solo glacier travel

[otherguy]

If you are soloing across glaciers in the Cascades do it in the summer when the glaciers are dry. You wont need the stupid ladders and coat rack bullshit. A third tool is a good idea as well as ski poles for probing.

 

Dont walkk near the crevasses. Don't walk where you think snow bridges are weak and avoid them if you can. Probe when in doubt. Retreat before death. Stay cautious.

[pete_a]

I've always wondered if anyone traveling solo on glaciers and has no choice but to cross a sketchy snowbridge ever bothers bringing a shorty 8mm rope, tying it off to an anchor, crossing the bridge tied to the rope with a prussik or ascender, anchoring the rope once across the crevasse and then retrieving the first anchor. Seems overly complicated I guess, but it would be one way of not having to entirely trust a ladder or 'pole' or some sort as your only means of not falling in.

IMHO, if travelling solo or unroped, skiing and skinning across a glacier is almost always preferable to just walking, unless the glacier is melted down to bare ice or neve.

[salbrecher]

quote:

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Didn't Uemura dissapear trying to solo Denali in winter? If I remember correctly, people thought he might of fallen into a crevasse and perished. If so, its obvious his system worked well.

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I'm pretty sure they found both his bamboo poles at his camp.

[thelawgoddess]

quote:

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Originally posted by pete a:

[QB]I've always wondered if anyone traveling solo on glaciers ... ever bothers bringing a shorty 8mm rope, tying it off to an anchor, crossing the bridge tied to the rope with a prussik or ascender, anchoring the rope once across the crevasse and then retrieving the first anchor. Seems overly complicated I guess ...[QB]

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this is one of the ideas i already had, and i am definitely planning to travel "equipped". it's really not so complicated, and i think the extra time will give more than a little extra peace of mind.

[Terminal_Gravity]

tlg, I am not recommending against self belay across a suspect bridge but you should be realistic. It is true that if you are effecient self belay does not take a whole lot of time to set up. But it is still not fool proof and will require a fair amount of extra weight which will slow you down ( a bit) the rest of the time and make it ever so slightly more likely to punch through a surprise bridge.

 

In the Cascades I think that it saves time to be commited to end running suspect bridges and not be lulled into the false security of following the trudge line.

[Terminal_Gravity]

I should add...

 

I have never had a known bridge to fail on me that I was not able to jump or plant my axe in away that I could avoid falling in. If there is any question as to its safety, I first see if there is a safe alternative ignoring the trudge line. There almost always is even if the alternative is a bit more technically challenging. If not I carefully asses the strength, probe, stab, press with my basket or axe head, see if the bottom is sluffing a bit when pre-weighted, critically look at the connection between the cravasse wall and the bridge. Is it loose wind deposit or is it consolidated snow that has compressed as the bridge has settled into a tappering cravasse. IMO the most suspect is when one ( or rarely both ) walls of ice diverge away from the lip. Once I digest all of my assesments I decide if the risk is worth it. Soloing, I am always prepared to turn around or go another completely different way.

 

Then I carefully, and gingerly step accross, avoiding the weakest point. I hold my axe High, wrist in strap, ready to jump and plant at any shift or sign of failure.

 

Even if you do self belay with a tight rope you are likely to fall aways into the cravasse as the rope tightens and cuts into the snow. Make sure you don't injure yourself in that fall. Screwing around with the trigger of an ascender or holding a rope is going to make it less likely that you avoid falling in if the bridge fails.

 

As in rock climbing, I never plan to fall and do what ever it takes to avoid it. The sport-hangdog ethos does not belong in the head of an alpinest.

[Terminal_Gravity]

thelawgodess. Be safe and have fun! Be aware of the surprise hole; that should be more of a concern than the known bridge. Give a TR when you get back.

 

BTW, which route?

[Dru]

i read somewhere about a japanese woman that fell into a crevasse on the khumbu using the ladder system. well the ladder bent and pinched her in half!!

 

(story probably BS but what if it did happen )

[thelawgoddess]

well, i can only promise to be as careful as i deem appropriate ... and hopefully my judgment (and luck) won't fail me.

 

[tg, check your pm's for "the route".]

[Jedi]

Soloing on glaciers definitely ups the stakes.

This year in Alaska, I fell in chest deep with feet dangling.

I was looking at a small hole we made when we found a hidden crevasse on the way up Mt Dickie. The leader (190 lbs) had already jumped the hole. I was about to step/jump over the hole when I made a new hole myself. The crevasse was much bigger than we thought. He already had the rope tight and just dragged my little 145lb ass out (downhill). Just never know.

 

On another trip, we had a 4 man rope team. I was the 3rd and lightest. After the 200lb guy crossed, I went next and took the whole bridge with me. Would not have survived without a rope.

 

Best of luck to you and let us know how it works out.

Jedi