DPS
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Posts posted by DPS
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Lowa Civettas were made in size 16, although I think they are no longer manufactured you may be able to find a pair on EBay. They would work for Rainier and with an over boot or insulated supergaitor for Denali as well.
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Advice: Doing a guided climb is wise; your brother having been an Army Ranger provides about zero experience for climbing Mt. Rainier. There are many fine guide outfits that offer guided summit trips. I would not necessarily recommend RMI, but if you have your heart set on Kautz glacier they may be your only choice. Make sure you look into that and if you have a choice of guide outfits, go with a good one.
Regarding your route selection, the Kautz gkacier is a fine route and will provide a more of the experience you seem to be looking for. If you are limited to August-September time frame, try to get a spot in early August. Earlier in the summer means glacier conditions will be better.
Regarding fitness. The fitter you are the more fun you will have. Incorporate at least one 'depletion day' a week in your routine. Trail run, hike, bike ride for a long time, like 4 hour trail runs, 8 hour hikes, etc. Do as much elevation gain as you can. Lift weights, do high intensity cardio like hill repeats, do long slow distance runs.
Regarding gear. Spend whatever it takes to get a good fitting pair of boots. Spend on a sleeping bag. Feathered Friends and Western Mountaineering are good choices. Avoid the big box brands. Marmot seems to have the best bags of the big box brands.
Here are links to a couple of articles that may be of some interest.
http://www.summitpost.org/so-you-want-to-climb-mt-rainier/507227
http://www.summitpost.org/alpinism-101-an-introduction/756518
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25 years ago a partner of mine said 'when these kids who are raised in climbing gyms hit the mountains, they will completely blow up the standards'. I told him it would never happen. Marc is proof how wrong I was and how prescient my partner was.
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So is Sherpa worth doing as a stand alone? Seemed like a long slog for a short climb. I like your linkup.
Yes on both points. The rock is good, the climbing is interesting for its grade, the views are good, and it is a long slog.
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Perhaps some climbs should only see a few ascents by those with the skills and boldness to do it. Where is the value of comfortizing a route so more people can do it? Are there not plenty of well bolted routes for those who do not want the risk of trad climbing?
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Funny story, not especially helpful. I was climbing once with a new partner. The partner had a lightweight elephant's foot style bag. I had a traditional 30 degree bag with a hood and a zipper. We were camped on a tiny col, with no true flat ground, so we pitched the tent as best we could. I slept on the down hill side and woke up several times with my face against the tent fabric (it was a single wall tent) and my partner smashed against me. The next morning I mentioned something to my partner about sliding downhill all night. My partner said 'no, it was not that, I was just cold'.
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FYI, the obvious couloir SW of the summit is fixed for 30 meter rappels now, not that I would recommend it.
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What are people's honest 2cents about extracting a non-ambulatory partner from a crevasse, in a 2 man team with just 1 picket per person. From everything I can tell you are probably up shit creek, maybe even if you have 2 pickets.
That is a very good question. I think the one picket/pulley per person assume at least a three man rope team, so two pickets/pulleys will be available to set a Z haul system.
The times I have climbed on big, remote glaciers in a two person party, we had other items that could have been easily used in addition to a picket, such as dead manning an extra ice tool/shovel/skis, etc.
DPS: I see this constantly (bufferfly knots between two)..and I cannot say I've been able to do a comparo of falling into a crevasse with and without but I do wonder is the increased friction and possibility of a bufferfly knot catching/slowing on the crevasse edge appreciably more beneficial than the clusterf of attempting to extract using a knotted rope?
Speaking from experience, this one time, on the Ruth Glacier, my partner fell the entire way into a crevasse when the bridge he was standing on (while wearing skis) broke. The butterfly knot jammed into the lip and his weight never came onto me.
I was carrying the other rope (we were coming off Ham and Eggs on Moose's Tooth, so we had two ropes). I used my skis to set up and anchor, padded the lip with an ice tool, hauled his pack and skis up with the extra rope, then dropped it back down so he could prusik up. The knotted rope was so entrenched we had to cut it.
Assuming a party is using one rope, then you would have to carry a long enough rope so each partner had enough length in the rescue coils to reach the fallen partner. Hauling on the knotted rope simply would not work in my experience.
I've though a lot about this because all of my AK and big glacier trips have been in a two person party. I think the ultimate two person system would be using two 30 meter ropes. One is knotted, and tied between each climber, the other is not knotted, and tied to each person, with rescue coils.
This would have one rope to catch the fall and jam into the lip, leaving a rope free to either prusik or haul on.
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Have you looked into tying butterfly knots between in the rope between the two of you? This technique adds extra security in a rope team of just two.
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What route are you climbing? I have not needed pickets on Rainier for any of the std. routes. If you have one for each person yer fine.
One picket per person is standard, unless you are attempting one of the steeper routes like Liberty Ridge, Ptarmigan ridge, Mowich Face, etc., then one or two extra pickets per team would be helpful. I think I have one picket I can loan you if you need it.
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Nobody rents harnesses or ropes for liability reasons.
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I have a write up as well, kind of a Cliff Notes (har-har) for climbing Rainier: http://www.summitpost.org/so-you-want-to-climb-mt-rainier/507227
I'm planning to climb Mt. Rainier in ultimo March, primo April 2017.Does anybody have suggestions for good companies, or care to take a novice mountaineer under their wing for the trip?
I think attempting Rainier in the winter as a novice is a bad idea. If you intend to go guided, be aware that the 'guide season' does not start until May. If you are set on a winter attempt, you should be looking for winter/expedition seminars, I know RMI offers trips like that, perhaps the other companies that guide on Rainier do as well.
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Oh, also... where should we stop for stove fuel, maps, and NW Forest passes en route to Stuart or Hood?
I rarely recommend REI for anything, however, that is where I buy my NW Forest pass, stove fuel, and maps. (And sunblock).
There is one in Seattle, one in Issaquah (off of I-90) and Portland.
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Same thing happened on Baker in 1996(?). Glissading down the draw West of the Hogsback, into the crack and down to the base of the hidden waterfall. I was on Mt. Rescue at the time, first and last time I zipped someone into a body bag. Not fun...
My rescue was in the same place in 1994 or 1995. Fortunately we pulled out two living people.
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20 years ago my partner and I pulled out a mother and daughter on Mt Baker who had done just this on the approach to the Coleman/Demming Glacier. What a horrible way to go. My thoughts and good wishes go out to friends and family.
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Looks like Sherpa Glacier is hanging in there: http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1149136/Re_Sherpa_glacier_decent_quest#Post1149136, If Stuart Glacier Couloir is in, that would be my recommendation, with a descent down Sherpa Glacier
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Given the number of times I've been to the north side of Stuart (last year even!) you'd think I could get it right.
Once with me! Over the years it all kind of blends together, only a few climbs stand out and everything feels like 5.7 or WI3.
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If you would like something a bit mellower than Stuart (and without permits),
I did not realize they required permits for the Stuart. Has the permit zone changed or have I been illegally camping for the last 25 years.
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If the weather is bad on Rainier, the best bet is to head east young man. I recommend Mt. Stuart via the Stuart Glacier Couloir, if it is still in good nick, might not be, a little late in the season. If not in, Ice Cliff Glacier or Sherpa Glacier as back up plans are totally worthy. Take a good hard look at Ice Cliff Glacier before committing and make certain there are no wall to wall crevasses or moats that will stymie you.
If the weather up north is good, Shuksan is as cool and aesthetic as it gets, however, if you think Forbidden Peak has terrifying choss and/or a sketch descent, you should avoid the Fisher Chimneys route and opt for the Sulphide Glacier. Or, North Ridge or Coleman Headwall on Baker would fit the bill - sporting climbing on a big, glaciated peaks with unrivaled views.
Weather can be better down south as well. Nothing strikes me as being aesthetic on the south side of Adams unless you are on skis. Something on the North side of Hood would be worthy, the Sunshine or Elliot Glacier routes are probably in condition.
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The pack is put in by people with snowshoes, so as long as you're on it there isn't much of a chance of punching through bridges.
I punched through the bootpack three times. We skied to 11K, then booted to 14k, so I suspect that was where I punched through, when on foot.
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Why only tag lines on aid routes, and the reasons you use 50m ropes?
Very interesting discussion, just looking for more insight. Thanks.
Aid routes requires the second to Jumar/ascend the rope, and if you've done that at all you want a beefy single rope, at least 10mm. The tag line is to do full length rappels, and to haul up gear while on lead.
I like 50 meter ropes because there is less rope to hassle with, they are lighter than 60 or 70 meter ropes especially with doubles, and are plenty long unless you are climbing routes equipped for 60 meter rappels.
My general ethos is only carry what you need. I don't need the extra 10 meters most of the time, 20 meters if using doubles. It should be noted that Vince Anderson and Steve House used a 50 meter lead line (8mm), and a 55 meter 5.5 mm Tech cord tag line on the biggest alpine face in the world, the Rupal Face.
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"Depending on how one grades it"? there is actually not that much ambiguity in the higher grades of ice.
What about how well formed the route is? I've heard Sea of Vapors, one of the original WI7's, goes at WI5 some years.
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My experience with tag lines are as follows:
- 6mm will work, but tangles a lot. It also seems to hang up in the Cascades on every rock, bush, nubbin, etc.
- 7mm works slightly better.
- Maxim 5.5mm Tech cord might be the best alternative, although very expensive. I think the stiffness would lead to fewer tangles and hang ups.
- The lead line/tag line scenario only really works well when there is little to hang up. In AK it works great.
- I stopped doing the tag line thing unless I plan on aiding pitches. More safety and less hassle with double ropes.
- I also might be the last guy using 50 meter cords. Although I've seen well know guides using 50 meter cords as well.
Advice would be appreciated.
in Climber's Board
Posted
Of the three guide services with permits to guide on Rainier, Alpine Ascents International would be my first choice. If you simply want to tag the summit, any guide service can do that, but if you really want to learn to climb you should look into longer 'Alpine Leader' types of courses like those offered through American Alpine Institute.