Climbing mt Adams in about a week! Questions.

[Gregory.S.]

Me and a climbing (so far hiking) partner will be climbing Mt. Adams next Monday / Tuesday. We have both hiked quiet a bit and wanted to get a chance at Mt. Baker this year but it just did not work out. Our plan is to do mt. Adams next week, and work on conditioning over the winter to start off the year with Baker then Rainier a little later next season.

 

Questions:

 

Does anybody have any advice or words of wisdom? We plan on getting on the Mountain around 12-1pm and taking the south spur route. we will try to make it to the LC to camp but I am not sure if this is realistic given our late start? We plan on leaving early, around 2-3am to summit and make it down Tuesday. We have given ourselves a third day just in case it takes us longer or if there is a complication.

 

We are renting most of our climbing gear (boots, crampons, sleeping pads, etc). Will we need helmets? It is best to just bring one, correct?

 

The only thing I need to buy is clothing. I have an outer layer Columbia coat I will bring (there is a inner lining but from what I have heard that's not a good idea). I know I need to get a good soft shell pant / coat. I am thinking of Marmot scree pant, but need advice for the top.

 

Sorry about the lengthy post!!!! Thank you for reading through it, I appreciate it.

 

[Water]

if you are planning to camp, starting earlier will make it more pleasant (12-1pm is sunny and hot...makes your hike to camp through the hottest part of the day).

 

That said there are camping spots 1) at tree line 2) just below crescent glacier 3) just above crescent glacier 4) lower lunch counter 5) upper lunch counter..

 

certainly the higher you are, the less you have to go for your summit day, but, also the less you have to carry as high. Honestly I'd consider 2-4 as options to keep open. being at LC doesn't make you radically higher-just a better preview of what your summit day starts with (Slope to pikers peak/false summit). You can probably go from a lower camp to upper lunch counter twice as fast without full packs. (just a guess). it is not unreasonable to get to LC, just, in the hot part of the day.

 

No you don't need helmets. It is extra weight and truly not a route for rock fall.

 

try to take as little as possible without putting yourself in harms way. The kitchen sink will kill you but skipping a book, a single shirt, or something little extra will likely not matter. Scree pant is fine. you can use normal hiking pants that zip to shorts just fine. What top advice do you need? a shell jacket to block the wind is great. if you have a light weight puffy down or synthetic thing that stuffs to 1liter size/16oz or less that is good but a fleece will do the job too under a shell jacket. you can wear an outdoors tshirt/long sleeve shirt/or whatever you want. dont take a heavy soft shell windblocker thing and a hard-rain shell. look at the forecast before you go--if it is clear you can get by with the lighter of the two/one you like best/etc. if it is not clear, take the rain shell.

 

words of wisdom: there will be cold in the dark, BUT, the heat of sun will be worse than the cold--prepare for sun--hats/bandanas/sun screen/chap stick. lather up good once the sun is upon you or you will get thoroughly fried.

[Bronco]

Are you renting plastic boots? I would consider them overkill this time of year on Adams. If that is your only choice, consider making the trek to camp in some trail runners or comfy hiking boots. My first attempt at Adams was my only climb with plastics, they were rental Koflach's from REI. Probably a good idea to wear trail shoes as much as possible as the rental boots may not fit very well and minimizing your feet's time in them would be good. We attmepted the climb in late May and had to walk several miles of road just to reach Cold Springs which was totally miserable in plastics and easily preventable by bringing some running shoes.

[Gregory.S.]

I am bringing some fairly light hiking boots, but I have a pair of running shoes I could take in lieu? We are renting a lot of gear from our university that has a really price for day to day rentals. The hiking boots would offer a little more support and traction I think, unless thats not too much of an issue? From what I have heard this is still quiet a bit of snow for the time of year and should bring boots / crampons still.

 

I am going to REI today to buy softshell pants and will probably wait on the softshell top as I do have a columbia coat with a removable liner.

 

Me and my friend are getting pretty excited to go!

[hippos_are_evil]

I went up 2 weeks ago in low top waterproofs (la sportiva hikers with sheet metal screws in the soles instead of crampons) and it was pretty good. At the top near Pikers Peak it was a bit slippy and I should've busted out the axe to make up for the slippage. But I was up there at 6am and it was still a bit icy and the steps weren't well formed. If you went up later I would guess the boot pack will be better, especially on a weekend.

 

That said, the glissade sucked because my shoes did nothing to slow me down, where as boots with a good heel would stop be easily.

 

Bring cheap rain pants or a diaper for the glissade, don't use just your new pants for the sliding.

 

have fun

[Bronco]

I am bringing some fairly light hiking boots, but I have a pair of running shoes I could take in lieu?

 

Light boots will be fine, whatever's comfy and won't give you blisters is the primary concern.

 

Have fun, don't worry about the jacket, sounds like you're set.

[Gregory.S.]

Oh I do have one more question! Is there any way to control your glissade speed? Ice axe? Boots? etc.

[Water]

can always use you face, or, elbows.

 

but umm...you may want to just practice a little about what the hell you're doing. If you start up at 2-3am, unless you're ungodly slow, you'll be back to pikers for the main glissade while it is still pretty firm, generally speaking.

 

glissade injuries on adams = very easy to do. you need to understand self arrest with an ice ax and how to use it to regulate speed. Otherwise don't bother bringing an ice ax.

[Gregory.S.]

I know self arrest techniques with ice axes, and have read about methods for glissading in general (but have not spoken to anybody that has done it on Adams). I have not gone glissading before and feel hesitant to glissade down on Adams since I have not before.

Edited August 18, 2011 by Gregory.S.

[Water]

sorry for being rude. heres what you do. on your way up, either once you've gotten to camp, or along the way at a steep spot or two, remove your pack and sit in one of the mini glissade chutes someone has made (one that has a clear run out into gentle snow/no rocks). Practice some of what you've read/seen on you tube for how to glissade with the axe--and do that a time or two. You'll get the hang.

 

if you got going too fast with glissading you'd self arrest. like i said if you try to glissade at 9am that south slope may be pretty firm still, you will absolutely fly, be difficult to slow much, and probably abrade whatever is on your posterior down to nothing.

 

You can also walk down perhaps 100-200ft from pikers peak, as the top bit is the steepest, then start your glissade, if it feels freaky to start from the very top. I've done that the first time I climbed and it was still a bit firm.

 

yes you can use your boot heels just careful with your legs you dont want to break/twist/jam anything bag.

 

a few weeks ago we did see a very nice military guy go down using only his elbows. he laid down like a bob-sled runner and dug the elbows in. positive guy and didnt seem worse for wear though my elbows would kill me...maybe his went numb

[Gregory.S.]

One last issue that has come up. I was going to rent mountaineering boots and crampons, but somebody at REI told me I should use my hiking boots and buy a pair of Strap-On crampons. Does anybody think this is a good idea? From what I have heard for the most part people recommend a very secure firm boot, or would I be okay doing this on adams?

[stevetimetravlr]

No crampons for Adams south side route. Just a good hiking boot is fine. It is basically a hike. You should have a ice ax if you are going to glissade however.

[dougd]

We attmepted the climb in late May and had to walk several miles of road just to reach Cold Springs which was totally miserable in plastics and easily preventable by bringing some running shoes.

 

The approach from cold springs to the lunch counter is long enough without the extra miles for sure. Late May was plenty early this year...

 

Good advice above on the boots. Good firm sole hikers are ok. Would not recommend running shoes in lieu.

 

I found the ice axe handy for the descent from S Summit, and glissading... It is a lil steep, and can be icy depending on when you're there... Some instruction and practice glissading would be helpful. Might be someone up at the lunch counter to ask about it or just find a place to practice up there see how it goes...

 

Getting up past the lunch counter and getting some practice in might be good goals for this trip. Summiting would be ultimate if you're all comfortable with conditions etc...

 

Good luck,

 

d

 

 

[Gregory.S.]

Pretty sure this is my actual last issue! We have bought / rented everything we need and I am now stuck with one last question. long johns or boxers? I know its the end of august so I am thinking I will be really hot in my marmot scree pants and boxers alone. Any thoughts> ?

[stevetimetravlr]

I think you should wear red boxers with flowers on them so that no one can see your long john.

[Gregory.S.]

Funny you should say that. That was my third option!