Emmons/Winthrop

[mattyg]

Anyone have beta on the current conditions up there? Heading up with a few folks this weekend. Thanks for any info.

[alponess]

The Inter glacier is kind of melting down in the center near the base, it almost looked like a big icy pool of water, go around it (we went to the west of the pool) and try to get up it earlier rather than later.

 

Summit day conditions July 5th were perfect on the ascent, the route was in great condition as was the snow in general. On the descent (we left the summit ~8:45am) the snow balled up in our crampons a LOT and we had to knock it out of our crampons on every/every other step, until about 12,700 when it wasn't balling up as badly for some reason. Get down as early as possible.

[mattyg]

Which direction did you take around the bergshrund @ 13.5?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

The Inter glacier is kind of melting down in the center near the base, it almost looked like a big icy pool of water, go around it (we went to the west of the pool) and try to get up it earlier rather than later.

 

Summit day conditions July 5th were perfect on the ascent, the route was in great condition as was the snow in general. On the descent (we left the summit ~8:45am) the snow balled up in our crampons a LOT and we had to knock it out of our crampons on every/every other step, until about 12,700 when it wasn't balling up as badly for some reason. Get down as early as possible.

 

did you have antibotting plates on your crampons?

[Mike_Gauthier]

Lots of fresh snow on the route after last Friday. There are a few exposed crevasses on then Inter, but travel is very straightforward. The icy sections can easily be avoided.

 

As for the climbing route above Schurman; it’s as good as it gets. Very few crevasse crossings, very little hard ice (if any,) very direct for July. As of yesterday, the route was obliterated and no boot track existed. The weather is supposed to be great this week; I suspect that climbers will punch in a new line. The Emmons should be in good shape well into August.

[alponess]

The Inter glacier is kind of melting down in the center near the base, it almost looked like a big icy pool of water, go around it (we went to the west of the pool) and try to get up it earlier rather than later.

 

Summit day conditions July 5th were perfect on the ascent, the route was in great condition as was the snow in general. On the descent (we left the summit ~8:45am) the snow balled up in our crampons a LOT and we had to knock it out of our crampons on every/every other step, until about 12,700 when it wasn't balling up as badly for some reason. Get down as early as possible.

 

did you have antibotting plates on your crampons?

 

no, that would have helped!

[alponess]

Which direction did you take around the bergshrund @ 13.5?

Some years the route curves to the left and arrives at the summit crater on the east and you have to traverse it to the actual summit. We curved around to the right at 13.5 and arrived almost exactly at the summit once we got up to the crater.

[thelawgoddess]

did you have antibotting plates on your crampons?

 

no, that would have helped!

i always wonder why people don't use them all the time. i mean, it's not like they weigh that much or get in the way when you don't need them. is it just that people don't even buy them in the first place? i guess that's sort of a rhetorical line of questioning ...

[knelson]

did you have antibotting plates on your crampons?

 

no, that would have helped!

i always wonder why people don't use them all the time. i mean, it's not like they weigh that much or get in the way when you don't need them. is it just that people don't even buy them in the first place? i guess that's sort of a rhetorical line of questioning ...

 

I wonder why people don't just take the stinkin' things off when they don't need them! Whenever I've been on the Emmons, if the snow if balling up coming down, you won't need them anymore. Period.

 

Granted... if we're talking a short stretch of clingy snow, followed by something you'd want them for, then by all means just deal with it. But it seems like there's always groups that come staggering into Schurman, still with their crampons on, with 47 lbs of snow stuck to them. Why make it more dangerous for yourself? Just take them off.

 

-kurt

[KaskadskyjKozak]

i always wonder why people don't use them all the time. i mean, it's not like they weigh that much or get in the way when you don't need them. is it just that people don't even buy them in the first place? i guess that's sort of a rhetorical line of questioning ...

 

Maybe because they're overpriced. Some people make their own with orange juice containers the price is so high.

 

Recently is seems that the major brands are selling them with the crampons at a more reasonable add-on to the price. I just bought Grivel G-12's at Cascade Crags a few weeks back. I think the price was $155 with antibott plates and $!40 w/o.

[alponess]

did you have antibotting plates on your crampons?

 

no, that would have helped!

i always wonder why people don't use them all the time. i mean, it's not like they weigh that much or get in the way when you don't need them. is it just that people don't even buy them in the first place? i guess that's sort of a rhetorical line of questioning ...

 

I wonder why people don't just take the stinkin' things off when they don't need them! Whenever I've been on the Emmons, if the snow if balling up coming down, you won't need them anymore. Period.

 

Granted... if we're talking a short stretch of clingy snow, followed by something you'd want them for, then by all means just deal with it. But it seems like there's always groups that come staggering into Schurman, still with their crampons on, with 47 lbs of snow stuck to them. Why make it more dangerous for yourself? Just take them off.

 

-kurt

 

good point, we removed the crampons entirely around 12.5 and were much happier without at that point