ScaredSilly

"You going up?" "Yes! Yes!" "You may be going a lot higher than you think." Don Whillans talking to some Japanese climbers on the Eiger

Thanks for the thoughts, appreciate hearing your thinking. The funny part about the TRs from the past week over on Gator's blog is that several said they had up to 60 degree ice. It was at best 45 degree ice. Given that I have to doubt the accuracy of many of the past TRs. You could certainly find 60 degree ice if you wanted but that is another matter. I am sure that at times two tools would be useful but when multiple people carry multiple tools for 100 feet out of 3000 feet of climbing plus the fact that they are too short for the most of the route it seems to be really inefficient. My partner and I discussed that if the ice was too steep for a single axe we would just use the others axe, pitch it out, and then send both tools back down for the other to use. I am reading the same TRs and guide books (albeit not all) but interpret some thing different. I guess I think about folks like Joe Hazard and what they were doing when guiding folks. These guys were honed and though had heavy gear they could move pretty fast. I just do not see them guiding folks through super steep terrain even for short distances. I have no doubt that they would have chopped a bunch of steps though had they found the current conditions. Speaking of ole Hazard. They camped up at the top and then walked down and around. None of this rappelling monkey business with clients. Back then the camp was probably safer, even friends in the 70s/80s camped up there. Today, I sure as hell would not given the overall warming conditions and I know they would not.

Here is my pass: http://www.freeourforests.org/COEpic.html

BTW - a question to ponder and this is not to question people's abilities but why do so many feel the need to take two tools on the Kautz? The ice step is not that steep or so difficult to really require it. I think it is over kill and then you end up carrying the damn things for rest of the route. My partner and I did it with a single 60cm axe along with a ski pole. We tucked the pole for the ice step and just used our hand for balance. Yeah we are a couple of old farts that have been around the hill a few times so we feel comfortable on most terrain but it would seem to me folks could use some practice climbing with single tool. It will certainly make you more competent and confident. Then when you get to sections like this you can just blow through them rather than bumble around.

The thread title is wrong as they died on Mt Dolent. While technically part of the Mt. Blanc Massif is a not exactly close by Mt. Blanc itself. This is akin to saying some died on the Grand Teton when they were on Mt. Moran. Yeah Moran is part of the Teton Massif but ... The accident is truly horrific in that the mom/wife watched it happen. Very sad. And yes many people die in the alps each year. Trivia - Mt Dolent is a unique Peak in that it lies on the border of France, Italy, and Swirzerland. There is a very ice climb on it from the French side that we did one spring that is something like 12 pitches. Here is a photo of it (look for the little sliver to the right of the summit and the "horizontal" ridge leading to it.

After coming down it after doing Kautz a week ago I can not say the route is in good shape. Sun cupped to hell with a 12" boot deep and 12" wide track (aka cattle trail) through it. What does this mean? Passing people will suck so things will get backed up, especially at any of the crevasses. One crevasse crossing was sketchy and is probably the one with a ladder on it now. I would choose another route - either Emmons or Kautz.

Sorry I should of added a smiley, that was a joke ... but also serious as people do stupid shit. Like the party who walked up the debris field late in the afternoon a few days latter.

This is why Camp Hazard is named well Camp Hazard. No one smart bivies there. The spots below near the rappel are good spots - though they are now dry. However, water can be found to the west. When I get a chance I will post a report on our trip. But a few morsels, conditions on the Nisqually are excellent, as are conditions walking up to the Turtle. Getting on to Kautz is not a problem the lower ice tongue is ice but is very stair stepped, cracks are open but not a problem. The intermediate snow field has lots sun cups. The upper ice step (aka what people misname the ice chute - there is no chutte) is hard glacier ice for 70 feet. It is 45 degrees max and there is no need for a second tool. (Unless you like to carry short tools for hardly anything). The trick is to use the remnants of the sun cups for one hand and foot. The upper snow field is sun cupped not the most fun. A few cracks here and there. Instead of crossing the top of the cleaver we cut left and headed up towards Point Success. An axe and ski pole are the way to go. We descended the DC - what a mess that route is (condition wise). Yuck. The Kautz is a gem.

I was on the Willis one winter. Fell into more damn crevasses on the Carbon than on any previous trip on the hill. Got to the point my partner started laughing about - that is until we both went in at the same time, albeit different cracks. Fortunately, we never went in deeper than our butts. Best approach is from Carbon River, ride a bike to the end of the road and walk in from there. As for conditions it all depends. We went in on a dry year and great conditions - just really high winds up high. Could be nasty if lots of unconsolidated snow. Same for avalanche conditions. Ice??? If you want alpine ice I would pick another time of year or route.

I have spent a few days in the backcountry of Yellowstone and dealt with -50F temps.

Ptarmigan gets a few attempts compared to many of the other routes. We did it in May one year. Had great conditions. In fact, in three trips to that side of the hill (via Spray Park from Carbon River) it has always been pleasant walking to a high camp. The problem this year is the huge amount of snow low down is just not consolidating very well. And up high there does not seem to be the cover. So later in the year the route will be out.

Nice shots - I always say that i am going to take some time after a climb and see other parts of the park. In 5 seasons in the range I have yet to do it.

Sadly, I have several friends on that board all of whom are buried on Denali or over on the Ruth. However I have not visited it - not sure I want to. In Zermatt there is a climbers section of the local cemetery that is very sobering especially if you read some of the epitaphs.

Last time I was on the south I took a friend up via the DC. We spent a night at Muir then walked to the Flats the next day and spent the night. Really helped him with acclimating and made for a "shorter" summit day. The nice part about doing the flats is that the activity level is not quite as much as with starting from Muir. So you can get up at 3am and still beat the guides. Of course you have to schlep your stuff up and back.

Another article on the events. One of the better written articles about a rescue. http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-hikers12-2008jun12,0,5906441.story

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/19723464.html

Nice report ... the few, the proud, the ones who go in from Carbon River.

This guy used a couple of his lives. At the top of the fixed lines at 16K to 17K is the best part of the WB. It is a walk on top of a ridgeline. To the south is the 14K basin of the West Buttress, to the north is the Peters Glacier. In some places it a casual stroll in others there are steepish steps where one miss step results in this type of accident. Some places have short rappels or fixed lines. For the most part one is on the Peters Galcier side of the ridge. Denali Pass is the head of the Peters Glacier, and the 17.2k camp is on the Peters Glacier as well. As mentioned, 1998 two unroped climbers fell down to the Peters Glacier, one died. A good friend who was on a NPS patrol went down to aid and sadly fell as well. A few days latter a guided group was descending near Washburn's when a client fell - he was roped in but could not right himself. A guide unclipped from the rope to help and fell. The bodies of the guide and the other climber were recovered a few days later. My friend rests in Peter Glacier. As for Alex, another friend, it was at 19k that he carried a guy across the football field to a waiting Lama helicopter.

I would also check out American Alpine Institute http://www.aai.cc Several friend have worked for them. American Alpine Institute should not be confused with Alpine Ascents which also run trips. My observations of Alpine Ascents operation is rather industrial.

Above 17.5k to 19.5k is damned if you do unrope and damn if you don't unrope terrain with moderately steep terrain where placing gear is a PITA. We unroped. If their tracks were found up this high and they were roped together there is a good chance that a fall would have taken them down the hill. Damn sad after it sounds like they completed the lower Kahiltna Peak traverse which is damn proud.

Washburn's map of Denali is your best bet.

Direct from the park: http://www.nps.gov/dena/parknews/search-underway.htm Given the comments in the release about the weather, probably an accident (i.e a fall).

For the most part you will find very few American/Brits living in Cham/Zematt environs. Even while I was living in France and climbing there I think the only one was Twight. Many Brits do come over for the summer climbing season. So there is not really much of an ex-pat scene except part of the year. That said the larger community of english speaking ex pats are in deed down south along the Cote d'Azur which is where I lived. I had few a Brits that I skied with in the Maritime Alps mostly around the Parc National de Mercanteur. Most of climbing friends were French.

If you are willing to walk 5-6 miles I would just go in from Carbon River. We hiked in that way the previous time the road was closed, winter of 2005. It added 2.5 hours of easy road walking. One can make it to Echo Rock in a day from the Carbon River ranger station which is a great place to bivy. From there it is a nice stroll up to the bivy below the ridge. When you come out drop down to Shurman and then continue down the Winthrop to where the Liberty Ridge cattle track comes across. Follow it for a bit then start contouring down so that you will eventually hit the trail from Mystic Lake. It is a bit long on the way out but it saves from having to do a car shuttle.

I live in SLC and travel Rt6 frequently. Rt6 is one of the most dangerous roads in the US with 1-2 deaths per month. Weekends are worse with the traffic to Mob and Reservoir Fowl. If working in Huntington I would live south as the commute would be a bit safer as you do not need to drive Spanish Fork Canyon, Soldier Summit, and Price Canyon. But traveling through Wellington is speed trap. Personally, I would just find a cheap place near by and ride a bike to work if possible and then escape on the weekends.