iClimb

Any issues accessing the mazama glacier headwall route from cold springs before July 1? Online the climbing season is stated to be July 1 - October because it's on the Indian reservation? Is that just for the trail head or roads in he reservation, or will we be harassed for traveling down into the meadow from the standard south route and then up to sunrise camp? We are going In June and since it's a lesser traveled route we figured we wouldn't really see anyone anyway.

I want my first solo'd 12000'er to be on the safer side, when despite great alpine experiences and extreme weather experiences in the east, I've only been up to 6300'. Why is that so mind boggling to you?

Rob, I understand your argument, but there's one problem. I didn't come here asking to have my skill set challenged, I didn't come here asking for alternative routes or mountains. I can do my own research for those, just like I did the south side route of Adams, and if I have questions after my own research just as I did for this one, I will ask them. I only mentioned my skill set so that people wouldn't tell me to learn how to use crampons, an ice axe, to hire a guide services, blah blah blah. I don't care if it is below my abilities, I will still do it with excitement, and I will still respect the mountain and it's dangers. Someone who guides on Everest may be over skilled to climb Mt Washington in New Hampshire, but that doesn't mean he or she won't enjoy it, and it doesn't mean that the outing can't become deadly. in short - thank you for trying to challenge me and my skill set - I already had Adams picked, and I'm not looking to do any other mountain or route - that comes later. Thanks.

interesting point 112 I wonder how many people flaming me about doing greater challenges started off doing things well above their comfort zone or skill set? I also wonder how many people flaming me had guide services talk them up a mountain every step of the way.

no need to apologize matt - im new here and expected to be treated as such. I understand that there are plenty of greater challenges, but despite the skills I have acquired so far, I plan on honing them as much as possible before moving on to bigger things - for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I would rather not use a guide service ever if possible. Secondly, I respect the mountains, their beauty, and their danger - I feel no need to rush myself into a mountain that may or may not be above my capabilities, just to get hurt or worse. I will slowly move up the rung of challenge, and the whole way will do my best to stay close to my comfort zone.

thanks all - for the purpose of this climb I will be sticking with Adams. Hood was my runner up and I understand that it along with Baker and some of the rockies will provide more of a challenge, but I will be soloing this go around, therefore want to be confident in my abilities and skills for my first attempt at a 10K + mountain. I can't stress enough that I am conservative in my climbing. I am 26 years young, have the financial flexibility to do more climbs in the future, and have time on my side - I can come back in future years, increasing my challenge, but for my first solo'd 12,000er, I'd like it to be safe.

ok thanks pika, that's pretty reasonable. Sorry one more - what's the bathroom situation like up there. I know a lot of bigger mountains can get pretty gross above tree line with feces - should I bring supplies to pack that out?

P.S. My mountaineering "teacher" where I took my first courses and gained much of the information which has led to me safely climbing and hiking in the Whites, was Mark Synnott Mountain Guides. I suggest you look him up, along with his achievements, and maybe watch the video of his Borneo big wall climb. Your better option rock scrambling mountains might take a page out of his book.

well let's see rob - the other mountains I had in mind are more heavily glaciated and have crevasse danger. I have not taken a crevasse rescue course, and since I want to do this on my own instead of hiring a guide service to pull me up, I decided to go with a mountain that was already within my skill set. Yes part of it is the altitude. Altitude plays a big part in mountain climbing, and since the highest I've got access to is 6300', doubling that height will be a pretty big deal in terms of endurance, and possibly experiencing AMS which I've never had the pleasure of encountering. The other options available may be great for you, but if they were great for me I would have asked questions about those instead. I am an educated individual who did my research first, which is why I came here with specific questions. Had I wanted suggestions for which climb to do based on your preferences, my post would have included that. Here's a bit of info for you - there's nothing I could learn elsewhere on earth that I couldn't learn in the white mountains - world class rock climbing, ice climbing, mixed alpine mountaineering, extreme weather, and some of the best hiking in the country. I thought the newbies forum was free of flaming? Don't get defensive just because I didn't salivate over your wisdom. If you notice, other people politely gave me the info I asked for, rather than trying to impose their "knowledge" on me. I never put you on a pedestal. You put yourself on one.

thanks pikas One other thing - do I need a permit to climb? Any other info I would need?

thanks everyone. Jeffrey - So it sounds like maybe late June would be a better time? Yes I have lots of experience with crampons, ice axe, some rope work, some technical vertical climbing in a mix of snow, ice, and rock, and know how to self arrest. I also have extensive experience in weather extremes. Out west you may not be very knowledgeable on New Hampshire's Mt Washington, but it literally rivals the Himalayas for weather - in the valley's it can be between 30 and 50 degrees, and above tree line it can be below 0. I climbed it twice this February, and the first time I was subjected to -20*F without the windchill, and with 80-100 mph SUSTAINED winds, we dropped below -50*F. Temps that night reached the lowest in years at -88*F. Rob - boring is a subjective word. Thanks for the "advice", but I tend to be more conservative in my learning curve. What may be boring for you may be thrilling to me, and my first concern is safety. I'd rather learn on a safe, boring mountain before moving on to a higher level of difficulty, than try to learn on a more dangerous mountain and die leaving behind the life I love. There is plenty of VERY technical climbing here in the White Mountains, and if that's what I was looking for I would only need to drive 2 hours to find it. RaisedbyPikas - you WOULDN'T bring a helmet? Is that because it's not necessary at all, or because you wouldn't feel that there is enough risk to warrant them? Any risk at all and I'd likely bring one - I'm young and strong and don't mind a few extra ounces.

Hi everyone, I am new to Northern Cascades, but a fairly experienced hiker/mountaineer in New England. My current playground is the White Mountains. I have climbed Mt Washington in New Hampshire twice in Feb this month, and while it is only 6300 feet, it has some great alpine climbing and literally some of the worst weather on Earth which can rival the Himalayas. My next step is to graduate to something over 10,000 feet. After researching Mt Adams, Mt Baker, and Mt Hood, I have come to the conclusion that Adams will be the safest of the 3 to start with, since my climbing style is alpine, meaning I choose not to use guides, but instead do my research first to prepare for the climb. It is my understanding that Adams' South Side ascent has little to no risk of crevasses, and that it is essentially a 6700 foot snow slog on reasonable slopes of 30 degrees or less. Are there any objective dangers you all could tell me about, tips you could give me, or anything else? My plan is to climb this in late May or early June, probably next year because I have to wait for my frequent flyer points to add up for my free flight to Washington state (I'm from Maine). thanks in advance, I'm excited to get lots of good information