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Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 1:03 am
by sm0421
Jow, Humphrey is easier than Elbert, 100% sure.

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 12:49 pm
by Bark Eater
I climbed Humphrey's back in 2009. As I was approaching the ridge there were two female voices continually gaining on me from behind. Two women trail runners caught me at the ridgeline, running uphill at 12K feet in non-stop, full conversation. Made me feel inadequate :-)

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 3:40 pm
by Alpinist
Catamount wrote:Glad you had a great trip GEM Trail. One more highpoint and you'll be eligible for the 25-state completer pin. Of the pins I have, I think it's the coolest of the bunch.

Can't tell you anything about the SW couloir since I didn't go that way. Took the traditional FTD plateau route. For good information, check out musicman82's recent TR. Really well-done report.

48 HPs, by the way. Purists can throw an asterisk on Rainier if they want since I didn't tag Columbia Crest. Hood and Denali are all I have left. :)

Catamount - I respect your accomplishments but I don't see how you can count Rainier when you didn't reach the true summit. Call me a purist I guess but there's only 1 highest point and you're either on it or you're not. Would you count Denali if you turned back at the Football Field, or Mt Hood if you turned back at the Pearly Gates? Sorry for being such a downer after what you accomplished during your trip. You accompished a lot by any measure.

Maybe we can climb Rainier together someday. I plan to go back and climb it unguided so that I can claim doing all of the state highpoints unguided. After all, you have to go back to climb Mt Hood right? It's just down the road... :)

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 5:45 pm
by Jow
question regarding Alpinist point. when you go with a guided group do they typically stop prior to the true summit?

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 08, 2012 6:52 pm
by Alpinist
I climbed with RMI in 2001. They split the group inside the crater. Out of 19 people, only myself and a buddy opted to climb the western rim. Everyone else rested. It took us about 30 mins or so... You should confirm that with your guide service before going though.

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Thu Aug 09, 2012 5:10 am
by Alpinist
sm0421 wrote:I plan on doing Granite SW Couloir this August and Boudary in early December, will report back.

I hope this wasn't your group. Did you make it?

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 2:11 am
by sm0421
Just got down. Amazing sunny weather for 3 days. 4 people in our group.

I turned back at the entrance of the coloir because I'm not sure if I can make it safe down by myself at the first move.

A friend and a 44er both turned back in the middle part, way too many loose rocks.

A 48er completed the summit!

The SW coloir approach is a spectacular trip in itself. Constant view and lakes, unbelievable terrain, just hike to the sky top glacier is 110% worth it.

However i don't think an 'agile dog' can make it and condition changed with many loose rocks. And the approach is still very steep and exposed, too much risk for me to take. My fried kicked off a night stand sized rock and you just don't know which ones you can trust.

Next time I'll probably go with guidesI from the north side, this trip has been phenomenal.

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Tue Aug 14, 2012 5:21 pm
by Jow
sm0421 wrote:Just got down. Amazing sunny weather for 3 days. 4 people in our group.

I turned back at the entrance of the coloir because I'm not sure if I can make it safe down by myself at the first move.

A friend and a 44er both turned back in the middle part, way too many loose rocks.

A 48er completed the summit!

The SW coloir approach is a spectacular trip in itself. Constant view and lakes, unbelievable terrain, just hike to the sky top glacier is 110% worth it.

However i don't think an 'agile dog' can make it and condition changed with many loose rocks. And the approach is still very steep and exposed, too much risk for me to take. My fried kicked off a night stand sized rock and you just don't know which ones you can trust.

Next time I'll probably go with guidesI from the north side, this trip has been phenomenal.



Glad you had a good time and made it down safely. We were all wishing you guys well after hearing about the rock fall recently.

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 1:50 am
by GEM Trail
sm, thanks for the info on the SW couloir route. It must have been really sketchy if 3/4 of you turned around! Are you still in Royersford? I just moved back to Philly!

sjarelkwind, what an awesome project! I have to admit that I think it would be cooler to do the European HPs than the US HPs. The Alps, Urals, Tatras, Iceland and Scandanavia- oh my God! Harder, too, since I bet there are very few drive ups. I wonder how many of those are on par with the Western US HPs?

Can't help on figuring distance, but obviously with all the border crossings, languages, currency, and other issues related to visiting so many countries, you will require an incredible amount of research, organization and planning. No doubt you will do them all in one season! How long do you think it will take? Where do you anticipate problems climbing? Travelling?

And just one suggestion: in the US, as already noted, most people start when they summit Denali because it's the hardest. Do you maybe want to order some of the peaks, not on the distances, but on climbing the hardest ones first, or timing some of them to get the best weather or climing conditions?

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:01 am
by sm0421
Hey GEM, I moved to Reading recently, not much to hike around Philly, I probably hiked The Pinnacle 10 times and that was it. Maybe we should meet up and do some weekend hikes.

3 of us turned back because it was too much risk to take at that time...and I was thinking about my wife, just married for a year and I really wanted to be safe. I'm afraid of height and exposure and just wasn't sure if I can down climb highly exposed ledges by myself. I researched the SW route countlessly and read just about every trip report on the internet many times, it's harder and longer than what they described :) But I'll definitely come back. I'm very familiar with the BEST route to hike-in/hike-out/camp site, it will save you much time and energy.

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The entrance of the coloir and where I turned back, it's very steep and exposed, doesn't look like it in the picture though.

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2 friends started to hike down.

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Almost down.

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Look back to the valley from the entrance of the coloir.

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Friendly mountain goats stayed with our camp site for 2 nights.

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 2:06 am
by GEM Trail
Wow sm, that picture of the valley is incredible! Is there anything you would do differently for the next time up there, either in training or gear selection? Definitely up for a weekend hike sometime.

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Wed Aug 15, 2012 12:41 pm
by Bark Eater
GEM Trail wrote: Definitely up for a weekend hike sometime.

I'm in Wilmington. Holler if you guys want to hook up for a local adventure some time. Elichten was in Exton but I believe he moved to Europe. Hotoven is in Lancaster. Maybe time for a SE PA SummitPost gathering!

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 4:33 am
by tigerlilly
Hi All,
FYI

We got a group of 5 up the SW chute of Montana's Granite Peak, this past weekend.

I posted details here: Northern Rockies Forum \Granite Peak Conditions.

BTW, Congrats to Bob Webster~ this was his 49th successful peak ! only Denali is left....
:-)

-TL

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Thu Aug 16, 2012 4:47 am
by GEM Trail
About a mid-Atlantic meetup: Hell yeah! And if anyone is going to the Philly Folk Fest this weekend, let me know and we'll go climb Spring Mountain!

Re: STATE HIGHPOINT CLIMBERS

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2012 2:33 am
by Hotoven
Florida Frank wrote:
GEM Trail wrote: Definitely up for a weekend hike sometime.

I'm in Wilmington. Holler if you guys want to hook up for a local adventure some time. Elichten was in Exton but I believe he moved to Europe. Hotoven is in Lancaster. Maybe time for a SE PA SummitPost gathering!



I am extremely busy, but would be willing to carve out a Saturday or Sunday to hang out and climb/hike. :P