Ritter SE route recent experiences?

[cantare]

Considering a Ritter SE glacier ascent on the 4th, either from Ediza or more likely coming over from TIL via Whitebark Pass. Anyone been up recently? Main question being whether the snow is bypassable...or doable without crampons. It looks like the entire thing is in full sun all day. Any routing tips would also be appreciated, as I haven't done this one before.

I've read Secor and various accounts, and it seems I have choice of a circuitous "grassy ledge" system (to right, ascending) vs more straightforward Class 2 or 4 chutes more to climber's left at about 10,300', one small band of 33-degree snow to climb or skirt from 11,700 or so, and then a choice of chutes above that (secor vs owens). Wondering if I have the essentials right and if there are any snags or improvements to consider.

[c9h13no3]

I've only descended the SE glacier, but I found the whole thing very straight forward last year on July 4th. There's a lot of hand wringing about this chute & that chute, but it's all just a snow climb. I just remember linking together the longest glissades I could, and then ending up back at the tarn above Ediza. I suppose going up that translates into trying to stay on the snow as long as you can. Course, this year that'll be harder.

Sure, it could be done without crampons & axe, but you'll be faster with them. When the snow is hard, it is easy to walk up with crampons. When you start post-holing as the sun softens it, progress slows way down even if you can then get traction without crampons. Plus it's safer to have good traction & be able to stop yourself.

Side note: I though the north face was a fantastic climb, a class 3-4 playground on super solid rock.

[CAMERONM]

OK I still have to post my report, but the short story is that I camped at Nydiver Lakes to get as close as possible, I think June 15? I was warned of bad snow by a ranger. I met someone at the base of the SE run at 8 am who had already given up. At 11,000 ft / 9 am I found that even with crampons I just could not ascend, and even descending then started to be a bit dodgy. I met some guys at Ediza who told me that two days before they went up the steep Banner SE glacier on a 4:30 run, and when they returned to descend they understood that it would be too steep/dangerous with such lousy snow, and ended up exiting down the west glacier and going the long way around to return to Ediza, including bivying for the night, which they did not describe in detail but it did not sound like fun.

Here is a link to a video that tells the snow story well:
https://vimeo.com/565928587

[c9h13no3]

Here is a link to a video that tells the snow story well:
https://vimeo.com/565928587

I'm not really sure what I'm lookin' at here. Was it just loose-wet instabilities, or just a post-hole hell, slow going? Given the giant runnel your foot's in, I'd think the loose-wet danger would be pretty low.

Wouldn't shock me if the snow was less supportable this year. Our snow was uncharacteristically cold & light this past winter, not our usual Sierra cement you can have a dance party on come June.

[bobby49]

If you are looking to ascend Mount Ritter, then here is an idea. The intermediate goal is to reach the Ritter-Banner saddle. I had come in from Waugh Lake, so I went past Lake Catherine (north of Ritter). That side stays in the shade more, so the snow tends to be icy hard. I followed the snow field directly up to the saddle (microspikes might be good). From there, my buddy took off up Banner, and I took off up Ritter. From the saddle, I worked my way diagonally up and to the right (northward). Once I found the right gully, I turned more southwest, and that led me toward the summit. I think that there was only an instant when it was tougher than Class 3. Of course, I had to think about it more on the descent.

[cantare]

Not the most encouraging account, but thanks for the quick replies! I'll be interested to read the rest of Cameron's report and check out Mr. Adrenaline's north face suggestion, which I think Bobby has seconded. Was this recently that you came in from Waugh? You didn't use axe/crampons climbing from Lk Catherine to the saddle?

I'd be starting from TIL and had hoped to walk over Whitebark then drop gear near the tarn above Ediza, since I'm camping there that night. Going via Catherine would monkey-wrench that plan--the more so, if I had to return that way. Not crazy about doing Ritter with a full pack.

[CAMERONM]

No post-holes. There were sizable suncups in some places, and the ridges would unpredictably break, and what you see in the video is trying to climb the wall inside of a suncup- the crampons were of absolutely no use. Exhausting enterprise. There was enough snow on the SE side of Ritter that I don't think you can completely climb around it at the moment, as many do.
I think the Banner / west glacier is the way to go at the moment. I personally would use crampons. Anything with a long run-out is too dangerous for me to not use all the tools I can.

[c9h13no3]

You didn't use axe/crampons climbing from Lk Catherine to the saddle?

The slope angle of the Lake Catherine glacier is much less steep. I'd think a trekking pole could be sufficient for self arrest in most early summer snow conditions, but YMMV. Course, if you can't stop you end up in the lake...

[bobby49]

When I was there some years ago, the slope up from Lake Catherine to the saddle was hard ice, so microspikes would have been perfect. Basically, I stepped from one sun cup to the next one. It was more tedious on the way down.