Looking for all around Mountaineering partners

[picozza]

I just moved to the Pacific Northwest (Seattle/Issaquah) from the San Francisco Bay Area where I started mountaineering less than a couple of years ago. I got my share of adventures in the Sierras despite the last bad two snow seasons. With all my good mountaineering partners left behind, I am now looking for new connections to start my exploration of the Cascades and beyond. I am in my mid/early 30s, I work out regularly to stay in "mountaineering" shape, and I am willing to commit almost every weekend for day climbs, and a couple of weekends a month for overnight trips.

 

I am interested in pretty much all aspects of mountaineering: ice climbing, steep snow, glacier, rock alpine, multi-day backpacking, winter ascents.

 

I have most of the basic gear: ice tools, step-in crampons, a few ice screws, snow pickets, 4 season tent. Planning to build a light alpine rack soon (only a set of nuts so far, but some cams in the near future), and get my own rope

 

Experience: I received proper mountaineering training through multiple paid classes over the past two years (glacier rescue, snow and rock anchor building, snow/ice climbing, etc..). I got a decent amount of general mountaineering climbs in CA (Shasta Casaval Ridge, the Palisades in the southern Sierras, Mt Whitney mountaineering route, and some spicy unroped class 4 in Yosemite). I am not super experienced due to the bad past two snow seasons in CA and a lot of traveling to China with my previous job, but I have the training, I stay in shape, I have the gear, and I am willing to commit. Not overstating my climbing skills is one of the first lessons I learned.

 

Right know, I would not mind to take the chance for some waterfall ice climbing until cold temperatures last. Not much experience in this regards, only two days of top roping training in Lee Vining CA last year, then the waterfall ice climbing season ended (if even ever started...), but my still shiny ice tools are craving for revenge.

 

I am also trying to get into pure rock climbing (always mountaineering oriented), with final objective of some easy multi-pitch alpine, but I am still working on consistency with top rope low 5.10s indoor at the moment. Planning to take some lead climbing classes in a few months.

 

My training/learning approach is the overkill: Practice waterfall ice, and those 60 degree alpine ice couloirs are going to seem like a piece of cake. Practice pure rock climbing, and those low class 5 / exposed class 4 rock climb sections at 14000 ft in mountaineering boots are not going to be that shaky.

 

Cheers,

 

Diego

[DPS]

My training/learning approach is the overkill: Practice waterfall ice, and those 60 degree alpine ice couloirs are going to seem like a piece of cake. Practice pure rock climbing, and those low class 5 / exposed class 4 rock climb sections at 14000 ft in mountaineering boots are not going to be that shaky.

 

This is a good approach, one that I use. in Dan Cauthorn's words, "You top rope 5.12 in the gym so you can climb 5.10 at the crags so you can climb 5.8 in the mountains."

 

I too live in Issaquah and have a couple of partners in Issaquah with whom I typically climb with, but I am always open to meeting new people. I can also make some introductions to local climbers who have similar aspirations and a bit more experience. If you are interested feel free to email me at Daniel DASH p DASH smith AT Hotmail DOT com. I am not climbing at the moment, recovering from an illness, but hopefully I will get back at this spring.

 

Welcome to the PNW.

[GerritD]

I live in Issaquah and it sounds like I have just a bit more climbing experience than you which could work out well for both of us.

 

Also personally I don't think climbing steep ice prepares you for winter alpine climbing THAT much. However, it is a requirement for alpine routes with actual ice instead of snow. At one point I was a strong gym climber but I struggled on run out easy alpine terrain. Maybe if you can transfer your skills better than I did it works for you but the only training for alpine climbing is alpine climbing IMO.

 

With rock climbing it is much more transferable since there is no steep snow climbing gym.

 

PM sent

[DPS]

Also personally I don't think climbing steep ice prepares you for winter alpine climbing THAT much. PM sent

 

I agree, my thought was that ice and winter alpine climbing on smaller objectives prepares one for bigger and technically easier summer alpine routes.

 

The first time I climbed Mt. Rainier, I climbed it via Liberty Ridge. I thought to myself as I climbed it that it was not nearly as difficult as I had built it up to be, but I was very happy I had climbed routes over the winter like North Face of Chair Peak as well as waterfall routes. It made climbing exposed 55 degree terrain easy by comparison.

 

Also, the climbers I had in mind to introduce him to included you. I'm getting close to be able to get into the hills. Soon.

 

[picozza]

I cannot not agree with you guys. As a matter of fact, I started my "climbing career" completely outdoor on long climbs in the Sierras. I only recently decided to move

to some indoor pure rock climb / waterfall ice for a fine tuning of my technique as well as for confidence boost to negotiate some tricky bergschrund and rock sections.

 

I like more the sustained "man versus nature" feeling of long moderate technical alpine snow/rock climbs in harsh conditions than the surgical techinique of waterfall ice and 5.11+ short rock climbs.

[DPS]

I cannot not agree with you guys.

You probably shouldn't climb with us then.

[CascadeClimber]

I cannot not agree with you guys.

You probably shouldn't climb with us then.

 

Double-negative, Dan: He's agreeing with you

[picozza]

I cannot not agree with you guys.

You probably shouldn't climb with us then.

 

Double-negative, Dan: He's agreeing with you

 

Yep, double negative = I agree with you guys. Thanks for pointing that out and sorry for the bad English:-p

[alpine et]

I cannot not agree with you guys.

You probably shouldn't climb with us then.

 

Double-negative, Dan: He's agreeing with you

 

It's a good quality in a climbing partner to be able to disagree. #humanfactors

[DPS]

It's a good quality in a climbing partner to be able to disagree. #humanfactors

 

A better quality is to just do what I tell you to.