Light Rack suggestions

[Neri]

Hi All

I will be climbing Shuksan’s Fisher Chimney –Hell Highway Route and Baker’s Park glacier Cockscomb route from Ptarmigan trail approach in early September. I was wondering if I will need Pickets, flukes or Ice screws; and if yes how many? We will be climbing in a party of two. I’m desperately trying to lighten up my load. Dose any one have any suggestions about the right rack outside crampons and ice axe?

 

[This message has been edited by Neri (edited 08-08-2001).]

[This message has been edited by Neri (edited 08-09-2001).]

[mattp]

Leave the flukes at home, as they will be of no use. Pickets probably will not be much help either, as you are going to find the snow either too hard to pound them in (firn ice) or too soft to use them in a vertical orientation (horizontal placement as a dead man might work, but an ice axe will also work this way). Some people believe you should always carry pickets whenever travelling on a glacier, but don't take more than two. A couple of ice screws might facilitate a crevasse extraction.

The F.C. route is not extremely technical, so you should not require very much hardware. Route finding in the chimneys can be confusing. There will be some steep icy sections on the top of the White Salmon Glacier (I believe "Winnie's Slide" is incorrectly marked on the USGS map), possibly a troublesome crevasse or two getting into "Hell's Highway" (also incorrectly marked), and a few hundred feet of easy rock to the summit.

The N. Ridge will require more screws, but here again the flukes will not be useful and pickets minimally so. THere may be difficulty getting to the bottom of the route if you are not prepared to do some ice climbing in and out of a crevasse somewhere.

[This message has been edited by mattp (edited 08-08-2001).]

[haireball]

if you're serious about shaving ounces, consider substituting "wart-hogs" for some of your tubular ice-screws. the wart-hog can double as a rock-peg in a pinch...