Good winter routes for this weekend?

[sir_vent]

My first winter of climbing so I'm not sure what I'm getting into. If anyone is browsing here and has some more experience, what do you think of these routes as objectives for this weekend?

 

I'm concerned with no experience in -30 degree weather on rainier, never having trekked up hwy 20 when closed (avys?), and not solid on mixed terrain.

 

 

Cutthroat E face couloir.

Stuart Glacier Couloir.

Whitehorse snow gulch (probably will have some nice Ice!)

Shuksan N face or Price galcier (done recently by some folks)

Nisqually Icefall or Ingraham Direct on Rainier (-30 degrees!)

N face observation rock (on rainier)

Triple Couloirs on Dragontail (too dry?)

Big Four (face route looks wild)

 

Colonial

Del Campo

 

Or should I just head to leavinworth to check out the water Ice like "the pencil" ?

 

Thanks yall.

[Alasdair]

I will give this a go, but as always these are simply gut feels and may have nothing to do with reality.

 

Cutthroat E face couloir - Might be ok.

Stuart Glacier Couloir - Ask one of the people who was in there last weekend

Whitehorse snow gulch - This might be a good bet

Shuksan N face or Price galcier - Probably good

Nisqually Icefall or Ingraham Direct on Rainier - Rainier would suck this weekend there is only so much cold I can take. Add the 30-40mph winds forcast for seattle, I think you would be in over your head here.

N face observation rock - Windy and cold

Triple Couloirs on Dragontail - It looks like there has not been a lot of freeze thaw on many north faces up high yet. It could be a sugar snow swim, but I dont know.

Big Four - I cant see this not being in.

 

Colonial - I am kind of torn on this one. Again I dont think we have had much freeze thaw up high, but it might be wind blown and nice, but thin. It will be cold. If anyone goes and does this I want to see some pictures.

Del Campo - I think it will be good.

[sir_vent]

thanks Alasdair! Yeah I bailed on some friends for Rainier when I inventoried my warm weather clothing, I'm pretty sure I dont have the gear for -30 deg not including wind chill!

 

Has anyone tried skiing hiway 20 all the way in to the liberty massif??

 

Alasdair do you still need a partner?

Edited February 17, 2006 by sir_vent

[DPS]

My first winter of climbing so I'm not sure what I'm getting into.

 

 

I think you might be jumping into the deep end a bit with some of these routes. Why not try NF Chair or NE Slab of the Tooth? They would make nice introductory winter routes.

Edited February 17, 2006 by danielpatricksmith

[Alasdair]

thanks Alasdair! Yeah I bailed on some friends for Rainier when I inventoried my warm weather clothing, I'm pretty sure I dont have the gear for -30 deg not including wind chill!

 

Has anyone tried skiing hiway 20 all the way in to the liberty massif??

 

Alasdair do you still need a partner?

 

I all set on the partner front for this weekend, Sorry.

 

We people ski in to liberty bell all the time. I am sure that would be a great place to go. It really is only a few miles from the gate. If you go take pictures, because we all want to see what it looks like right now.