gear question

[sianin]

Next week will be my first attempt on Rainier and the plan is to do Disappointment Cleaver. At this point I am wondering if there is a need for ice screws or is there enough snow for snow anchors everywhere that we may need to belay or do a crevasse rescue?

 

anyone been up there recently? Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

[Weekend_Climberz]

Bring a picket or two, you won't need ice screws on the DC.

[catbirdseat]

I'll often bring one titanium ice screw for "just in case". Doesn't weigh that much. If I were dangling in a crevasse, I think I might want to get a screw in just in case.

 

That thought brings up a question. So you're supposed to start prusiking out immediately after you fall in. Obviously, you can't both hang from a screw and prusik out. I think that you have to assume your buddies can hold you while you do this.

 

So the only circumstance where I'd put in a screw would be where I'd broken a leg and couldn't ascend on my own.

[Weekend_Climberz]

I don't know how you ended up going from giving a guy some advice on gear to being in the bottom of a crevasse with a broken leg?

 

You do have a point about the screw though

[sianin]

I have to admit I had to laugh at the stream of consciousness that ended with a broken leg (luckily that was all!) in a crevasse.

 

I do appreciate the thoughts and am totally stoked for my climb.

 

BTW, Catbirdseat was giving advice to a "guy" of the female pursuasion (as are all of my team).

[catbirdseat]

Woohoo! Go for it, girls. I mean ladies.

[Weekend_Climberz]

BTW, Catbirdseat was giving advice to a "guy" of the female pursuasion (as are all of my team).

 

It's okay, I always seem to make the girls mad at me, so I didn't want to make you feel left out

[treknclime]

While the DC typcially only requires pickets for running belays and the occassional crevasse rescue...an ice screw can be handy. Have seen a couple of folks pitch off the icy slopes leading onto the rock at the bottom of the cleaver, and scews were the only anchor that'll worked there. There maybe other places that will only take screws, too, espeically in later season. I liked CBS' advice...take a lightweight one.