esugi Posted June 5, 2004 Posted June 5, 2004 New member here posting for the first time. My friends and I are interested in doing the kautz route. I have read previous threads here and summitpost and even read Mike Gauthier's description of the route in his book. Here I want to pose few questions. 1) In late June, do you typically recommend a second tool for the first and second pitch just after scurting around the ice cliff? 2) Does anyone have a picture or accurate description of this permanent rappell rope, supposedly fixed against the rock wall, some distance below the ice cliff (to avoid going through the bowling alley on return)? 3) We can't leave until late afternoon on Saturday. Our plan is to hike in Saturday afternoon, spend 1 night somewhere before Nisqually glacier (drop down from Panorama Point), spend next night at the bivy sites below icefall, and go for the summit early on 3rd day. Does this plan seem feasible? Any insight would be helpful Thanks! Quote
markamcclure Posted June 5, 2004 Posted June 5, 2004 1. when i did it in the summer, 2nd tool was not necessary. 2. i never saw any rope near the ice cliff. we carried our stuff to the top and went down disappointment cleaver. 3. two days s/b plenty, but 3 days might help if the weather is poor. Quote
To_The_Top Posted June 5, 2004 Posted June 5, 2004 On your stay the second night there are great spots below camp Hazard, as opposed to staying in camp Hazard, as a lot of stuff can rain down there from the icefall. Three days sounds good especially if you are getting there in the afternoon, it takes a fair amount of time and effort to get to the high camp in a day, and you would have time to look for another way like that rope you mention (I haven't heard of one, but we did go down on our own instead of up and around). TTT Quote
ivan Posted June 6, 2004 Posted June 6, 2004 http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/threadz/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/192374/page/11/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1 location of the secret rebel base...er, rappell rope on the kautz. Quote
russ Posted June 6, 2004 Posted June 6, 2004 The rope is at about the same level as the lower part of the first icefall pitch. Quote
ridgeline Posted June 7, 2004 Posted June 7, 2004 Never saw the rope until our decent. Tough to explain and tough to see from the ascent side. I think it's probably 300 feet below the headwall on the rock band (left hand side of course). Quote
esugi Posted June 9, 2004 Author Posted June 9, 2004 Thanks for all the reply. This gives me a good understanding of where the rope is. So I guess the second tool is not really needed (?) I only got one reply on this question but that's the direction I'm leaning.... We're also entertaining the idea of a carry over and coming down DC. That'll be a heavy summit pack! Is the whether ever going to clear up for more then just one day? Its June, enough is enough....give us sunshine! Quote
Harry_Pi Posted June 10, 2004 Posted June 10, 2004 Hello capitalist! No, a second tool isn't necessary, but you will most likely be down climbing backwards on the steep ice section. Thank you fou allow us to post. Quote
wally Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 anyone have the GPS coordinates for the Kautz to save my lazy butt the time Quote
Drederek Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 I took 4-5 shots on the way up. PM me if you still want em. I'm lazy too! Quote
Alex Posted June 17, 2004 Posted June 17, 2004 Re 3) If you are leaving Sat afternoon, there is still a really good probability you can reach your high camp Sat night, unless you are a slug. Consider it will be light until after 9pm. Its not THAT far from Paradise over the Nisqually and up the other side to approach the Kautz. Otherwise, I would just come up Sunday...less food and fuel to carry...you would be taking an entire day going from "somewhere on the Nisqually" to high camp on Sunday, which is really around a 3-4 hour endevour. Unless you really want to just hang around all day. My suggestion to you would be that you and your partner train and be as cardiovascularly fit as possible for your trip - it will make you much faster on Sat, which will enable you get to high camp Sat night, get up with 6 hours sleep at 3am, climb fast and more comfortably Sunday, come back down, recover, and head out without being exhausted. Just a thought.. Quote
Gary_Yngve Posted June 20, 2004 Posted June 20, 2004 When we did it Thu-Sat, we went to high camp at 10,400 on the Turtle on the first day and used the second day as solely a rest day. We felt that the day of acclimation made summit day much easier. Quote
esugi Posted June 22, 2004 Author Posted June 22, 2004 Awesome, congrats Gary_Yngve, How were the overall conditions? Soft snow through the first and second pitches? Quote
Gary_Yngve Posted June 22, 2004 Posted June 22, 2004 It was neve in the morning -- great for cramponing and pounding in bomber pickets. Snow was soft and not as sexure when we downclimbed through there in the afternoon. See the other thread (Kautz or Fuhrer) for more info. Quote
randygoat Posted July 10, 2004 Posted July 10, 2004 is the Kautz often done by 2 person teams. How heavily crevassed is it? It is a line I was thinking about doing. Quote
Alex Posted July 12, 2004 Posted July 12, 2004 Yes. Not too terribly crevassed until maybe late in the season? I remember in June a few years ago it was just a jaunt, we unroped up after the chute all the way to Pt Success, I think. Quote
randygoat Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Yes. Not too terribly crevassed until maybe late in the season? I remember in June a few years ago it was just a jaunt, we unroped up after the chute all the way to Pt Success, I think. Cool, thanks Alex. It is on the list of posibilities for next summer. Quote
dlofgren Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Randy The section from the top of the chute to the top of Wapowety Cleaver (where the Kautz, Finger and WHW routes converge) is a living, moving glacier, full of holes waiting for you. The normal route moves from there onto the upper part of the Nisqually Glacier, which has some HUGE holes waiting for you. Don't unrope until you summit. Safety first. And if, as a two-person team, you haven't practiced the entire sequence of arrest/ anchor/ transfer/ Z-pulley/ extraction, don't travel on a glacier until you do. Safety first. MHO Quote
hohm Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Very true about the waiting holes above the Kautz. We had the second on our rope disappear in an instant down a deep one, fortunately we retrieved him unhurt about 30 minutes later. Stay roped until the summit, and stay safe! Quote
randygoat Posted July 13, 2004 Posted July 13, 2004 Randy The section from the top of the chute to the top of Wapowety Cleaver (where the Kautz, Finger and WHW routes converge) is a living, moving glacier, full of holes waiting for you. The normal route moves from there onto the upper part of the Nisqually Glacier, which has some HUGE holes waiting for you. Don't unrope until you summit. Safety first. And if, as a two-person team, you haven't practiced the entire sequence of arrest/ anchor/ transfer/ Z-pulley/ extraction, don't travel on a glacier until you do. Safety first. MHO Hey ,Thanks also. I probaly wouldn't consider unroping anyway up there. I've been climbing technical ice and rock for quite awhile now, but I,m too new to Cascades climbing.I've done a bit a glacier travel, but not enough to get cocky and let my gaurd down. I am interested in trying some slightly harder routes though.I just may have a trip next summer, and don't know if we are 2 or 3 yet. Just looking for beta and feed back and nurturing ideas. Quote
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