[TR] Chair Peak - N Face 2/20/2010

[goatboy]

KaskadskyjKozak,

Thanks a lot for getting in front of everybody and moving slow. Alpinism is moving fast and light not slow and light. Seriously everybody was jammed up because you were climbing at a snails pace.

 

Alpinism is many things.

 

Using your judgment, and taking responsibility for yourself, are two of the most important ones.

 

Arriving at the base of the route, and perceiving a party ahead of you moving slower than you seem to have liked, what did your judgment tell you to do? Follow them up the route, not communicate with them at the time or re-assess your situation, and then bitch about it afterwards?

 

How did that decision work out for you?

 

Maybe next time you'll get up earlier?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Follow them up the route, not communicate with them at the time or re-assess your situation,...

 

Good point, goatboy. For the record, my partner and I stretched out the rope and stood for about an hour directly under the moat yelling to our other team, asking what was up, and how the anchor/belay spot and route looked. We were told there was not a lot of room for a second, parallel belay spot or to run in parallel, so we waited for the follower to start up before I set up a belay. I honestly was wondering if our first leader might want to bail for a while standing there.

 

Meanwhile we saw 5 people standing in a sunny spot on the ridge behind us. We weren't sure if they were climbers or hikers just hanging out. Nobody approached us to ask WTF was going on, or if they could jump ahead. It would have been easy to walk over to us where we stood and ask.

 

 

[kevino]

Mr. Bunch of K's or someone else,

 

Since I haven't been up there to climb since december, could someone tell me is the bootback for chairpeak going up from the summer trail or the winter trail?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Mr. Bunch of K's or someone else,

 

Since I haven't been up there to climb since december, could someone tell me is the bootback for chairpeak going up from the summer trail or the winter trail?

 

Winter (meaning cat-track from the highest Alpental lot, to the climber's left side of Source Lake)

 

[goatboy]

I assume flotation is still recommended for the approach?

[Jim]

Technically (according to the sign) you're not supposed to use the cat track going up hill to reduce skier collisions I suppose. But climbers are there pretty early, and there is a trail that branches from the cat track on the west side of the valley. Did see the Apeltal cop chase hikers away as I skied into the lot.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Technically (according to the sign) you're not supposed to use the cat track going up hill to reduce skier collisions I suppose. But climbers are there pretty early, and there is a trail that branches from the cat track on the west side of the valley. Did see the Apeltal cop chase hikers away as I skied into the lot.

 

We had headlamps on until Source Lake. :-)

[KaskadskyjKozak]

I assume flotation is still recommended for the approach?

 

Yes, as you get above Source Lake. Lower down the crampons on snow shoes make the cat track easier to hike (it's icy).

[Jason_Martin]

I assume flotation is still recommended for the approach?

 

Definitely.