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WyomingSummits wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:

WyomingSummits wrote:

mrchad9 wrote:Probably. Especially if I keep passing out unfiltered water.

Passing out from unfiltered water....what a lightweight.

Uhh... Passing out = handing out.

No one said 'passing out from'

lol.......can't believe you felt the need to explain that!

I can't believe that made you laugh out loud.

mrchad9 wrote:But I don't know that I would consider Hood that challenging. Maybe if he did Hood, Adams, and Saint Helens in winter all within a week?

It's just a great break-in to technical winter climbing. Not necessarily challenging, if you take the Old Chute and conditions are easy.. but you don't have to take the Old Chute, and even if you do, it ices up enough up there that even the Old Chute can become an easy technical route. Hook up with a local Hood climber, and you can cut your teeth on real alpine climbing on the north side, or experience the tower-mazes of the east side, or try your hand at easy mixed on Devil's Kitchen's headwall, etc... and it's all a 2-4 hour approach, no single route requiring more than 8 hours (most closer to 4-5), none physically grueling, and with rescue easier and warmth closer than probably any other alpine peak in the United States.

A better training ground for alpine climbing, you will not find. IMHO.

I would second the recommendation for the Sawatch or maybe the Ten Mile range in CO. I did Elbert in February '05 and the postholing was actually minimal. Very fun climb.

In CA, Mt Langley is a very forgiving winter 14er. And I would also second the Montaineers route on Whitney as one of the all time North American winter favorites. And Shasta via Casaval ridge is accessible and not too technical.

Take a look also at Timpanogos in UT. It seems to get a fair bit of winter traffic. Might look at the Yellowstone basin as well, but most of the Rockies north of RMNP are best left to the experts.

For something a little obscure but worthy, take a look at Boundary Peak/Montgomery Peak in NV/CA. Telescope Peak in Death Valley, too. Not summits to brag about at the bar back home, but would gain you some cred with the real mountaineers.

Of course if I had to pick a winter climb, maybe Mauna Loa sounds nice about now...

Take a look also at Timpanogos in UT.

I must respectfully disagree on this one. While a spectacular climb, out of all the (literally hundreds) of mountains I've climbed or attempted in winter, Timpanogos is definitely one of the most avalanche prone (probably #1 of any mountain I've set foot on in winter). In summer, it may be no more than a trail with a few minor scrambles, but in winter it's strictly for experienced climbers only.

So the standard route on Elbert is fairly straightforward in winter with moderate to low avy dager? I was tinkering with a winter/spring attempt on it....while closely monitoring the weather of course. Is the access road maintained?

The standard winter route on Elbert is via the East Ridge from Twin Lakes. It has low avalanche danger as long as you stay on route and the road is open to Twin Lakes.