[TR] Kautz Glacier (Attempt)- 7/15/2006

[goatboy]

Climb: Kautz Glacier (Attempt)-

 

Date of Climb: 7/15/2006

 

Trip Report:

TeeWa and I climbed to 11,000 feet on Rainier last weekend before getting blown away by high winds. Not much to add, other than gorgeous views, enjoyable direct approach up the Nisqually, apparently good conditions on the route from what we could see, and a helpful fixed line at 11,000 which allows you to bypass most of the objective hazard from the Icefall. Here are pictures. Can't wait to go back and try again, probably next summer.

 

Day 1: Hiked to 9,200 foot (sheltered!) campsites via Moraine trail and Nisqually:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Day 2: Moved up to the 11,000 camp, less sheltered, but great access to the route....or so we thought. Ate, drank, hydrated, felt very acclimatized and ready to go, setting the alarm for 2 AM....

 

Day 3: Got up at 2 AM, having listened to the tent flap hard all night. Between 2 and 5 AM, the winds increased a great deal, to the point where it knocked me off my feet when I went outside, and when inside, I sat for a few hours with my feet on one tent wall, and my back against the other, simply trying to hold the ship together.

 

We were demoralized, packed up, and descended back down into the soup and back out to the car.

 

The only other note to mention is that when we returned to our 9,200 foot campsite, we had cached some fuel, food, and gear there -- but someone stole two trekking poles! One is an orange BD, the other a black Leki ultralight pole. If anyone cares to return them to me, I would be grateful.

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

Good bootpack from Moraine Trail to high camp.

[magellan]

Could they have blown away?

[goatboy]

Yeah, we considered that possibility -- and they certainly COULD have blown away, since we almost did...but I doubt it, since they were in a hole, a foot down in the snow, on a very sheltered side of a rock wall....so maybe, but I don't think so.

 

I'd like to THINK that they blew away vs. got stolen, however.

[bubzilla]

We climbed the Kautz on Sunday/Monday (7/23-24). I'll add a quick description on another post, but, related to this is that we left our camp and, after climbing the Kautz (a few pitches of 50(?) degree ice) decided to descend the DC route. I'm headed up on Sat to get our little stash (some food, shorts, booties, etc) at about 8500ft and our small camp where the rope rappel is at around 10900ft. I hope nobody steals our stuff!! (There are two ski poles, so I guess that a possibility!)

 

I hope someone returns goatboy's poles!