Recommended newbie climbs

[wilpo]

Hey all - A friend and I would like to do a climb in mid-August. We are thinking about Mt. Olympus via Glacier Meadows. We are both novice climbers - did Rainier with RMI in 2002, but haven't done any glacier climbing since. I've been hiking/backpacking since I was 10, but have few technical climbing skills. My questions are:

 

1) Would we be in over our heads if we tried to do Olympus via Glacier meadows alone (no guides)? In particular I'd like to know what specific skills/equipment one needs

 

2) If the answer to question #1 is "you're in over your head", can you recommend any other climbs more appropriate with our level (ie what about Mt. Adams?) We're looking for a challenging climb to test ourselves.

 

Any other tips would be appreciated - cheers,

 

Will

[wilpo]

follow-up - I've read further through the posts here and came across http://www.dramaticwriter.com/beginnersnow.html - very helpful, but any other comments would be appreciated. Thanks again!

[eternalX]

That was the first glacier climb i ever did, albeit with our "guide" Alpinfox. Hey...he seemed very wise when i met him...

 

Anyway, I only have great memories of that trip. It's a long approach, but a beautiful one. You do need to know crevasse rescue though, but summit day is long enough that you can take your time getting to the summit assuming you start at decent hour. We started at 4am and were back to meadows by 4 or 5 and we were moving SLOW.

 

If you do this as a 4 day trip, you'll arrive at the meadows on day 2 with plenty of time to practice z-pulleys and prussiking. There's even a nice large boulder there to prussik up.

 

Good luck!

[ryland_moore]

Sahale PEak via Sahale Arm (need to know how to rappel/downclimb or are comfortable soloing 4th class), Mount Adams South Side, Mount Shasta via Avalanche Gulch (there are others that are just as non-technical), and Mount Hood south side (although prob. not in when you go). If you do not feel comfortable with you and your partner in crevasse rescue then I highly recommend you brush up before you go.

[Blakej]

Also look at getting a guide at Olympic mountaineering up in port angeles if you think you have questionable skills. Guided olympus trips through them are I think under 200 so might be worth it for you not to waste your time getting there and then finding out its too much for you.

[fern]

did you do a search? I seem to remember a thread on this topic last year with lots of suggestions. There were even some recommended routes that are easy enough you could do them with a girl!

[ryland_moore]

Yeah, I think I posted one that was titled Good GF Routes?

[wilpo]

Great - exactly the info I was looking for. I'll check out Mt. Adams and other similiar routes. Thanks everyone for the help - I've been checking out this bulletin board and it's chock full o' good info.

 

Cheers,

 

Will

[Alpinfox]

That was the first glacier climb i ever did, albeit with our "guide" Alpinfox. Hey...he seemed very wise when i met him...

 

 

Well I THOUGHT that was how a carabiner was supposed to work. SHEESH!

 

[mikeL]

Olympus requires basic glacier travel skills much like the volcanoes. Once up there you have the choice of three summits of nearly equal height. None are really difficult but one is decidedly easier than the others. Unfortunately it isn't the highest by a few feet. Middle Peak?? I'd have to look it up. In any event make sure your self arrest and prussik skills are up for it. You might also consider getting together a couple more people for another rope.

[Scourge]

Go for it wilpo, one of the most memorable climbs I ever did, way back when...enjoy. Nothing difficult, once on the summit block, just stay on the easy class 3 ledges to the top.

Mt. Adams is a boring slog if you do it from the south.

[SublimeSalamander]

Mt Daniel via Lynch Glacier is a good newbie climb. Also if you want to avaid the Glacier you can do the scramble route up the frot side.