treknclime

Schweeet, John! Nice work...looks like you guys had some good fun!

Did Ptarmigan Ridge late August/early Sept once in a one-day shot. Was a great, crazy like experience. That upper ice chute was total dinner-plate ice...doable, and a good challenge with ol'skewl Chouinard tools and Salewa's. My partner from P Ridge had also done Liberty in late September with a couple of Rainier regulars. They talked about scratching their way up the ice, but pulled it off and seemed to enjoy the experience. I don't remember them saying anything about it other than it was thin and committing in some places...with the expected choss. Guess it depends on the year, approach conditions, shrund, and moving quick to minimize exposure. Good luck if you do it sometime late season. Would be great to see your pics.

Your airlines "might" be able to check your bags all the way through...withstanding your long layover. Call your agent, and see if they can insert the request into your flight record...then when you get to the counter at check-in...it's there in your record...and the agent can make the call...if they have the latitude. Who knows... My buddies fly into K-du twice a year...Thai Airways will check all the way through, with a layover in Bangkok. It's part of their "Royal Orchid Service." Will PM you a response later today.

I would bring your own food from the USA...homemade...prepackaged, or whatever. However, things like Ramen are easy to find in Katmandu, so don't worry about that stuff, or candy bars, and some general snack/lunch foods. The tuna and other canned meats sucks there, so make sure you bring the nice stuff from home. The new foil packages work well, and even the hydrated little foil meals, if your shipping/yak/porter budget allows for it. You will not need to pass customs in Thailand with your baggage if you check your stuff all the way through from the USA to Nepal. I assume you're on Thai Air, and they usually stop-over in BNK--which is a "forced stopover," and whatever you check through to Nepal...will be there when you get there. (On most airlines, any stopover of 24 hours or less gives you the ability to check all the way through, even though you may be stopping someplace). So, Thailand is no problem. Now, bringing food from the USA (or elsewhere) to Nepal can be an issue...and I'll PM you my response on this part, if you want "the rest of the story." It's really quite simple, but I prefer not to advertise it in today's net-savy world, where every official is checking the net. Have a great trip!

Sounds something like Morton's Neuroma, however, it usually happens between other toes, so maybe it's something else: Morton link I've had surgery on one foot for Mortons, and it totally fixed the issue. Doc says I've got it on the other foot, but at the moment...no pain, so it's not an issue. Morton's is usually caused by wearing tight shoes...

Jim, I still have my old white ones...the plastic is paper thin, and it's impossible to get a clip-on crampon on them. However, they are the lightest of all my plastics and I still use them on occassion, so if they're old...they might be lighter than what's currently available. tnc

Bump...

Dave...the photos I took of you on the summit the other day turned out well...PM me and I'll send'em your way.

Schweet, Gary...good stuff. Keep it coming! Much appreciated.

Nice TR, Felonious!

CBS...correct; the traditional Nisqually Cleaver was first done by Wick & Dunham. The direct route, which this TR is a repeat of...was prolly a 3rd or 4th ascent, by my reckoning. Originally climbed in a single day push a few years ago by J. Edwards & T. Kelsay. The traditional route goes more or less straight up once the glacier is reached...through some rock bands to the W side of the cleaver...then up the Nisqually Glacier to the top of the cleaver. The direct route climbs on the Nisually Ice Cliff glacier (if it can be called that), and hugs the rock on the E side of the cleaver, to its top. There's often a cornice on the cleaver, overhanging to the E. Nice work gang...that's a fun route!

Have done it a couple of ways...from Paradise & Van Trump. Paradise up the Fan is easy enough. Traverse into the cirque at the base of K Headwall from about the base of the Turtle. Traverse further L onto steep ground and up from the cirque and gain the cleaver (if there's enough snow). From Van Trump, there's a buttress at around 8.5k, and then a traverse across the K Glacier...a little bit of an icefall some years here. Gain the cleaver by climbing up a face/fingers of snow. Three weeks...likely enough snow, and if not, careful for the rockfall, fer sure. If you go via Paradise...preview the route on the drive up...if you can...then if there's not enough snow as judged from the road or on the approach...bail to K glacier. The upper Success/Kautz cleavers are prolly some of my favorite routes. Lots of exposure, and a little rock. If there's enough snow, you can thread through these sections without much trouble. The rock goes easy and is fun, if you end up on that stuff. The view down from Pt. Success rocks...worth the walk over from C crest, sometime...if there's time (about 45-1hr each way). IMHO that's one way to handle things.

Dooooood...I'm older than U...well before cams ever saw U...Wall. I would like to climb it clean now...sounds fun!

Lots of fun aire on that route! Nailed it once...which was awkward for a righty in that corner. Prolly quicker and more fun climb'in clean. Hope you'll post a TR!

Kewl...Joe...good to hear how things are going down there. FYI...there were 2 local WA guys who perished in an avi there on Pisco some years ago. The slopes above the col are casual for the most part, and some years there's a steep ice pitch a moderate distace above the col. There's the potential for avi action on some not so steep slopes here an there. Sounds like you're well tuned into things...good onya. Have a great time and post again!

Schweet pics! Thx!

PM'd Off_White...he's prolly busy. Directions to the crag?

I've used the Montrail expedition packs a ton...lightweight, functional...and few frills. IMHO their tents are a good value and will do what they say.

Try using Airset.com to schedule trips with your pals...it'll put an end to shuffling emails back and forth with your trip planning...

Nice TR, lcm! Looks like ya'll had a great time!

OK...do your pull ups and dips on rings, instead.

What was the link to that speed rock climber from the Cali coast...that climbed Lover's Leap...a similar video. Link?

Doing push ups on rings positioned just above the floor increases difficulty and brings in core strengh. Elevate the feet to further increase the suffer factor...

I've seen it snow more on the 4th of July on the mountain than be sunny or climbable over a number of years. However...sometimes it's really nice. Totally a crap shoot. The best weather is prolly July 15-Aug 15, but the route can be an issue later...in some years. Have a great time!

The route above Christine Falls that I've been on in the winter...follows the regular trail. The only time I've been up there in the winter is after things have mellowed out...and we're walking/skiing/snowshoeing over tons of debris. Wouldn't wanna be in there during a high avi period, such as now. Maybe I'm a wuss... Now...MisterMO mentions a "winter route." Can you share that beta with us? I know there's a winter route up Granite Mtn (not a ski trip), that avoids all/most of the avi chutes. Was totally news to me, as many times as I've been up there. Maybe MisterMo has something like that up his sleeve??