[TR] Mt. Rainier- Ptarmigan Ridge 5/28/2005

[jlamo]

We approached the route on Thurs and Fri last. The route looked good and the snow conditions seemed right on (especially based on the ice and neve we found on north side of Hood a couple of days before).

 

We turned back on the last part of the approach because we couldn't see traversing the last few hundred meters of the ridge before the high camp bivy. It was a totally dry, knife edged choss pile with some good exposure. We may have been missing something and I would love to know it if we were, but I think this passage would only be reasonable if there were a little snow there to hold things together a bit.

 

Also could be we just aren't hard enough for the route!

[OlegV]

Hey Clint, read my PM and don't get youself killed on the PR.

[OlegV]

[ivan]

i wouldn't be surprised if the snow conditions are more enjoyable now then when pete n' oleg n' i were up there - but no doubt the objective risks of rockfall are going to be much worse - the upper crevasse/icefall might be real annoying too, but i wouldn't let that worry me so much. at any rate, beware the rangers at shurman - some real low-life characters up there!

 

enjoy your walk through the men's room - don't fuck up or you'll find your little demise the source of endless conversational cluster-fuck here

[sweatinoutliquor]

we couldn't see traversing the last few hundred meters of the ridge before the high camp bivy. It was a totally dry, knife edged choss pile with some good exposure.

 

When Chris and I went earlier in the year this was a bit interesting, even with snow. I remember climbing over one chossy bit, and then when we were about 100m from the actual high camp we just called it quits and camped where we were (still fantastic). At that point we were both pretty tired from the approach and the idea of pulling on harness and rope for that silly 100m seemed like a bit much. The next morning we woke up and protected a traverse (on the NE side) under some of that sketchy stuff with a picket or two before downclimbing onto the glacier. I don't know if I would have been stoked about doing it without protection, especially if what I was walking on was steep choss, rather than good snow. I bet you still had a good outing though... Wildflowers up there?