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Conditions NR Stuart?


NadLowe

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Snow and/or verglas is a possibility. The couloir below the gendarme is often damp, so if it gets cold it could be icy.

 

If you are skipping the gendarme, (it sounds like you are) then a small rack is all one really needs. I think 6-8 medium to large nuts, maybe 4 cams, 0.5-2.0 (Camalot sizes)

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Should verglas be expected on the route (especially in couloir below gendarme)with the freezing level where it is at in the next few days? I've been reading that a full rack is not needed- What sizes- cams and chocks?

Dude, NR of stuart would be a total fucking horror show right now. What are you thinking? It will rock covered by several inches of wet snow. There will be very little verglass. I recomend you take your full rack to the east side of the mountains and crag climb.

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There was somewhere in the range of three feet of snow dumped on the thing last week. On the summit of Dragontail on sunday there was enough snow that it was impossible to find the summit register. There were 4 of us digging for about a half hour. The north side of Stuart was almost completely white. IF I had my pictures developed I would post one, but it looked like full on winter conditions.

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Are you arguing that the crest of the ridge would take more than 1 good sunny day to dry out in the fall? I doubt it.

I am. Even with several days of sunny weather, the amount of snow dumped last weekend would still be on all the ledges and dripping. Unless we get several weeks of warm sun, this route will likely not be dry again this year.

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One of these days they'll have a gondola and web cam up there to stuart lake.

 

Can you make a winter ascent in the fall? Probably not. But you can certainly find winter conditions in the fall. And that is what "winter climbing" is all about right? Most complaints or arguments I see stemming from this debate is someone climbed something in winter conditions during say non calendar winter then someone else just wants to complain or nitpick about it... But then again - I could see winter conditions in summer I suppose for short periods on some peaks.

 

For a rack I would take baby blue, green, black, and orange metolius cams, a set of stoppers and 8-10 slings. I would bring some bigger pieces for gendarme....

 

Oh and nope I have no idea what the conditions are like. Even if I was up there 4 days ago I would only guess. You'll probably have to stick your face into it on your own...

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nad lowe, don't be such a pussy and climb the n. ridge, complete. the top is a mere 1/3 of the stunning n. ridge (and much less vertical). if you want to get some good lichen smearing, i recommend the bottom half. if you are hell bent on climbing only the top, bring cramps, the glacier is an icy mess. i wouldn't sweat the gully. oh, yeah, bring containers for much aqua.

p.s. good luck.

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Anyone have a good look at the South side of Stewert this week? Maybe from I-90. How low is the snow, how white is the Mtn? I would like to climb the wimpy side tomorrow.

 

A light dusting on Saturday morning, pretty much gone by Sunday evening as viewed from I-90. I hope you got on it and I hope you spell it correctly in your climbing journal. wink.gif

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Decided on West Ridge for Sat.- less snow (no snow!). made a wrong turn and ended up rapping back on route. Ran out of time as we got a late start (6:30) and had no time for wrong turns. Still an awesome day. Route was completely dry, and it was perfectly sunny. Encountered a lone mtn. goat who looked at us very curiously and figured later that it really was hypnotizing us off course as its presence marked the beginning of our veering off route. cantfocus.gif

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