Crampons required?

[esugi]

We're shooting for one day ascent of Eldorado via East Ridge. To minimize my pack weight, I'm thinking of things that could be left behind. With the weather being so warm during the day, are crampons really needed? I did Sahale in late June and didn't need them at all.

 

I just talked to a person at NCNP personnel and she said some are reporting very icy conditions on the glacier? Any truth to this?

 

Thanks

[ashw_justin]

Most glaciers have some icy bits this time of year. I didn't have crampons on the Terror Glacier (S. Pickets) last weekend and that was a mistake...

[blue_morph]

Don't leave the item behind if it would be a "deal breaker" for the climb.

 

If you leave your heavy gore-tex and just bring a windbreaker you might get cold and wet but that alone won't prevent you from summiting

 

If you leave a tent and just bring a bivy you might get cold and wet but that alone won't prevent you from summiting.

 

Leaving Crampons however is one of those things that may indeed prevent you from summiting.

[ski_photomatt]

The snow in late June and the snow in late August are drastically different. I'd take crampons.

[Juan]

I concur with Blue Morph here. I am very surprised this year by the amount of alpine ice showing in places where, even this time of year, it is often soft neve requiring no crampons or, at most, aluminum crampons. To be honest, I would take steel crampons on pretty much any snow route this year, even if the terrain is not that steep (for example, Sahale and Daniels). They are kind of heavy, but if you do hit any ice, you'll have the requisite comfort to get through it. There is no sense in slipping if it can be avoided, right?

 

That's my two cents.

 

John Sharp

[philfort]

Aluminum crampons should be ok on low angle stuff like the Eldo glacier (especially if its warm out)... I took them on the ptarmigan traverse in september last year, and managed ok on all the bare ice.

[Juan]

Phil may well be right about this; I am just being overly conservative in my advanced age. We almost took aluminums on Fisher Chimneys last weekend. Had we done so, we probably could have skirted Winnie's Slide to the far left, but wouldn't have been able to charge straight up it like we did.

 

Have fun either way and send in a report!

 

John

[esugi]

Thanks for the responses. I've also read some reports on forest service web site and I guess there's been so much snow melt that it has exposed glacial ice underneath. I don't have aluminum crampons so I'll just take my steel grivels. I am taking a bivy instead of a tent and minimal clothes - though gore looks like a necessity since rain is likely Saturday evening.

 

I'll send a TR upon my return.