Whitney Mtrs Route gear question
Posted: Fri Jun 19, 2020 2:50 pm
Since I'm asking about a scramble route it seems like this is the right forum but if I'm posting in the wrong spot I apologize!
Two of us are heading out next week 6/24 on the southern sierra high route from bishop pass to cottonwood lakes and are planning to ascend whitney via the mountaineers route along the way. Thanks to everyone who's been posting on this site I'm getting good info on conditions and general gear recommendations but I'm scratching my head trying to figure what we;re likely to encounter on the upper sections of the mtrs route this year.
We're experienced backpackers and climbers from WA state - generally confident but not careless on steep snow and 4th class with full packs. This will be our first time in the sierras and we're super excited to explore your amazing looking wilderness and get off the beaten path! So if we were just heading up whitney portal to climb we'd definitely carry ice axe and aluminum mountaineering crampons - both because of the uncertainty and because the extra weight wouldn't be that big a deal on a short trip. But on the longer route we're taking we will be carrying these things for a week and if I can reasonably leave them behind i'd really like to do that, and put the little whiskey flask back in the pack!
I know this is a lower snow year and for the passes along the rest of the trip from bishop to cottonwood it seems like we can ascend/descend whatever snow still exists or find boulder/scramble routes that stay off steep and hard snow. Is that a reasonable assumption in your opinions? If yes, then it just comes down (pun intended) to whitney as the deciding factor. Ice axe is 3/4 lb and 10/12 point crampons 1.25 lb. So what would you do? Would you bring both? Maybe the axe and boot spikes (although those arent much lighter than the crampons)? Bring just the axe and plan on ascending a bit later in the day when things would be softer? Leave it all behind and enjoy the freedom that light weight provides!?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And before anyone says it, yes, I know that its the mountains and conditions are subject to change. Regardless of what gear we have if we get there and we decide that conditions dont allow for a reasonable margin of safety then we bail and live to climb another day. I'd like to have, say, an 80% chance that we'll be prepared for the conditions we encounter and no more than a 20% chance that we'll have to bail because we needed additional gear.
Thanks in advance, Glenn!
Two of us are heading out next week 6/24 on the southern sierra high route from bishop pass to cottonwood lakes and are planning to ascend whitney via the mountaineers route along the way. Thanks to everyone who's been posting on this site I'm getting good info on conditions and general gear recommendations but I'm scratching my head trying to figure what we;re likely to encounter on the upper sections of the mtrs route this year.
We're experienced backpackers and climbers from WA state - generally confident but not careless on steep snow and 4th class with full packs. This will be our first time in the sierras and we're super excited to explore your amazing looking wilderness and get off the beaten path! So if we were just heading up whitney portal to climb we'd definitely carry ice axe and aluminum mountaineering crampons - both because of the uncertainty and because the extra weight wouldn't be that big a deal on a short trip. But on the longer route we're taking we will be carrying these things for a week and if I can reasonably leave them behind i'd really like to do that, and put the little whiskey flask back in the pack!
I know this is a lower snow year and for the passes along the rest of the trip from bishop to cottonwood it seems like we can ascend/descend whatever snow still exists or find boulder/scramble routes that stay off steep and hard snow. Is that a reasonable assumption in your opinions? If yes, then it just comes down (pun intended) to whitney as the deciding factor. Ice axe is 3/4 lb and 10/12 point crampons 1.25 lb. So what would you do? Would you bring both? Maybe the axe and boot spikes (although those arent much lighter than the crampons)? Bring just the axe and plan on ascending a bit later in the day when things would be softer? Leave it all behind and enjoy the freedom that light weight provides!?
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! And before anyone says it, yes, I know that its the mountains and conditions are subject to change. Regardless of what gear we have if we get there and we decide that conditions dont allow for a reasonable margin of safety then we bail and live to climb another day. I'd like to have, say, an 80% chance that we'll be prepared for the conditions we encounter and no more than a 20% chance that we'll have to bail because we needed additional gear.
Thanks in advance, Glenn!