Current Shuksan conditions

[goatboy]

Fisher Chimneys: how are glacier conditions? Anything other than standard glacier travel gear needed (I.e. ice screws) for late summer conditions?

[mountainmatt]

I can't speak to the exact conditions now, but we did it this time last year:

http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=1035878

 

Picture 6 (the ramp that leads to Hells Highway) had the only ice section. In my opinion, nothing that required screws but a second tool did make it a little easier to navigate since it was had some rock debris on top of it.

 

Have fun up there, its an awesome route!

[YocumRidge]

As of the last month, the Upper Curtis gl and Hells hwy were very straightforward with one axe. However, there is one pitch of hard alpine 45 deg ice if you take the lower Winnie slide crossover on Curtis.

 

When we carryovered from Hanging glacier down FC route, we downclimbed the rock band from the upper WS crossing which was not our brigthest idea - it was slow.

 

I had also noticed that currently there is a rap set up to get you from the upper crossing down on the glacier on the other side. In the past, this section was easily downclimbable, now there is a 5 feet wide moat separating the WS rock band and the glacier.

 

My personal preference would be to climb (and downclimb) the ice pitch on Curtis between the lower and upper WS crossings rather than dealing with the rock band.