With blowing wind and snow we left the comfort of the parking lot. Hiking up into the soupy clouds, we found refuge in a small grove of trees at the edge of a large cornice. Everyone worked diligently despite the weather and camp was set up in no time.
During the last six days this was our reality, changing weather, considerable avalanche conditions, and great climbing. We went through skills such as crampon walking, ice axe arrest, and rope travel. We put these newfound skills to the test on the Gib ledges route. Full of fun alpine climbing and glacier travel the Gib ledges route is a Mt. Rainier classic.
While all these class sessions were enjoyable it seems that the group had the most fun with crevasse rescue and haul systems. First we gave an introduction to haul systems inside the hut. Then once a significant understanding was established we took it to the glacier. We built two anchors and lowered people into a beautiful crevasse on the Cowlitz glacier.
After the crevasse session we returned to camp and awoke to howling winds and blowing snow. A short guide meeting in the morning determined descending was safe. Navigating by GPS we found our way down in the 50 to 60 mph winds. Despite the adverse conditions the weather played a perfect role in the training for Denali. Thanks for the great trip team, hope to see you in the future. Keep Climbing!
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