Le Piston

I remember the lean money days of college. Another option if you don't plan on doing technical ice climbing but do want to climb steeper alpine snow and short steps of ice, you can get a paired axe and hammer. I like the Black Diamond Venoms...the axe works fine by itself for glacier and alpine climbing. If I need a second tool, the hammer works well on most everything short of sustained vertical ice. The picks are changeable, so I can put a more technical pick on the axe if needed(and it still self arrests pretty well) Together they cost about the same as a single Quark. But, as others have wisely advised you can get by without a second tool for a lot of Cascade classics. I have used a picket myself as an improvised second tool on steep snow. Cheers!

I have used a DMM Bug for skinny rope belay/rappels for many years. It doesn't have autoblock capability, but it has worked well for me. There are plenty of devices out there that work, luckily they aren't too spendy. Good luck!

Since Frikadeller decided to make this a pictorial thread, I felt compelled to show my boot "quiver", but instead of a pile I further felt compelled to show some order and organization.

If you haven't already left this may help. I went up there 2 years ago. The info Scottk gave is right on, but there is another option if the Tahoma glacier looks too broken up...from St. Andrews Park go up onto the Puyallup cleaver and drop down onto the Puyallup glacier and head up to St. Andrews rock for your high camp. You would then drop down to the Tahoma and ascend from there. If you take this option I suggest not following the entire Puyallup cleaver...drop onto the Puyallup glacier just before Tokaloo Rock and ascend the Puyallup glacier just to the north of the cleaver to about 9200 feet for your camp. I'm including a couple of pictures...hope this helps. Have a great trip!

I've used a non-freestanding tent on a lot of climbs (including Rainier, Hood, Dragontail, Prusik, Daniel, etc.) before I had money to spend on better gear. If that is what you have, you can make it work with good guy-out technique and do just fine. I greatly prefer a freestanding tent myself, but not everyone can drop $300-700 for a nice 4 season shelter.

I've always been fond of the Sand Point trail (Lake Ozette to Cape Alava). It has rainforest and ocean both. You can do it as a day hike (long drive) or overnighter. If you have a canoe or kayak, you can go from Ozette to Erickson's Bay to camp and hike to the beach. If you absolutely want a river hike, check out the Hoh. Cheers!

My friend and I must have been a stones throw from that border marker and never found it after the trail petered out. We spent an hour and a half bushwhacking trying to find the damn trail again. Thanks for the great pictures and route information. I'm heading back up there this summer...hopefully we'll find the trail this time. Keep up the fine climbing!

A friend and I had wished those altruistic souls had taken your advice and made the trail a little more user friendly. We went in a couple weeks after you and spent an hour and a half looking for the trail after it petered out. The onset of rain and my friends inflamed foot took our enthusiasm for this route down enough to decide to come back in 2009 and try again. Great trail report and pictures! You made this a must do on my tick list. I just hope my SUV is up to the potholefest road approach to the trailhead again. Thanks for the inspiring TR.

Thanks for the great photos and trip report. I've done this in the fall and never considered it as a winter trip. It will have to be on my to-do list now.

I have found it difficult to find the perfect all around hat. I have a Marmot Precip Safari hat which is great for rain, has a nice wide brim, but even the light color is too hot for glacier sun. I have an REI sun hat which works great in the sun, but not waterproof. I was wondering if anyone has tried the Mountain Hardwear Stimulus hat?...2 oz weight, wide brim, and waterproof. I've only seen them online. With a helmet I just use a bandana to protect the neck.

I bought one of these several years ago to go with my locking oval biner thinking it was a great idea. It was a great idea, just didn't work well in real life. I'd rather not compromise function and safety for a few ounces saved on one of these pseudopulleys. I would suggest practicing your crevasse rescue technique and system before you need it in the mountains. You can't always count on other teams being there to help when you need them. Best of luck on McKinley!

Take a look also at the Black Diamond Raven Pro. I stopped using my Grivel axe because the Raven Pro head was so much more comfortable to plunge the shaft, arrest with and walk with. It is very light and does everything you could want on glacier slogs without much technical ice or step cutting. I also have the Black Diamond Venom which gives me the option of adding a technical ice pick for steeper alpine ice and snow, but with the standard pick still makes a fine glacier axe.

Without sounding like Imelda Marcos, I think it's nice to have boots to cover the range of climbing you do or possibly will do. I agree with Dane on the Nepal EVO's, they are great all around leather boot and will do most everything you want in the lower 48 that your Trangos aren't up to. For winter or higher altitude there is nothing like plastic double boots for keeping feet dry and warm. My climbing partners know well that I love a bargain, but I'd rather spend the money to get exactly the fit and function I want the first time. Good boots mean happier and safer climbing. I use my Trangos for 75% of my climbing...they are great all-around boots. If you need to go higher, steeper, colder, or real rough approaches you need a good leather boot or plastic(or both). Go for good fit over saving money.

It seems to me you always have to balance weight and safety. If you know your route beforehand, you can better assess what to bring. I have done alpine rock climbs in heavy leather boots and much prefer the better sensitivity and rubber of modern synthetic boots. I've done 5.8 stuff in my Trangos that I would have brought rock shoes for if I was in my old heavy leather boots=more weight for 2 pairs of footwear. If I know the grade is harder and falls more likely I'll take a burlier rope...otherwise I feel the lighter rope is more than adequate where a fall is unlikely. I've held falls on skinny rope (Beal Stinger III) and saved at least one partner. As I've gotten older, the savings in weight makes for a more enjoyable and faster climbs. Moving faster and saving energy often adds to safety in the alpine environment. I've not noticed that much loss of durability in equipment except in boots...but I can live with replacing soles or boots every few years as the price for a more enjoyable trip, almost no breakin time, no blisters, and better climbing performance. If I need warmth, stiffness, and toughness I bring the leather or plastic boots. To me it always comes down to matching the gear to the route and safety margin. But if I can keep the wear and tear on the body down and still be safe, that's a no brainer(which I am often suspected of being).

Ditto Mtguide. I have the Venom axe and hammer and have been very happy. I don't do long ice routes, but on glacier ice(up to vertical) and steep snow faces/gullies they work great...plus they self arrest well. If you do mostly hard steep stuff, I'd stick to the true ice tools. But, if you do more alpine these are better all-around tools.

I have had my Firstlight for 5 years and have similar praise to Crillz. I spent about 35 minutes sealing the seams and have been rained on, snowed on, windblown and haven't had a leak so far. I haven't had much condensation issues so far, even in winter. The only downsides I've seen so far are the lack of wiggle room inside (I'm about 6 feet tall) and the need to anchor it well in a stiff wind...it is so light it becomes a kite. I love this tent! My partner with the Bibler has me bring mine usually.

Sorry, I really didn't scope out the Zipper route, but what little I saw looked doable...perhaps leaner than usual. The snow where I was certainly was in great shape. I'll include a picture. I hope this helps...Cheers!

Trip: The Castle - East Face Date: 2/5/2009 Trip Report: This isn't a burly winter route, but was a nice solo day trip since my regular climbing partner had to work. I had wanted to do a winter climb of the Castle and Pinnacle Peak for a while. With an unexpected day off I left early in the morning hoping to catch the sunrise on Rainier. I didn't know they closed the gate at Longmire at night. Luckily a ranger came by at 0630 and kindly let me follow him up. I went up the snow slope directly from the Narada Falls parking lot and walked on the snowshoe tracks on the road to Reflection Lake. A nice track led up to the ridge beside The Castle. From there the snow slope was quite firm all the way to the rock wall. I more than once wished I had put on the crampons I had lugged up, but did okay with hard step kicking. Less than 100 feet of 4th class rock gets you to the summit ridge. The rock is actually not as loose as I had heard. There is a rap station on the summit ridge, but I downclimbed...as I had not brought a rope. Views were nice of Hood, Adams, St. Helens, and of course Rainier. Gear Notes: Ice axe and crampons. Snowshoes if you don't stay on the previous tracks (where postholing from ankle to crotch depth happened if I strayed) Rope if you don't like downclimbing. Approach Notes: Very straightforward once you get past the gate at Longmire...just follow the tracks.

Damn! My partner bailed on me Saturday night and I didn't think to check here. I was packed and racked for Chair Peak. I'm new to hard ice climbing, but have done a fair amount of alpine steep stuff and trying to get more. Perhaps we could hook up another time (I only have weekends off) I include a picture so you can get an idea of something I've been on before.

Nice TR! I was looking over at Chair from Snoqualmie Peak Saturday thinking the buttress looked in condition. The snow on my side of the valley was nice and firm. I hope it stays in shape for a week or two...I'd like to have a go (without the crowd if possible)

First off, welcome to climbing! I would advise trying on different boots and finding ones that fit well and are versatile for the type of climbing you want to do. It seems individual feet don't all fit the same make and manufacturer of boots. That said, I am a fan of La Sportiva Trangos. They are warm enough for summer mountaineering, climb rock well, and are comfortable and light for the approach hike. Make sure you get a good fit and break them in before your climb...sore blistered feet suck. Good luck with your Rainier climb!

I agree with jared j. and Mccallboater. The Black Diamond Firstlight is a great tent...as long as you're not over 6 feet tall. If you don't mind cozy sleeping, you can't go wrong with this tent for alpine climbing. You have to do your own seam sealing (less than an hour). It seems to meet most of your criteria and is around 3 pounds with stakes.

I have to agree on the Western Mountaineering bags. I've had a lot of different brands of sleeping bags and by far the WM Ultralight is the best I've owned. It is light, conservatively rated to 20 degrees F, and very compressible. I have used it in wet conditions in the Olympics, Cascades, and Canada and not had any problems losing loft. Good luck in your choice. Feathered Friends gives you lots of options for fabric and a great reputation for quality (I've got a Rock Wren...great light summer bag!)

I don't know if you can still get it anywhere, but the Moonstone Cirrus is a nice warm reasonably light hooded synthetic jacket.

I have the North Face Fission and have been very pleased with it. It's light, warm (rated about 20 deg. F.), and reasonably compact. I use it when I'm expecting wetter conditions and the favorite down bag stays home. Hope that helps. Cheers!