Top 10 Glissades in the state

[peterclimb]

glissade (n.) glis·sade

1. a skillful glide over snow or ice in descending a mountain, as on skis or a toboggan.

 

I was able to participate in this wonderful side-benefit of mountaineering this weekend at Panarama Point and it got me thinking of all the great glissades I've done.

Here is a list of some of my favorites, but I'd be interested in hearing others favorites.

Mt Adams - South Spur

Panarama Point

Daniels - left of Daniel Gl.

Mt St Helens -

Tooth - from Pinnapple Pass

Whitehorse - gully below Lone Tree Pass

 

[Dru]

Willis Wall? Thermogenesis? Ice Cliff Glacier?

[vkaspar]

*asgaard pass!

*from steamboat prow top the base of interglacier

[Cpt.Caveman]

I like the one on Colchuck Glacier.

[W]

*Eve Dearborn Memorial

*Triple Couloirs

*NE 54th St. from 20th Ave. NE to Ravenna Blvd.

[mark]

From Camp Hazard all the way down to the Nisqually glacier. It has to be close to 4,000 vertical feet of glissading. I did it 12 seasons ago and I'm still waiting to find a better glissade.

South spur of Adams is a distant second choice.

Rgds

[jblakley]

From just below Camp Hazard down to the Nisqually. Very fun long glissade.

[jblakley]

Damn Mark you beat me to it. Great minds think alike.

[mark]

Too funny.. by mere seconds.

I'm glad someone else agrees with me. I've done some of the other glisades mentioned here, and they aren't even close. But there is no such thing as a bad glissade.

Rgds

[This message has been edited by mark (edited 05-15-2001).]

[Retrosaurus]

How about The Hemorrhoidectomy Glissade?

[Alex]

Retro, is that where you slide down a WI5+ on your ass? Alex

[Retrosaurus]

No. More like insufficient snowcover in a couloir filled with sharp shards of stone.

[Cpt.Caveman]

must have felt like razor blades?

[Mike]

Just did N Twin Sister last saturday - snow conditions were almost perfect. My friends were grinning from ear to ear at the bottom. Only 2200' though, but I'm planning to do the Kautz in early June so maybe I'll have a chance to check-out the Camp Hazard glissade.

[Smoker]

I did the glissade off of St Helens from Dogs head down almost 3000' (before it blew of course)

Done the S. Spur glissade on Adams as well (not a very good glissade but long)

The best I have done is down the Sitkum Glacier route on Glacier peak. We found the route in perfect shape and went from 20' below the summit right into high camp at 6,000' (4000' glissade)

Asguard pass is worthy as is Colchuck col.

For winter training laps I like the glissade off of Granite mtn down the avy shute

Smoker

[ScottP]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ride from the top of the basin under the east face of Chair Peak. Not a long one, but you definately get some speed up.

I second the Interglacier on Rainier, the Sitkum Glacier on Glacier Peak and Colchuck Glacier.

Another short and steep is the drop from Headlee Pass below Sperry Peak.

 

[gregm]

ditto the sitkum on glacier. we were roped up for the glacier but after the last visible crevasse we started glissading without unroping. we slid all the way to boulder basin without stopping or even slowing down. imagine four of us sliding out of control, getting jerked, spun around, tangled up, giggling, passing each other, throwing snowballs...

[philfort]

Oh what glorious fun 'tis, gregm!

I recall our roped glissade down the Interglacier, in side-by-side attack formation, and the looks on the faces of the ascending climbers about to be "tripped up" by us, as we headed towards them at high speed....

[Stefan]

Even though it may not be in the "Cascades" the best glissade is coming off of Mt. Shasta. It kicks ass off of Mt. Adams.

[bobinc]

Can't believe no one mentioned the glissade off The Brothers in the Olympics. Around 1500' of 25-35 degree snow which, when in shape, is a total hoot.

[To_The_Top]

I broke my fibula glissading a couple of years ago, just above Pebble creek. Those little chutes people glissade in the summer had a kicked step that caught my left boot (cramponless)and twisted it until it broke. I think the funist glissade is either Interglacier or the one on the left on the Daniel glacier--great run out and high speed. Any long glissade after a tiring climb is good. Mt Adams is long but boring, and Aasgard pass is crazy, but Colchuck col is good.

[Dru]

In this case I would assume Retro would rather they felt like razor blades than dildos?

[peterclimb]

Hey, that was pretty good. Nine posts before the conversation digressed.

C'mon, let's hear some more glissades or at least stories related to glissades. Anyone ever glissade with crampons? I don't recommend it.

[Cpt.Caveman]

I only glissade with crampons when there are Mtnrs below Dru??

[This message has been edited by Cpt.Caveman (edited 05-15-2001).]

[Dru]

Oh well back on topic (sigh) what is better for glissading - snow or pumice? Up in the Bridge River-Upper Lillooet area of BC there are some kick-ass 2000' pumice glissades on the "Bridge River Ash" deposits. Check out the new SW BC Alpine Select for locations of some of these secret spots like Athelstan and Vayu. Better than any snow glissades I have ever done although on snow coming off Cheam is pretty fun. Ditto the Australian Couloir on Joffre under the right conditions. and crampons can actually help in some snow conditions......