SummitPost.org

Short question, followed by a longer backstory.

Are there any high(er) altitude and preferably glaciated mountaineering objectives that are still in the realm of near-sanity during October/November? Only caveat is that it needs to be in the lower 48. I'm pretty sure Rainier is out of the question. Hood? Baker? Something else?

Backstory for anyone who cares: I just got myself invited on a non-guided Aconcagua expedition this coming January. I'd be the 4th guy on a team of strong and fairly experienced climbers. The leader has done Vinson, Elbrus, Everest (but turned around by weather), some S. American volcanoes, etc.

Meanwhile I have done nothing at altitude, ever. Highest I've climbed is probably Mt Baldy at about 12.5K at Philmont Scout Ranch when I was a kid. On the flip side, I know a hell of a lot more than the average first time mountaineering newbie. 10+ years climbing, 5+ years leading trad up to 5.10, going on my 2nd year leading ice up to WI4, and many years of winter camping. Also an EMT, WFR, blah blah blah, not trying to spray. I'll shut up.

So here's the rub - I don't want to be a liability to my team. I want to have at least 1 or 2 peaks and some glacier practice under my belt before flying south. Due to a 7 hour flight delay earlier this year, Airtran gifted me with a single use round trip ticket to anywhere they fly in the US.

What can I do? I don't mind the cold, I don't mind postholing, I just don't want to get nailed by rockfall or swept off by an avy.

Alternatively, is it worth wasting my free ticket to fly out to just get on a glacier and practice crevasse rescue (and not even making a summit attempt)? Phrased differently, can I just go out to my local crag and practice z pulleys etc, or do I need to be on a glacier? I'm a poor 26 year old so flights are at a premium for me. Don't want to blow my one chance to make it out to the PNW for the next year just to play around for 2-3 days.

East side of the Sierra should have lots of reasonable options for you. All over the place.

If you're looking to get high up without weather being as much of an issue, there's always Pikes Peak (CO) and White Mt. (CA). They each have roads, so bailing is easier, and they're near great places to bail to.

brokesomeribs wrote:Due to a 7 hour flight delay earlier this year, Airtran gifted me with a single use round trip ticket to anywhere they fly in the US.

I didn't even know they were still in business. I got screwed by Air Tranny back in 2000. They made us miss our connection in ATL, and I got to New York 4 hours late and at the wrong airport (LGA instead of EWR), which cost me a night's sleep and my company a nice $130 in cab fare.

To aid the discussion, their western destinations are Denver, Phoenix, Vegas, Seattle, San Fran, L.A., and San Diego.

mrchad9 wrote:East side of the Sierra should have lots of reasonable options for you. All over the place.

What he said

markv wrote:If you're looking to get high up without weather being as much of an issue, there's always Pikes Peak (CO) and White Mt. (CA). They each have roads, so bailing is easier, and they're near great places to bail to.

Thanks for the suggestions. Pike's Peak was one of my thoughts - I drove to the top once. I was thinking if the first snows have hit, I could carry my approach skis up for some weight training and then ski the road all the way back down. On the flip side, it's not so much the altitude I'm specifically concerned about, so PP (and similar objectives) would just be a fun training trip, but I could get similar training in without getting on a plane.

It's the glacier/crevasse skills and multi-day mountaineering logistical kinks I want to work out. That's what I can't do here on the East Coast, and certainly not by November.

You don't need to be on a glacier to practice crevasse rescue, but snow would be helpful. Build proper anchors, build proper pulley systems, and haul your friend up a snow slope. We dug a huge pit (>10 feet deep) on a short 30 degree slope and pulled people out of it, enough to know whether you're doing something right or wrong. To practice self rescue, well you can do that anywhere. Use rafters in your garage, or a guardrail on a 2nd story patio, anything. You don't have to climb very high, have your friend lower the rope as you ascend it...

James_W wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:East side of the Sierra should have lots of reasonable options for you. All over the place.

What he said

Did some reading - looks like Shasta might be the ticket. I figure I can get out for about 9-10 days. Got any other recommended routes in the area? Good alpine rock route suggestions (Up to Grade IV, 5.8, A0) are also welcome.

Uhh... if you take a course, I wouldn't do it on Rainier. There are cheaper and better ones elsewhere in the Cascades.

And if you've got an international plane ticket, and want to meet some girls, much better destinations than Vegas out there. C'mon Pete!!!

mrchad9 wrote:Uhh... if you take a course, I wouldn't do it on Rainier. There are cheaper and better ones elsewhere in the Cascades.

And if you've got an international plane ticket, and want to meet some girls, much better destinations than Vegas out there. C'mon Pete!!!

Yeah go to Montreal

1000Pks wrote:I thought Aconcagua by the standard route was a scree climb.

Me too.
If you want to get some crevasse rescue training, you can do that on Mt Washington (to get some early season snow for anchor practice) or any crag. If you want some altitude experience, then go to Orizaba in Mexico. 18,500 feet will let you experience the joys of AMS.

bird wrote:

1000Pks wrote:I thought Aconcagua by the standard route was a scree climb.

Me too.

Yes, steep, rocky trail, kind-of crappy in places. But with the OP's discussion of glacier training, my thoughts are to safely assume there is no way his party is planning to go via the Normal Route. In January, depending on the year, you might summit without getting your boots wet. That's how it was for us in 2007; in fact, I wore running shoes for all but the last couple thousand feet.

brokesomeribs,

Sounds like you need to get clear on what route your team is planning to climb.

Neither the highly popular Normal Route or the Polish Traverse (Vacas Valley approach) present any glacier problems.

The Polish Direct is a different story and frankly, based on your experience, that may be a problem for you.

Route considerations aside, in terms of training for Aconcagua the biggest challenge faced by most climbers is a combination of the altitude and the length of the climb. Climbing Rainier or any other peak in the lower 48 at most is an effort of just a few days. Climbing Aconcagua is a three week effort for all but the strongest and most acclimatized people. Good preparation for Aconcagua includes as much multi day hiking/climbing as you can manage to fit in before your trip. Similarly, the best way to prep for the altitude is to be as fit as possible at the start and to allow yourself plenty of time to get up the mountain.

Good Luck and Have fun!

It sounds like adventurer has done Aconcgua. So have I. You will not need glacier/ice climbing skills unless you do the Polish direct route. You will need a desire to suffer from the altitude and cold.
Regarding training, just one trip to a 14'er will help you learn what to expect at Plaza Mulas or Plaza Argentina, but that is about all. For training, I did 5-6 cardio sessions/week, 30-90 minutes each. My conditioning hikes were at GSMNP every weekend. On Mt Sterling, I made (and still do) 4,100' ascents with a 50 pound pack in 3:15.
Good luck, have fun and don't die.

Thanks for the advice everyone. At this point we're planning on doing the Normal Route, which like everyone says, is mostly a scree slog. However, we're open to alternate routes which do have crevasse danger and will be making the final decision much closer to the climb based on snow conditions, weather, final group, etc.

I don't want to be a weak link and prevent our group from choosing a certain climb based on lack of skills.