Whatever happened to alpine starts?

[chris]

This is my first full summer in the Cascades in 7 years, and I'm surprised by how many people I've seen having late starts to big alpine objectives. From the North Cascades all the way down to Mt Hood, I've seen some ridiculous late starts. Anyone else?

[KaskadskyjKozak]

This is my first full summer in the Cascades in 7 years, and I'm surprised by how many people I've seen having late starts to big alpine objectives. From the North Cascades all the way down to Mt Hood, I've seen some ridiculous late starts. Anyone else?

 

Sleep is nice. ;-)

[scottk]

Skiers need soft snow.

[ScaredSilly]

Last summer we got started on average around 5:30. That worked for us old guys who like to enjoy a little nip and a cigar before turning in. Still got to the top of before many.

[Buckaroo]

I think it depends on the objective and other factors like do you know the descent in the dark.

 

That said I like to get a dawn start, no reason to sleep when it's light, especially when the dreary NW winter is around the corner with the too short days. You can sleep when your dead. Though it's sometimes hard to find a partner that thinks the same way.

[genepires]

I like the alpine starts because I wake up before 5am every morning. So why not meet up at such a ridiculous time? It is either get to climbing or surf cc.com for hours before a climbing day trip.

[kurthicks]

I'm totally with you Chris. I understand rock routes, but I especially don't understand the desire to walk up snow or glacier routes in the heat of the day.

[mattp]

I understand the advantages of starting early on an alpine climb, Kurt, and I've left my camp in the dark many times. However, that has usually been when climbing large objectives or where we thought conditions would be better earlier in the day.

 

I've had a couple of friends who just plain LIKE to get up at 4 a.m. or whatever, and have at times insisted that it was somehow noble or wise to start early for early's sake -- even when heading for a half day climb. I've always thought these individuals were nuts, but I've had some good friends so afflicted.

 

The first time I went to climb Mt. Adams with my ski-buddies we left the car at 10:00 and on our way up passed over a hundred climbers coming down but had the summit and the ski down all to ourselves.

 

 

Late is great.

 

[olyclimber]

i love the early morning...watching the sun rise has always been my favorite time of the day.

 

however, for whatever reason, i always gravitate to being a "night" person...and this totally screws with getting enough sleep and getting up early.

[mattp]

Watching the sunrise is nice, Oly, but generally we don't sit around and watch the sunrise when on any kind of climbing outing. If out and about at sunrise we're usually on the march and likely don't take more than a brief halt to greet the day. When ski mountaineering in particular, knowing the descent may be pretty quick, I have many times lingered high in the Alpine zone to catch the last rays of the sun.

[kevbone]

This is my first full summer in the Cascades in 7 years, and I'm surprised by how many people I've seen having late starts to big alpine objectives. From the North Cascades all the way down to Mt Hood, I've seen some ridiculous late starts. Anyone else?

 

Sleep is nice. ;-)

 

Agreed.

[olyclimber]

What I'm saying is you don't watch the sunrise asleep in bed. If you're out and about, and it is a great time to be outside. And it just takes a single moment to etch a great memory.

 

Sunsets are nice, but sunrise comes with the possibilities of the day ahead.

 

I'm must be getting old to think of such platitudes.

 

 

[KaskadskyjKozak]

What I'm saying is you don't watch the sunrise asleep in bed. If you're out and about, and it is a great time to be outside. And it just takes a single moment to etch a great memory.

 

Sunsets are nice, but sunrise comes with the possibilities of the day ahead.

 

I'm must be getting old to think of such platitudes.

 

 

I don't consider sunrise necessarily "early". When the OP talked about an alpine start, I was thinking 11 pm to 2 am boots on trail.

 

I prefer to get up pre-dawn (4am) and moving within an hour of sunrise.

 

[sobo]

What I'm saying is you don't watch the sunrise asleep in bed. If you're out and about, and it is a great time to be outside. And it just takes a single moment to etch a great memory.

 

Sunsets are nice, but sunrise comes with the possibilities of the day ahead.

 

I'm must be getting old to think of such platitudes.

OMFG, it's happened! cc.com has waxed poetic... What hath god wrought??