Ice Axe on Teewinot
Posted: Wed May 09, 2012 6:20 pm
This August I'm hoping to hike up the east face of Teewinot, and with the low snow levels this year, I was wondering if it would be doable without an ice axe. I know what most would say: "That's stupid, why not just err on the side of caution and take one?", but it's complicated (wife doesn't want me doing anything that requires one, so if I can make the case that it doesn't then I'm good to go). I've heard of accidents occuring on the two steep semi-permanent snowfields on the way up, but for those who have done the route in August of a dry year, do you think they'd be melted out enough to bypass without too much additional effort?