DPS

Half a lifetime ago when I was Josh's age, my partners and I discussed if it was possible to climb routes like Triple Couloirs car to car with the road closed. Doing these routes with just a day pack seemed so audacious that we tried, and succeeded, and learned a lot about ourselves in the process. I am continually impressed by Josh's infinite persistence and big successes in the mountains. He reminds me of another young partner, Colin Haley, but without the resources at his disposal. Good for you Josh. Keep it up, and be safe. These moments will be etched on your very soul and when you are old and unable to climb you will remember when you were a tiger.

I'm going to go with the NW.

Hi, First off, I would suggest that this spring may not be the 'best' time to do the traverse. There is a lot of snow, and the traverse goes easily late into the season. That said, if you don't mind slogging through a lot of wet snow, have at it. I managed to find the most difficult way up the summit block by missing the obvious water smoothed couloir on the front side and climbing around the back, soloing 5.6 terrain on the way. We descended the standard route making a single, short rappel and down climbing the rest. The correct, easiest route to the highest summit block is the first block you would come to from Ruth Mt. There is a water smoothed couloir that has some fixed slings for rappels that is the easiest way up and leads directly to the true summit. It would perhaps go at very low 5th class, maybe 5.0-5.2. I think most people solo it and then fix a hand line perhaps for weaker climbers. For a rack, maybe 6-8 nuts, 4 large hexes, 3 small Tri-cams, a few single slings with carabiners, a couple of double slings with lockers. That would be a very big rack for 50 meters of 4th and low 5th class climbing. I think it might be hard to protect as well?? The traverse could be done car to car in a day, assuming conditions are good, but I did it for my 40th birthday and wanted to sleep on the summit. We climbed Ruth, dropped our overnight gear on the summit, traversed to Icy, climbed the summit block, and returned to the summit of Ruth in somewhere around 10ish hours? Sleeping on the summit of Ruth is HIGHLY recommended. The views into the Nooksack Cirque, Nooksack Tower, and the famous Price Glacier are among the best views to effort ratio in the Cascades, IMHO.

Ben, I have had the privilege of mentoring several young climbers over the last few years. I have found it far more rewarding than any of the challenging routes I've climbed. I've also had some extraordinarily bad experiences when people find out I climb and guided and expected me to guide them up Rainier. These were affluent, entitled people who felt like it was my responsibility to guide them and their bratty kids up Rainier, gratis. So, I also fully understand and agree with your policy of "I'm going to climb on this day, you can come with me but I can't accommodate your schedule." Nothing wrong with that at all.

So, I did not have Oly Mons, but had La Sportiva insulated super gaitors over my double plastics. In fact, a number of people thought my boot were Oly Mons. Any how, I wore MH Chugach Primaloft insulated over pants on summit day, and I wore the pants OVER the top of the super gaiters. I was a little concerned about snagging a crampon, but I was careful, and the pants were not super baggy. I think if I were wearing down pants, which tend to be more lofty than Primaloft, I might tuck them into my gaiters.

I saw a number of climbers with Oly Mons on Denali. They may be warmer than you need, but since you already have them, might as well use them. The comments about foot hygiene above are key. Buy a small bottle of Gold Bond foot powder and alcohol hand sanitizer from the trial size department at Target. Wash your feet when you roll into camp, (I use snow), use hand sanitizer on them, put on foot powder and a thick pair of wool socks that you only use to sleep and hang around camp in. I used VBLs, insulated super gaitors, and Scarpa Invernos with Intuition liners. Even in a cold year, in mid May, my feet were never cold. Thin, merino wool liner socks are gold. After a couple of days the poly versions smell like death. Down booties for wearing around camp are nice.

I agree with Alex, Liberty Ridge and Ptarmigan Ridges are typically in sub optimal condition by early July most years. Perhaps the Mowich Face might be a good choice for that time period. Probably icy, but also might be less exposed to loose rock than LB or PR. Do you have your heart set on Rainier? Mt Baker is, in my opinion, more enjoyable and very similar to Mt Rainier. More of a wilderness experience, no entrance or climbing fees, less red tape. North Ridge, Coleman Headwall, and Park Glacier Headwall would all be steep, interesting, and should still be in good shape in July.

I remember when you did that route with my partner, Eric Sweet. He became very good, very fast, then moved on to other things. I think he races motorcycles now.

I thought this thread was about stoke.

My guess, crap. TC seems to form later each year, now it seems to be best late March and April.

This one time, coming off of Ham and Eggs Couloir on the Moose's Tooth in the Ruth Gorge...

Yes.

Agree with the above. Buy 5mm or 6mm with whatever seems to be the most supple. Some tends to be stiffer than others, so just go by feel. I used to use 6mm but had a bad habit of using them for rappel anchors. Now I use 5mm so I'm less inclined to do that unless I'm in dire straights.

I sent you an email and a PM.

I'm guessing some climber got a Ph.D. in math out this.

Two former frequent CascadeClimbers contributors were buried while standing beneath Kiddie Cliffs. They both lived, but lost a lot of their gear as I recall. I think the approach to Chockstone Falls would be similarly threatened, if not the climb itself.

Thanks for the warning Alex. I think the ease of access and proximity to Seattle lull some visitors to the Alpental Valley into a false sense of security, but make no mistake, it is very threatened by avalanches.

My experience with GoPros is everyone's climbing footage makes me sea sick. Some enterprising engineer should build a gyroscopic stabilizing base for those things.

FYI, cold artic wind out of the north this morning = cold stable weather... Stay tuned, late December in the mountains could be very good if this continues.

Based on what I have seen in November and so far in December, I would bet that if these cold, dry conditions persist that winter climbing in the Cascade River Valley will be very good by the third week of December.

Is this solid fuel coal by any chance? Because that's been done before.

Run on trails instead of roads. The undulating terrain will force your ankles to become stronger and more flexible. Just a thought.

I agree. It reminded me a lot of Synchronicity in Lilooet, steep ice pillar, steep snow slope, steep ice pillar, steep snow, short hard mixed step...

That couloir dead center would be pretty cool too, in the right (iced/mixed) conditions. I wonder if that has been climbed? NE Couloir is to the climber's left, around the buttress out of view I think.

Kit and Steve Risse I think.