Alex_Mineev

Do you guys think Devils Kitchen is in good shape? I am going to give it a try this Sunday...

3 days ago when I did Gib Ledges at about 5.30 I did not see or hear anything falling. Although I did see a lot of killer stuff that was ready to fall like big icicles hanging right above the trail...

What a stupid questions I used to ask!

http://www.pentaxusa.com/products/cameras/camera_overview.cfm?productid=18047

Nice tr, Tom! You know I could not write it better Thanks for the 'platforms' Regarding the rainfall in the hut - it started at about 9pm and was caused by warm air produced by stoves that run almost constantly till 10-11 pm... Next time I would stay closer to the snowman or sleep in the tent. Great climb but it's melting out rapidly. I can only imagine how good it was few weeks ago with more snow. Tom and Aaron: Crater rim:

Do you have an address of the shop?

Snow was very good before noon. At noon it turned to slash that was sliding down here and there - quite scary, especially on the east face that we used to descent.

http://www.winisp.net/al%5Fmineev/Hikes/20040403McClellanButte/descr.htm

What is TNF? The North Face? web site?

IMHO slack is never good. The amount of time it gives you is 'compensated' with greater force you'll have to hold. Also, I can not imagine how would you keep that slack? Hold the coils with one of your hands? If you do this you are not climbing steep terrain cause otherwise you'll need both hands. If glacier is not steep lack of slack let's you pull the victim before he falls too far...

Chris, check PMs

No, it is not safe. Find a rope mate.

1) Do what Bug says. 2) Take Crevasse Resque class by RMI This would be few times cheaper and will give you the exact skills you want (but hopefully will not need on the summit day). 3) Go Emmons. No rockfall. Fri/Sat. There will be crowd but it will be less than Sat/Sun. This plan brought me to the summit year ago.

Wise man. Either this or balls diameter. Don't know...

I climbed the couloir on Sunday up to the summit block but did not summit. The rock looked a little bit too exposed and I was solo and if I did it it would be my first time experience climbing real rock outside of gym... So I spent about an hour traversing left and right under the summit block trying to make a decision. Seen both the 5.6 and 4 class variations, touched the rock and even put my ice ax in the pack ... and decided to not take the risk of a couple hundred feet fall. Down I climbed face-to-slope til the angle decresed to 40 degrees... I'll make it. Next time. When not alone

Regarding the pace: people say it normally takes 2 hours to get to the ledges. With your time of 1.20 to beehive you probably needed only one hour to reach the ledges. 2.20 - not bad at all...

Take it easy. You learned this time much more than if you climbed it.

I regret that I did not climb closer to make route-line clearer. I think you do not need to rap down, probably just downclimb or traverse along the rock to the snow slope that meets the upper part of the Gib chute. I think Girlclimber can draw the line.

See red arrow on the attached image (image is not mine). Pictures are made on the Nisqually side of the crest.

Hiked to the Beehive that day, made some pictures: Nisqually Ice Cliff click here to see fullsize Gibraltar Ledges click here to see fullsize Sun shining thru the cloud

While doing my homework on Lib Ridge I came across these five TRs. They open quite a few useful details on pro to use and possible snow/ice conditions. At least one of them looks like a mild epic. Here is the main page: http://naclassics.com/climbs/rainier/beta.htm Here are direct links to TRs: http://naclassics.com/climbs/rainier/da_501.pdf http://naclassics.com/climbs/rainier/dr_700.pdf http://naclassics.com/climbs/rainier/ls_699.pdf http://naclassics.com/climbs/rainier/me_598.pdf http://naclassics.com/climbs/rainier/gk_795.pdf

Hi Josh, check PMs

http://www.grivel.com/products/pi.php?ope=scheda&lang=en&cod=27 Is it any good? I am getting gear for Lib Ridge this spring. Want to bring this Air Tech Evo and Grivel Third Tool (which I already have). Do not want to bring any heavy hardcore ice tool and not sure that simple mountaineering ax will do. Thoughts? This Evo is light - 16+ oz. May be too light for comfortable placing into hard ice? On the other hand - what's the probability of vert hard ice on Lib Ridge? bergshrand at the exit?

Which route? If from Paradise then call ranger station at Longmire. You can probably register with them by phone. In reality I think you can just stop by Longmire and get all the documents in place. May is not the busiest month (compared to July-August). They accept visa. $30 for calendar year permit.

Almost forgot to mention. Could be useful. We were driving from paradise after 6.30 and the Longmire gate was closed. There is an inn in Longmire and the guy at lobby knows the code. He wrote 4 digits on a piece of paper and asked to leave credit card while we driving thru the gate. Returned the card after we returned the code I asked how often they change the code - weekly.