Ptarmigan Ptraverse

[allison]

Hi, thinking of putting this on my list for '03. Anyone done it as a summer trip? Wondering how skilled one needs to be with an ice axe and how much roped climbing it involves. Thanks for any information you can pass on.

[wayne]

I am sure it is a dream trip. I am also sure it is a long and arduous Mounaineering trip and there should be very experienced climbers an Navigational experts as you should expect thick clouds along the way.I have been after it for some time. Te Becky green has a good read on it. Go girl!

[Dru]

Afriend of mine guides for NOLS and they did "it" as a 10 day trip.. didnt I read here that Colin Climzalot did "it" as a daytrip or something... or am I just staring yet another bogus colin rumour...

 

"it" cause we all know it doesnt count if you dont tick all the summits!!! Which reportedly no one since the original party has done

[LeatherBob]

Edited March 12, 2003 by jon

[Juneriver]

I did it 3 years ago in 8 days. We hit 7 peaks on the way through and it was pretty lesiurely. Most of the peaks can be bagged via Beckey 3-4th class with some good routes in the low 5th range. I would definitely take a rope and small alpine rack.

The glacier travel is a good portion of the trip so know crevasse safety/rescue, although they are pretty mellow glacier routes. There is some steep/exposed snow on the route depending on when you do it, so know how to use the ice ax well. You may only get one shot at an arrest if you slip. Also some of the routes up the peaks require steep snow travel.

 

The snaffles are relentless.

 

PM if you have any questions.

 

It's an incredible trip and we have thought about going back to do it in 3-4 days, but it's not really worth rushing if you are hiking it (opposed to skiing).

[leejams]

allison said:

Hi, thinking of putting this on my list for '03. Anyone done it as a summer trip? Wondering how skilled one needs to be with an ice axe and how much roped climbing it involves. Thanks for any information you can pass on.

 

Allison, try a google search. They have a ton of good info.

[Buckaroo]

I recommend taking less climbing gear and more food. We did it in 11 days and exited at Holden village. I was out of food on the whole last day, not fun. I think after about 5 or 7 days you start to eat more than normal.

 

Also take something with a lot of fat in it, like olive oil or butter. We had this old timer on our trip and he had one pound of butter, we were all laughing at him at the start and mooching his butter at the end.

 

Did it in august and never had to melt snow, as there was running water at all camps. The most dangerous part of the trip is the glacier crossings with the worst near the end on the chickamin glacier.

[Jason_Martin]

Daisy,

 

Most parties do this in five to seven days. Though there have been numerous parties that have done it faster and even some who have skiied it.

 

To do the standard traverse, one should have basic mountaineering and navigational skills. If you have the skills to climb Cascade volcanos, you have the primary skills needed to do this traverse.

 

Many parties elect to climb peaks along the route. The peaks along the way have a variety of difficulties, from very easy to somewhat technical.

 

Summer is usually the time that this is done. From early to mid-July (depending on snow cover) a good chunk of the traverse is on trails.

 

Good luck.

 

Jason

[Dru]

I do not want to spray in this thread but can some one tell me why Jason M is calling Allison "daisy"???

[Billygoat]

Ahhh, the secret is out: Allison=Daisy

[Dru]

adjustable daisy

[fleblebleb]

Heh, you couldn't restrain yourself could you Dru?

 

Harvey Manning wrote a fun article about the Ptarmigans that you should be able to find in the Mounties library - it's in the '58 annual.

 

Blah, blah

blah, yada

yada, yada

yada, blah

 

There, good deed of the day looking up old roast fowl threads for Daisy