Preparation for Liberty Ridge

[ChrisFreye]

So...

 

I have read a lot of stories about people running into issues on Liberty Ridge. Most of them have been people going up when the weather window is not appropriate for a summit push. Also some people have had to be rescued due to inexperience. I don't want to fall into either situation.

 

I was wondering if people on cc.com had some suggestions about what routes to do in order to prepare for Liberty Ridge. I dirt-bagged this past summer and a lot people I ran into warned me about the dangers which I am fully aware of but when I asked for good routes to train for Liberty Ridge they didn't have any suggestions. (Makes me wonder if they even did it)

 

So I was wondering if people had any suggestions on what routes would be a good precursor to Liberty Ridge. I've included some climbs that I have done that seem to be in line with training for Liberty Ridge:

 

North Ridge of Baker

Price Glacier on Shuksan

Kautz Glacier on Rainier

Reid HW on Hood

 

I am also trying to do Coleman HW before if possible.

 

Any suggestions are welcome (well almost any)

[Bronco]

You could consider doing the Emmons Glacier (if you haven't already) to get the descent route dialed and see how your body is at over 14,000'. It sounds as if you've got some good experience in moving over scary (but not difficult) terrain that is not really prudent to spend a bunch of time looking for protection. I'd wager that physical conditioning and mental toughness are more important than technical climbing ability on Liberty Ridge. Any routes on Johannesburg or Mt. Index would be good conditioning and similar type of stress in my opinion.

[DPS]

Honestly, if you have done the routes you mentioned, you should be more than ready. I found Price Glacier to be way more difficult, strenuous, and dangerous than Lib Ridge, albeit that was late season. Those other routes are solid as well. I agree with Bronco, do the Emmons so you know the descent and you should be all set. Good luck.

Edited February 12, 2014 by DPS

[YocumRidge]

I would second what Dan said re: Price Glacier - he *liked* it as much as I did .

 

Having climbed both Lib Ridge and Price gl., Price is NOT by any means a "preparation" for Lib. ridge, it is actually the other way around: more vertical gain on more technical terrain (albeit Shuksan is only 9131'), and way more dangerous objective hazards: ice avalanches and breaking seracs. I would compare Price to a mini-version of the Will-It-Kill me wall on Rainier.

That said, Price is still a beautiful route that can be enjoyed during a high snow year.

 

IMO, there is nothing tricky about Lib Ridge that needs a special "preparation". The route is knowingly over-hyped due to its 50 classic climbs status. Ptarmigan Ridge is way more scenic. Be in good cardio and high altitude shape and know how to use two tools plus crevassed glacier travel - its what it takes. Do some long carryover-style moderate routes like Sunset Amphitheater on R as a prior conditioning.

[tvashtarkatena]

Fashion a snow saucer into a helmet and have your SO drop a rock on you while you sleep on occasion and you should be good to go.

[JasonG]

As Dan and others have said, you're ready. But if you really want to be an overachiever, the Coleman HW is probably the closest thing to what you are going to see on LR.

 

[JasonG]

Ptarmigan Ridge is way more scenic.

 

This caught my eye. I thought LR was one of the most scenic routes in WA. I guess I need to keep PR on my list!

[ScaredSilly]

As others said you probably have the experience to get on LR. Perhaps more so than others whom have tried the route. The real trick is being efficient not just for this route but any mtn. route. Efficient does not mean being ultralight weight. It means being able to move in all conditions. I'll pack the weight of trekking poles because I can use them and move faster over a lot of terrain.

 

Anymore I think the difficulties are often lower down than up high. Getting on the ridge proper seems to be the crux for many. The Carbon can be problematic any time but the lower ridge seems to be a real mix bag. And of course do not discount the shrund at the top - again a mixed bag.

[tvashtarkatena]

The upper ice pitches on LR are generally straightforward. Having one tool with a adze for chopping a some foot placements can be a help on the final crux section - it was very hard and surprisingly smooth when we were on it. We expected it to be a little picked out but it appeared untouched. Can you guess that I brought two hammers?

 

Note the we climbed late season during a high snow year.

 

Navigating the Carbon wasn't too bad. The upper crevasse field has lured more than one party to the ridge's left side - don't buy it. Climber's right is where you want to gain the ridge proper. We dead ended at the toe of the ridge, then backtracked and descended a few hundred feet to get it right - no big. If you're not looking up at a straight shot to Thumb Rock on snow, reconsider your position.

 

But first, the schrund. As you'd expect, it's huge - but conveniently filled with ice avi debris for us. If it's not so easy - it's also not a place you'd prefer to hang around for long. Look up and you'll see what I mean.

 

By far the nastiest and most strenuous bit for us was front pointing up to Thumb Rock on boilerplate that was under constant bombardment. From the base of the ridge, quickly traverse right the first few hundred feet to get out of the worst line of fire. The debris fans will likely punctuate this.

 

Climbing earlier season can offer up more neve and less rock fall, but often at the expense of a more postholy approach and possible avi hazard. There may be a free lunch in there somewhere if you can cherry pick conditions, but those are generally your competing parameters, with weather as the wild card.

[goran]

Lib Ridge was, in my experience ( http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1106687/TR_Mt_Rainier_Liberty_Ridge_6_#Post1106687 ), technically easy but extremely physical, with many hours of knee- to hip-deep wallowing spread over multiple days. In a year full of long days in the mountains, carrying skis over Lib Ridge in unconsolidated snow was unequivocally the most exhausting. That said, it certainly sounds like you've done plenty of preparation --- just be prepared for a struggle!

 

If I were to do it over, I'd

(1) Do more research on the standard Emmons route (having not been on it previously), and consider climbing it a few days or week prior to learn the route and acclimatize. That descent, in waning light with winds strong enough to bowl us over, was a definite mental (and crevasse hazard!) crux.

 

(2) Consider not only the weather window, but also how supportive the snow was. I don't know if we could have even made it to the base of the ridge without skis on our dates, and wallowing up to and above Thumb Rock with skis on our packs was outrageously brutal.

 

(3) Down booties. Because camp.