru next year (maybe).

I think the temperature might be relevant.

also, if you are going to try to ski in an approach set-up with plastic climbing boots, lighter, shorter skis will be easier to turn. you may have these 404s on an old, long pair of skis, and it doesn't help. those 404s are pretty desirable as an approach binding. no matter what, climbing boots = survival skiing (for just about anyone I know). I've never tried any wraps or straps; i just snowplow, sideslip, and kick-turn my way around anything remotely challenging (I have 300s for approach). Also if you put an alpine ski boot in the 404s, remember that the DIN function is not the strong point of those bindings...

how about strike on an old style cobra?

I've had the non-goretex earlier version for a while and they fit my medium-wide toes great. bought an asym bar for my G-14s and that really fits nice. pretty warm for how light they are. my non-gore ones have soaked out on a day long approach and then froxe overnight, causing some irritation. I suppose the gore would sort of solve that.

The limbing attachment for that Mjollnar is ingenious.

I have Leki Extremes from 1993 and still use them summer and winter. Had to put a little epoxy on one this year where the threaded part started slipping in the shaft. Working fine again.

California?