Yak Peak season?

[Blake]

I want to go up and climb Yak Check this spring or summer when it dries off and melts out. Does anyone know typically when the route can be climbed, or have a guess for when things will melt out this year? Thanks!

[DirtyHarry]

Earlier than things in the higher mountains. Maybe once it stops raining. But you know this, Blake.

[catbirdseat]

I had a look at it last weekend, and of course it is covered with snow, but things are warming up and the snow is melting fast. I should think you might climb it in a month or so if you get a spell of dry weather.

 

It's a cool looking objective.

[G-spotter]

It's usually snowfree but a bit damp by mid-late May.

Personal opinion of best time to climb it is August or September.

 

Bring kayak if climbing during thunderstorm

[Mr_Phil]

Kayaks R aid.

[AlpineK]

kaYak peak?

[bstach]

The walk-off descent will likely have snow into mid-summer, steep at the top, if i recall correctly. Probably not something you want to do in runners, er, i mean tennis shoes. Might want to bring an axe, too. Or consider rapping the route. Late summer, it is an easy walk off with no snow.

[AlpineK]

When I did Yak Check last we didn't have tennies; no big boots either. I didn't think the descent was that bad plunge stepping, but my partner is freaked out by snow and he had to face in the whole way down the snow. It all depends on how comfortable you are on snow.

[G-spotter]

rapping the route is a dumb idea

it only takes an hour from the summit back to the highway if you walk off, it takes longer than this to rap, plus the descent is via a different route (Yak Check) with shitty rusted rap anchors (some have been upgraded as of last year but some still feature sketchy bolts and/or tatty slings fixed to hand-removable pitons)

[bstach]

When I did Yak Check last we didn't have tennies; no big boots either. I didn't think the descent was that bad plunge stepping, but my partner is freaked out by snow and he had to face in the whole way down the snow. It all depends on how comfortable you are on snow.

 

Plung stepping in your rock shoes?! Nice.

 

I agree it will mostly depend on the actual snow conditions that day and your personal comfort level on snow. Just wanted to make you aware that even if the climb is clean and dry, there will still be snow on the descent, including steep bits. Do with that what you will.

[AlpineK]

It wasn't quite like that. We had rock shoes and some light weight hiking shoes.

 

Dru I never said anything about rapping. I agree that's a bad idea.

Edited April 12, 2007 by AlpineK

[bstach]

It wasn't quite like that. We had rock shoes and some light weight hiking shoes.

 

Dru I never said anything about rapping. I agree that's a bad idea.

 

I think Dru was replying to me.

 

I climbed this once a few years ago and walked off, so i don't really remember what the stations look like. I agree it would be faster to walk off.

[Sol]

blake,

just wait til the bypass glacier on sleese slides (usually july or august). climb sleese in a day. spend a day chilling and driving to yak. climb yak the next day and head home. its really not that rad, the domes and slabs in d-town are much more quality in my opinion, so spend your early season climbing those and tick yak whenever its conveinent.

[G-spotter]

such sage advice from someone who can't even spell slesse right

[sill]

blake,

its really not that rad, the domes and slabs in d-town are much more quality in my opinion, so spend your early season climbing those and tick yak whenever its conveinent.

 

I agree, it's not all that great, but in combination with a couple days in Squamish or somthing like Slesse it makes a worthy alpine cragging day. If you do it, climb Yak-Check as others have probably mentioned, the rock is a bit better that way.

[layton]

Fuck those guys, it's fun as hell.

As for conditions...you'll know when the time is right. Like the amulet you were born wearing.

[Sol]

whatever, different strokes...

 

[jordop]

Fuck those guys, it's fun as hell.

As for conditions...you'll know when the time is right. Like the amulet you were born wearing.

Here here. Various rodent entrails can also be used. For full effect, one should also yak at the base yage style. Wicked full spectrum auras.

[layton]

whatever, different strokes...

 

Yeah, but you seem to not like a lot of alpine climbs you've posted about here, or seriously downplayed them.

[jmace]

Just for comparison: I had no problems rapping the route the one and only time I've climbed it.

[bstach]

I remember reading somewhere that the rap route follows Reality Check and has bolted anchors the whole way. But not having done it, I can't say for sure. Dru sounds like he knows what he is talking about, so I wouldn't count on it.

 

Regardless, way faster to walk off.

[G-spotter]

"Fixed" anchors are not the same as "bolted" anchors. Craig McGee and friends replaced the lower 6 stations last summer and removed some manky pins, replaced with solid bolts. Not sure if they got back and spruced up the top or not. I remember that the anchor above and right of the through-flake was rusty hardware with ugly bleached tat in 2005.

 

The anchors on Speedway are way nicer. Metolius Rap Hangers almost the whole way (there's one anchor with one regular bolt and a quicklink). But Speedway doesn't top out.

[bstach]

Oh, I get it....so "fixed" is code for "shitty rusted rap anchors with tatty slings and hand-removable pitons".

 

I laerned something today on teh interwebs.

[G-spotter]

"fixed" could be anything from brand new bolts to a sling around a tree. it just means that anchors of some sort are in place.

[gertlush]

..and don't drink the coffee from the little shop...