[TR] Shuksan - Fischer Chimney 8/22/2015

[Brian Maher]

Trip: Shuksan - Fischer Chimney

 

Date: 8/22/2015

 

Trip Report:

We got into Lake Ann a little after dinner time and awoke the next morning to begin our climb about 6AM. This was our first time on this route, so we mistook some trails around the final camping area before Fischer's Chimneys as the main trail. This detour cost us a good hour. The chimney was in good shape with 3 belay stations (although we only ended up using two of them on the way down). Early in the morning the White Salmon Glacier was super icy and I made the mistake of trying to climb it in my boots. After realizing my mistake I put my crampons on and climbed up to Winnies Slide.

 

Thanks to Eric Carter's trip report, my friend Win brought ice tools and I brought a second axe. Unfortunately, Rachel only brought a single axe and we all regretted it. Winnies slide was a beautiful ice climb, but a scary ordeal for anyone with a single axe.

 

Win having the ice tools, lead the climb and set a couple of screws as he went, setting up a belay station in the ice at the top with ice screws. He then belayed both of us up. I definitely recommend belaying this single pitch (we had a single 70 meter rope). On the way down we used a belay station in the rocks at the top, skier's left edge. The 70 meter rope just barely made it to a spot next to the rocks that we could down climb and transition off the glacier.

 

The tongue of the Upper Curtis has running water easily accessible at the base for drinking and presented us with our second challenge of the day. With two ice axes I felt comfortable climbing it without belay, but Rachel having a single axe was belayed. Another few feet down the path was a giant crevasse that has an ice bridge that you can climb down into or you can just jump it.

 

After that it was smooth sailing until Hell's Highway which has exposed crevasses right under the steeps. We again decided to belay each other on this pitch.

 

The Sulphide Glacier to the base of the summit pyramid was again smooth sailing (with a few switch backs to avoid crevasses). By the time we got to the base of the pyramid it was ~1:30PM and we were forced to turn around due to lack of time and therefore we didn't get to the summit.

 

We made it back to our tents near Lake Anne just as it was getting dark (~8:30PM). Win and I had obligations the next morning, so we broke camp and hiked back to our cars with our headlamps.

 

Unfortunately, the wild fire's in Chelan obscured the views to what would have otherwise been a blue-bird day.

 

Gear Notes:

Two ice axes strongly suggested, recommend at least 4 ice screws, 70 meters of rope (or two 35 meters).

 

Pictures:

 

Facebook Pictures

 

Winnies Slide:

Edited August 24, 2015 by Brian Maher

[NDrake]

Thanks for the TR, Winnies Slide looks pretty similar to September last year. One note, you can also scramble easy rock when you first get to the upper curtis. It may be a small moat jump over to the glacier, but it's much faster than climbing the bit of steeper ice there IMO.