Newbie question: freezing levels and ice conditons

[SplashClimber]

Newbie ice climbing question!!! How do you use freezing levels to determine potential ice conditions. For example: I see on the Kautz Glacier on Rainier for this weekend the freezing levels are at 14,000 feet. The summit is a 14+, and the ice parts are somewhere between 12 and 14. How do I determine how this would affect the condition of this ice climb? Are there other factors to consider. Or is recent beta the only way to know what I might be in for? ( As in someone who did the route the night before, and freezing levels were similar?).

 

But my question is really general in nature. If I am planning an ice climb. How do I use freezing levels in determining the condition of the climb?

[DirtyHarry]

Snow will be firmer and safer in the early morning hours before the sun hits it and warms it up. With freezing levels that high expect the snow to soften up quick.

 

On a side note, the Kautz as most routes on Rainier, aren't really ice routes, but snow or steep snow hikes.

[SplashClimber]

So I guess assuming there is ice at all on the climb, then it will be hard at least in the very early morning hours, and you should be off of it within a few hours after sunrise? (Assuming freezing level is at 14K and the ice climb part is between 11-13k)?

 

Should I also be looking at reports of freezing levels over the last few days before the actual climb?

[Cobra_Commander]

you could make the kautz an ice route, but you will be doing a lot of pushups and the view would not be good.

[JayB]

You can judge things pretty well by the season most of the time. In May/June and maybe into early July, the odds are good that you'll run into steep snow with a kickable surface most of the time, and most of the time a piolet will suffice for most parties. From Mid-July through mid-to-late August the step-kicking conditions will be pretty much gone - at least during the hours when you are heading up - and you should expect icy conditions on the steep stuff. Any later than that the odds are good that you'll run into hard/blackish ice.

 

For most parties, most of the time, 2-3 ice screws, along with a piolet and a second tool for the leader will cover just about all of the conditions that you'd encounter. More experience people can probably get away with less, less experienced people may want more - but to me this seems like a reasonable setup that's somewhere between lugging along the kitchen sink and finding yourself caught up there with your pants down.