Ideas for my next guided climb?

[kmehrtens]

I am looking for ideas for my next guided climb this summer.

Criteria:

1. It needs to be with a guide service (per my wife)

2. Must be in the United States (per My wife)

3. Would like in the PNW

4. Have already climbed Mt Rainier & Mt Hood

5. Alpine Mountaineering Style on glacier/snow

6. Would be nice if it would help in my ultimate goal of Denali in 2017

 

Got any ideas? I was thinking, Mt Adams or Mt Baker...

 

Thanks

 

Edited January 9, 2013 by kmehrtens

[Water]

not sure much summer volcano climbing in the NW will really give much denali aid other than general familiarity with some hardware and travel techniques?..but that is #6 so I think that means least important.

 

Baker for plenty of glacier travel

 

adams is a long slog--i know your wife wants a guide but if you've done rainier and hood unless you're doing adams glacier, i wouldn't invest the money for southside at all. really you can walk up it without crampons as my fearful of heights and climbing hardware wife has done in the summer. the 'mazama glacier' variation of it...you would be better served on baker.

 

look into a more challenging route on rainier: kautz?

 

for a variety of terrains consider mt. shuksan fisher chimneys. some rock, some snow, some glacier, very beautiful. more mental complexity to keep you entertained with variation. as a two-fer it is very near baker it would be very plausible if weather cooperated to do both in a week.

 

 

[obwan]

Go for a nice safe climb up Baker with the Bellingham AAI guides, it's a nice Volcano and your wife should have no worries.

 

For the Denali goal, you'll have to stick with the harder routes on Rainier. You will need lots of altitude exposure training.

[genepires]

How about flying to AK and hire a guide to take you up mt. crosson? (june) yeah not criteria #3. Right near the airstrip and better preparation for denali than anything in PNW. Scenery can't be beat. And for a added bonus, maybe you can go out on the sultana ridge towards foraker for a day trip. (not summiting foraker as this may be to serious) Give AMS a call. (alaska mtneering school) There are prolly other fine outfits there too but I am unfamiliar with them.

Edited January 10, 2013 by genepires

[Alex]

what gene said. i've climbed it, good fun anf actually significant elevation gain but close to the landing strip. youll get the full dose of weather, building camps, and falling into crevasses,...which is what its all about

[matt_warfield]

One of my buds is Eli Helmuth (climbinglife.com) who did the FA of Fathers and Sons Wall on Denali with Steve House.

 

He guides Peru and AK and elsewhere and you would be as safe with him in Peru as anywhere in the US. Just skip Aconcaugua. But you will get over 20,000 ft.

 

Whatever you decide the main thing is go with certified guides (AMGA or IFMGA) and they will take you anywhere and keep you safe. Some are on this site and maybe even on this thread or certainly know where to send you.

 

I wonder why you want to wait until 2017 for Denali. One season and some money and it would would likely go down in 2014 at the latest.

Edited January 10, 2013 by matt_warfield

[bistro]

How about AAI's Denali Prep course. Youd learn winter travel and have an oportunity to summit at least one peak.

[ADKMan]

AMS has several courses in Alaska but the Kahiltna Dome Denali Prep course can't be beat for Denali training.

 

AMS Kahiltna Dome Denali Prep

[genepires]

with all due respect to AAI and the other PNW prof guide services, there is no better learning opportunity for a summit of denali than climbing something in the alaska range. (assuming you have a quality guide) I taught some denali preps in the cascades and there are some limitations imposed by the terrain. I also taught some 12 day mtneering course in the AK range that were not denali prep based but I thought were many times greater in actual knowledge learned towards getting up the big hill.

hey there's a thought, how about a denali prep or 12 day course in the alaska range in june? (forget about a 6 day, not enough time to get your moneys worth)

If time is an issue (usually is), like I said earlier, a 3 or 4 day ascent of crosson would be superb. Just ask for a little fixed line practice to figure that out. Being told if fine, but actual doing is much better.

good luck

gene

 

 

PS kahiltna dome would be good too. more sled pulling time and less exposure to weather.

Edited January 10, 2013 by genepires

[matt_warfield]

I agree as usual with Gene,

 

Denali is not just about technique but also high altitude. Everybody has their threshold. Try to find yours out a bit at a time before you go.