Good Cascade newbie routes?

[CaysonM]

Going to be returning home to Washington soon after 4 long years in California. A friend of mine recently gave me some mountaineering gear (boots, crampons, axe). I didn't climb when I grew up in Washington and I'm really stoked to get out in the Cascades. I was thinking fisher chimneys, Eldorado peak, west ridge Forbidden peak and maybe something on Rainier this summer. I haven't really climbed any snow or ice but I've done a decent amount of long alpine rock climbs/traverses in the Sierra. 

[genepires]

I think before you go for any of those alpine routes, you get familiarity with walking in crampons and self arrest techniques.  try going up and down big steep hills with minimal hazard if you slip out.  practice the 4 positions of sliding down and self arresting, face in or face out / feet uphill and feet downhill.  those routes you mention have a pretty good chance of death if you fall in the wrong place.   uncontrolled slips is in the top 3 for accidents in mountains.

[bedellympian]

Yeah, doing some basic mountaineering training like Gene said would be pretty smart. For Rainier and Fisher you should also have your crevasse rescue systems dialed and glacier travel knowledge. That said, if you spend a day practicing self arrest and another day practicing crevasse rescue you will be fine and should be able to do all of those routes no problem if you've been cruising around the High Sierra already.

Since rock climbing is something you're already experienced with I would not shy away from routes with more of that in them, but it sounds like you want to spend time trying the more snow/glacier type routes and build that experience.

Other glacier mountaineering objectives to consider besides Rainier and Shuksan... Baker, Adams, Glacier Peak, Olympus. Honestly I would just pick whichever one is closest to you and try do multiple routes on it.

Rock(ier) routes to look at that still have some of that... Southern Pickets like Inspiration have a good little glacier to get across, other routes in Boston Basin.

Don't get too locked into specific routes. If you have a chance to go with a solid partner or get on the right type of terrain, just take it.

[CaysonM]

On 3/21/2025 at 12:18 PM, bedellympian said:

Yeah, doing some basic mountaineering training like Gene said would be pretty smart. For Rainier and Fisher you should also have your crevasse rescue systems dialed and glacier travel knowledge. That said, if you spend a day practicing self arrest and another day practicing crevasse rescue you will be fine and should be able to do all of those routes no problem if you've been cruising around the High Sierra already.

Since rock climbing is something you're already experienced with I would not shy away from routes with more of that in them, but it sounds like you want to spend time trying the more snow/glacier type routes and build that experience.

Other glacier mountaineering objectives to consider besides Rainier and Shuksan... Baker, Adams, Glacier Peak, Olympus. Honestly I would just pick whichever one is closest to you and try do multiple routes on it.

Rock(ier) routes to look at that still have some of that... Southern Pickets like Inspiration have a good little glacier to get across, other routes in Boston Basin.

Don't get too locked into specific routes. If you have a chance to go with a solid partner or get on the right type of terrain, just take it.

Thanks for the info. what places would you recommend for self arrest and crevasse rescue practice? I will be located in Bellingham. I've watched a few different YouTube videos on crevasse rescue and my rope/pulley systems are pretty dialed from big wall climbing. But yeah no actual training yet. 

Edited Saturday at 07:48 PM by CaysonM

[JasonG]

There are plenty of good practice slopes up by Heather Meadows (upper Baker ski area lot).  You may wait for snow to consolidate though, May is often a good month to dust off the snow skills before alpine climbing season.  Once they start clearing the road to Artist Point, the snow walls are good practice "crevasses" too.  But there are steep drops off the roadway that can also work.

[genepires]

16 hours ago, JasonG said:

There are plenty of good practice slopes up by Heather Meadows (upper Baker ski area lot).  You may wait for snow to consolidate though, May is often a good month to dust off the snow skills before alpine climbing season.  Once they start clearing the road to Artist Point, the snow walls are good practice "crevasses" too.  But there are steep drops off the roadway that can also work.

if he goes up early enough, one could practice on the groomed ski runs assuming the ski patrol does not kick him out.  if unable to hit groomed runs, regular slopes you mention should still be frozen enough to slippy slip around.