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DPS

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Posts posted by DPS

  1. 4th class rock in the summer. In spring it depends on how much snow their is. When we were there it looked mostly like steep snow, but we pulled a Mark Twight and skipped the summit. There might be a tricky move or two at the top, but I am just going on what I remember from rappeling after doing NW Corner.

  2. Someone asked for beta on this route, so here it is. Early Winter's couloir is the east facing gully separating North and South Early Winters Spires. This route has a similar season as the SW Couloir on SWES or the East Face of Cutthroat, basically as soon as the North Cascades Highway opens. Park at the hairpin and approach as if one were climbing East Buttress Direct. Traverse below terraces that form the start of East Buttress direct and towards the obvious gully. We belayed at a tree at the beginning of the steep stuff. We climbed 5 rope stretching 60-meter pitches of ice and snow. Most of the climbing was 50 degrees with a couple of large chockstones that made for fun mixed boulder problems with good pro. The final (6th ) pitch was a short aid pitch that bypasses the huge cornice on the left-hand wall. Supposedly there is a crack that the first ascentionists used. I nailed a fragile flake until it ran out then aided off of pickets in the cornice until able to climb very steep snow. Mixed pitches continue from the notch to the summit of the North Spire. Our rack consisted of pins (2 KBs or Bugaboos, angles #1-3), Stoppers #6-12, Camalots #0.5-2.0, 4 screws 2 pickets. We used every piece at least once. Belays were on rock or ice screws.

  3. The Goat Rocks are kind of boring. No real great climbing objectives. I would recommend the Enchantments although they would likely still be a lot of snow in May.

    The Tetons have a lot of excellent scrambling and easier climbing. May would still be very snowy.

  4. Nice thread topic. I would suggest the Early Winter Couloir as an excellent (in the right conditions) route up N. Early Winter's Spire. This is a much better and much less crowded route compared with the SW Couloir on SEWS.

  5. I have a question about Little Tahoma. The Beckey guide indicates an approach from Paradise that follows the route to Camp Muir, but departs at some point to make a traverse to the west side of Little Tahoma. Has anybody done this approach and if so, where does the approach diverge. Is there a better approach in the winter? How would it be to approach from Camp Muir? I imagine one would have to lose some elevation and drop below the cleaver? Thanks.

  6. What I would be more interested in finding out is how married fellas get out at all, like Cascade Climber. His wife must be a very tolerant, understanding woman 'cause he climbs all of the time!

  7. I am curious about the North Face of the MIDDLE Peak, the 1978 route by Klewin and McNerthy. Has anyone done this? Has it had a second ascent? It looked very nice when I went in to do the North Face/North Peak last year.

    [ 01-03-2002: Message edited by: danielpatricksmith ]

  8. Larson,

    In my experience 'planning' a winter ascent of Rainier for a particular date does not work real well. The better strategy is to wait for a settled period of weather then climb quickly to take advantage of what might be a narrow weather window. Just my 2 cents.

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