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cryder
Dec 14, 2004, 2:35 AM
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Just curious what winter weather other climbers doing big alpine routes are willing to climb in (assuming moderate avi danger)?
1) Sunny side up with a side of blue bird skies please.
2) Overkast for the outkast. Aka "Visibility is only good for focusing on what you aren't climbing."
3) It turns out Spindrift tastes better with blood.
4) Come down from the mountain with white hair and stone tablets day.
I think I will head up in 3 weather, and hope for the best if it turns into a 4 day... and keep climbing. But it depends on the mood. I have had some of my best climbs in pis poor conditions, and think that it enriches the overall experience. Summit or not, I wouldn't trade those for anything.
Also seems to me that 80% of storm climbing is mental. The other 20% is mountain savvy and liking how blood tastes. Of course, the overall commitment of a climb will cause me to think twice before hoping on the granite playground in the sky.
- n -
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lazyjammin
Dec 14, 2004, 2:40 AM
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I will climb in any decent weather. Maybe your level three. Though if its bad enough I wont go out. For example the other day I led a .10 pitch in light rain and cold weather. My hands were frozen and painful at the top. Could barely clip the rope. But it was memorable, and I guess now I know what those alpine climbers do. :D
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mounthubris
Dec 14, 2004, 2:58 AM
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Just check the screen name, I'll take all 4 and a side of Blizzard. ;)
On amore serious note, there is deffinately a draw to bad weather. Part of mountaineering is, of course, pushing yourself and seeing what you can accomplish. But, last time I expereinced a storm, it was only a day hike/climb at 12,000 feat, and it sucked quite bad, thanks. As I took my glove off to snap a picture, I noticed "Damn, I realy wnt tht glove back on". Exposed skin lost heat fast, it kind drove home the point that there is a reason there is nothing up here in the winter...cuz nothing alive is supposed to be here.
In summation... I guess it all depends. ;)
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climbhoser
Dec 14, 2004, 3:36 AM
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For me it depends on the nature of the climb. If I'm climbing Ice and can keep my hands in the gloves, then bring on the weather. However, here's an epic tale of how weather plus darkness made it beyond bearable, unless one were to know the future:
We did the Sawtooth Ridge in Colorado in January. It's not that bad, but can get kind of Avy prone in some of the areas, and can develop a wee bit of ice. Also, routefinding can prove difficult, and there are lots of dead ends. We got to the other side almost at sunset, and my partners went for the summit of Mt. Evans. I stayed back because I knew something bad was on its way. Sure enough, they ran out of time and wouldn't have picked their way down in the ensuing darkness were it not for my lone headlamp in the distance. So, between three of us we had one functioning headlamp. With the drop in pressures came a stinging graupel storm with good 50 mph winds. This was so bad that eyes could only be opened mere seconds at a time (maybe five). Between blinks I led my friends down the ridge by a single spot of light ten feet in front of me and intuition (or inspiration).
This was bad weather, and not something I'm comfortable with. Were it in light goggles would have been an option. If I had clear lenses, then again, goggles would have helped. Part of the problem was crappy planning, though I'm not sure my partners having headlamps really would have made much of a difference.
Cold I can deal with, blowing snow I can deal with, blizzards I can deal with. What I can't deal with is not having the gear to properly deal
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chossdog
Dec 20, 2004, 1:04 AM
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Once did the Coleman Glacier on Baker in a whiteout. That is whiteout from BC at 7,400' to the summit back down to BC. It was lovely 8 hour day at near zero visibility. We originally planned to climb the North Ridge route. With the crux being just getting across the Coleman without falling into a deep slot we reasoned the "dog" route was the better part of valor. BTW the weather window that was forecast for the North Cascades arrived exactly 10 minutes after we returned to base camp.
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myrmidon
Dec 20, 2004, 1:09 AM
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Whether its raining or whether its hot
I'm gonna go climbing, weather or not.
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euroford
Dec 20, 2004, 2:38 PM
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it really just depends on where i'm at and what i intend to do.
i've bailed becouse of a little bit of precipitation on a perfect temprature day and i've started days and plowed on through during total shitstorms.
if i'm trad climbing it depends on where i'm at. at devils lake, a little bit of rain really screws you becouse of the slick quartzite, so i bail. when i lived down south and climbed in the witchitas nothing would really stop me. when i'm at other areas it depends on my gut at the time, i'm not nearly as familier with local weather paterns ect. when out of my local crags so this impeads confidence.
in an ice/alpine/mountaineering settings its all about wind and viz. when you can't see, and the wind is blowing your chances of good navigation are nil, so i usually know best to bail/bivy/camp.
when aid climbing i don't stop until the weather goes to 11 on a scale of 1-10.
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drake
Dec 20, 2004, 2:48 PM
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Depends what I'm climbing.
rock routes with "shake & warms" in the chalk bag instead of chalk are fine. I admit, the less I can feel my finger tips, I will choose an easier grade . Then climbing in gloves dictates the grade.
I've climbed all day in rain. Water poring down off the rock. Hat with bill required to see gear placements. Water running into armpits. I can't climb any harder that 5.4 in conditions like that. Good mental training.
Also climbed in July, on dark colored rock in the sun. Sweating badly enough, the chalk dripped from my elbow like milk.
WI 5 with spindrift and -10F with a breeze on a sunless day is getting tough. Any colder and it's time to wait for warmer weather.
I like climbing in AK if that tells you anything.
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cryder
Dec 21, 2004, 3:41 AM
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Registered: Oct 14, 2003
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In reply to: ...What I can't deal with is not having the gear to properly deal
Tru dat.
Funny how sometimes we agonize over what not to bring (light and fast), and then when the crap starts to pour its the little things like having goggles or a hood, or a belay jacket that make a huge morale boost. And morale seems to be vast majority of being able to cope with a day stuck in the alpine rock tumbler. That and experience...knowing where that thin gray line is, between just right and just wrong.
In retrospect tho, of the (unintentional) epics I have had, its just never been because of ONLY crap weather. Its little insideous things that seem to all ad up at once for the knock out blow. Dropped gear, stuck rope, bonking... add weather and it's an epic. Hope you can swim.
I have learned over the past few years to bring alpine "candy"... sure fire morale boosters. A decadent rich belgian chocolate, a smuggled can of kipered snacks (the oil is like mountain diesel fuel), and in dire straights; a good hard look at a laminated picture of my 10 month old daughter.
- n -
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adamtd
Dec 26, 2004, 7:34 PM
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Registered: Nov 11, 2002
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As long as I'm not blown from my feet, I'll climb in anything. I've even climbed on a couple of occasions, when the wind did blow me off my feet and I just got back up and continued on.
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tallnik
Dec 26, 2004, 10:40 PM
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Registered: Apr 18, 2004
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Depends where I'm at and what I'm doing.
Last time I was on Mt. Washington it was blowing pretty hard, snowing, and we were in the clouds. Had the right gear, and was a lot of fun.
Climbing in Austria at an area called Peilstein (Limestone) in a light rain was fine. Rock seemed to stay dry somehow.
Give me a bluebird day and I'm happy, give me a shit day and the right place with the right stuff, and I'm happy. Give me all hell breaking loose and a tent with good company, I'm happy. If it's that only day I have off for a week to go climbing trad and it's pissing, meh... then I'm not so happy.
Cheers,
nik
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