ScaredSilly

Ha. Us cantankerous and selective old farts from out of state and some youngsters (like Frieh who has it dialed) know how to plan visits to avoid the crummy weather. Two weeks ago, I flex into PDX on Thursday afternoon (got the ticket 2 days before), banged out two respectable routes on Hood in two days and was home Sunday morning into time to have breakfast with my wife . Would have done Rainier but did not have enough time.

IMHO coming down from Schurman is easier than from Muir when it is pissing about. Just get on the Inter-Glacier and slide down to the creek and follow it out. Also given the predicted winds once down by the creek one is more sheltered. It is much faster drive back to Seattle and beer.

Go to Stoney Point and boulder yourself silly.

Get some new friends, human ones that are not so rigid (pun intended). I have gear on my rack that is 20-30 years old. It is just as reliable as the gear that is 2-3 years old. In the mean time tell your partners that they are free to buy their own rack and use it if they do not like yours.

Props to Will on that one. However, it is just not charity climbs that are BS. I pissed some folks off by speaking my mind about an AAC presentation regarding a "first" on Everest and calling it just another Everest stunt and that it had no place being Friday night after dinner talk. Now when the first nude snowboard circumnavigation of the South Pole is completed while singing "God Save the Queen" I'll take notice.

Nice shot of the SGH. As of 19 May, the headwall is in great shape, firm nevé with some ice in around the pinch. The traverse over from Illumination Saddle is also in fine shape with only one minor crack to worry about - just as you descend onto the Sandy Glacier proper. The same can be said for Leuthod's Couloir, which we did the day before - nice firm nevé. All other cracks on both the Reid and Sandy Galciers can currently be avoided very easily.

Nice shots, the rime looks fun. Probably much of it is gone with the nice weather this week.

I see what your are saying. The route 7A drawing does not match the 7A description very well. Whereas your route match the description perfectly. Jeff does a very good of getting the description correct. As such, I would put more weight on it and venture to say that the way is is drawn is not correct as it is too high. Especially, as the last part of 7A goes into a rock buttress. Hopefully this photo montage will help. What is overlaid in red I believe is not drawn correctly in Jeff's book for both route 7A and the top part of the North Face Gully and North Face Cleaver. What is drawn in green is what I believe are the correct finishes the the North Face Gully and the North Face Cleaver. What is in yellow the left side finish which is what I have done. Your line is drawn in blue (with dashes to show the hidden part). Notice that it parallels what Jeff drew for line 7A just a bit lower. Given the description of 7A I believe the route drawing is too high. It is also unfortunate that there is not any dot lines, like I used to to demarcate the hidden portions of the route. Now what would be interesting to know is how others have finished the North Face Gully when they have gone right. The natural line would be what I have drawn in green. Which is what you did. Continuing to traverse further right does not seem logical. I remember looking over that way and thinking that.

While it can not be seen in Jeff's book but what you climbed matches the description perfectly. 1. Gain the col behind Cathedral Spire - your pictures show you coming up right at the col. 2. Climb the last 500 feet or so of the N. Face route which dumps you right on the summit. Your summit picture that I compared to mine from 2010 is most certainly the North Face "direct" finish. I say direct because where the North Face (Route 5) splits one can join Cooper Spur on the left or go right. However, above the split to go around the rock outcrop one can regain the ridge from either side and continue directly to the summit. Which what we did coming from the left and you did coming from the right. So in my mind you climbed 7A albeit under lean conditions and was undoubtably different from the conditions in 1958 which would have probably been a very steep snow slope. I will also add that I think Jeff has the route (7a) drawn in a bit high. In the photo shown below you topped out on the summit block which is rock out cropping on the left. In fact if you look carefully you can see the summit cornice. The face to the right would have you top out approximately 50-100 meters to west of the summit. So that is something completely different and appears to me to be the top of the North Cleaver Route but seems like an odd finish as going directly to the summit like you did would make more sense.

Your memory is correct, the route is listed in Oregon High, Route 7A: Stay close to the cleaver and gain the col behind Cathedral Spire, follow the last 500 feet of the North Face to the summit, FA Bohn, Maki, Combs 1958. The ascent this week was done in much leaner conditions than previous ascents when I am sure there was much more snow in the gully. Looks like a fun couple of pitches before gaining the N. Face routes. It is interesting to compare the summit cornice from two years ago versus this year: Above July 2010 lots of snow - below May 2012 much drier.

The Finger is now a defacto ski route for many. There can be cracks and there can be rock fall. The rock fall is more of a problem on the descent (assuming an early ascent). But you are going down and will only be in the Finger for 5 minutes at best. So little exposure. Early in the year the cracks are also not a problem - if the right path is taken one can avoid them all together. Check out www.turns-all-year.com

4-5 hours to walk up the Palmer. Bloody hell, if it takes you that long taking the cat is probably a good option.

Those tests were done when the ropes were saturated with water. Which in those cases water acts a lubricant and allows the fibers the slide more easily and thus elongate more and break.

Nylon-6 is used in many automotive applications because it is resistant to oils and many other chemicals (acids are a rope's worst enemy). So no you did not trash your rope. You did not do it any favors, either as oil will pick up dirt much easier than not. Hand wash it in hot water with Dawn or other good surfactant based soap which will remove the oil. If you are really concerned, chop that section off.

Getting a jump on the Memorial Day weekend I see: Date: 5/27/2012

Early summer for the DC. Skip the tent and stay in the public shelter.

If yer doing the West Butt. Throw out about half the shit you think you need (half of which will be food) and pack some booze. As for food. To be honest while calories are good having something you will eat that will not 1) taste like shit 2) give you the shits 3) prevent you from taking a shit is far more important. Especially if it involves liquid. A meal of soup, mash potatoes, noodles, dried meat, and candy bar with some tea can do far more than than some gourmet meal with 2000 calories that does one of the 3 above. As for the more practical advise on tents - take two. Multiple reasons. One person can be in one tent and cook for all when the weather is crap. Second if one person is not up to moving up the other two can move up leaving the other behind with a shelter. Finally if a storm blows one tent into shreds ya got another tent for all.

Fromage, many of us on this board could climb/hike Adams without crampons or an ice axe. After all the south side is a mule trail. But we all have years if not decades of experience on the snowy hills. But that is us and not the OP. As DPS said having them can add a huge amount of security as well as make the ascent much easier. This statement is spot on: Now we can contrast the above to the thread on Rainier and whether to take a stove on summit day. All pretty much agreed a stove would be unnecessary if an adequate amount of water was taken. The more interesting part was the recommended amount of water. FWIW - years ago I went to slide show that a guy did on his trip to Aconcagua the funniest damn part was his summit day as decided he did not need to take crampons or a ice axe just ski poles. Well just before the Cantaleta he ran in to a patch of snow that he could not cross safety so he had to abandon his ascent. He eventually summit a few days later after going back down and getting his crampons.

I am going to disagree with those saying do it in a single push. For two reasons, one it does not sound like the OP has spent any time at altitude so he really does not know how his body will react. Second the OP is making their first trip out to the hill - take a vacation and enjoy yourself. BS with others at lunch counter and enjoy the views. Years ago when we came down the route we got to watch the ole Hag to the south belch a nice plume of gas and see her heart of stone glowing. As for difficulty ... the SE Spur is a mule trail. Most others have covered it

I'll try to bring this thread back from being a spray fest ... As someone who was part of a climbing climb in high school in the late 70s early 80s that between us had maybe two pairs of EBs and a couple of pairs of Robin's klutter shoes while everyone else climbed in keds, mtn boots, etc. While at the same time used a hip belay. I can say with out reservation that your observations and feelings are grossly out of line. People have been climbing in all types of shoes for longer than anyone on this board have been alive. Rocks get polished just as badly by shoes as they do with hand grease and chalk (if not worse). While I do not know much about the group in question but many groups do not have the funds to have the latest and greatest equipment. Sure having it might make the experience better but if they were being safe who cares - especially if they were having fun. As for the comment about the hip belay. It is actually quite safe and quite effective. In fact I used it last week with a friend who I gave my belay device to as he was traveling and only grabbed his harness. And the horror of it all, I used a biner brake to rappel. Now about the concerns about the location of the rope while hip belaying. Without actually seeing it there may or may not have been a problem. But if standing having the rope up off the hips is better than right on the hips. But at least he was showing them an alternative method to belay and was backing up the primary belayer. Many climbers today would be screwed if they dropper their gri-gri or belay device. So all in all I am not sure there is any reason for concern. However, if you truly have concerns I would suggest that you contact the director of the group. I am sure they would welcome a donation so they can buy shoes for the kids so the rock does not get polished.

There might have been a pebble or two but nothing that was of concern.

Two guys went for stroll up it a couple of years ago (2010) July 4 weekend: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/969283/1

If ya a bad bladder try Depends other wise get a real water bottle.

Both have good points. On glaciers that are flat an ice axe is a tool to arrest with if a crevasse fall occurs. They are not a walking aid as they are typically too short - that is what ski poles are for. Once on steeper slopes and ice axe is used in multiple ways, from stability, a cane, arresting etc. Similarly a ski pole can be used. IMHO the best overall length axe is 60cm for a person who is 6'0" +/- 2-3"

I am a complete Rainier noob. In a dozen or so trips, the majority of the time I just take everything with me, the stove, the fuel, the tent, my sleeping bag, all my food, plus a 1.5 liters of water, not too mention all my garbage. I hump that crap up one side of the mountain and down the other damn side every time. My partner never helps outs. Okay well sometimes he takes the stove and fuel, but I will be damned if he will take the tent. Now being his in 60s and all I think he is just being selfish not to carry more. So if I were you make yer partner think ya gotta have all that crap and get them to carry it. In the mean time just hydrate well and take 1.5-2 liters.