[TR] Mt. Shuksan - Fisher Chimneys 7/24/2004

[off_the_hook]

Climb: Mt. Shuksan -Fisher Chimney's

 

Date of Climb: 7/24/2004

 

Trip Report:

ChucK and I climbed Shuksan on Saturday. Left the car at 5:35pm and walked in pleasant evening conditions to Lake Ann and continued on to the 5600 bivy spot above the first Chimney arriving just after 8pm.

 

Departed camp at 5 am and summited at 8:45am via the southeast ridge of the summit pyramid to avoid the choss and climber induced rockfall of the central gully. The southeast ridge is solid, enjoyable rock climbing (5.2-5.3) and we actually decended the ridge as well freeclimbing both ways.

 

On Winnie's Slide, traverse to climber's left where the slope is less steep. Upper Curtis and Hells Highway were a breeze. We were the only climbers on the route that morning which was nice.

 

The climb and walk out went by pretty fast. Stopping for lunch, pictures, and to pack up, I made it to the trailhead at 2:45 pm. The route can definitely be done in a day car to car. Fisher Chimney's is a really cool route that gives the climber a good variety of rock, glacier, and route finding in a rugged setting.

 

 

Gear Notes:

crampons, glacier stuff

 

 

Approach Notes:

trail in good shape, one patch of snow at saddle

road will be closed July 26-29 between 10am and 4pm

Edited July 26, 2004 by off_the_hook

[chucK]

Here's some pictures. On this trip I learned that you don't need boiling water for cup o' noodles!

 

somewhere up near the bivy

 

Lower Curtis(?) glacier

 

out above the chimneys

 

for Distel

 

On the SE Ridge (nice rock, fun!)

 

 

Nooksak?

 

On the hike out

[AJScott]

keeeeeeeeewwwwwwwl nooookiee

[Bug]

Very nice.

[Juan]

For those considering this fun route this summer or fall, it may be worth noting that as of yesterday (8/15/04) Winnie's Slide is solid alpine ice from bottom to top, for the majority of its width. If you cross low-angle ice to your left at the bottom it appears you can hit snow on the climber's far left. We opted to go straight up the right side ice near the rock wall. The angle never exceeds 45 degrees. A steel-headed ice axe and steel crampons sufficed; we had no ice screws and the ice was too hard for pickets. Aluminum crampons would be worthless. We did it in two pitches with a 30 meter rope, and on the descent rapped from a bollard at the top and from a piece of rope that is frozen into the slope half way down. It passed the bounce test, but is worth checking as the summers wears on.

 

I'm sure many people would solo this section, but it would be a bad place to take a spill.

 

Who knows whether this section of the route was icy when poor Winnie slid, but it certainly adds spice to an already great moderate climb.

 

John Sharp