Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditions

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clmbr

 
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Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditions

by clmbr » Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:01 pm

Image taken on July 14th, 2016.
Image

Kautz Glacier Route:
This route is in “very good” condition. The Nisqually Glacier is shallow and not complicated to cross (assuming you know what you are doing). To avoid crossing Wilson Glacier’s crevasses, climb up the (climber’s) left side of the cleaver to The Turtle. You may have to walk on the rocky cleaver for a while. To enter the ice chute bellow the Kautz Ice Cliff go left bellow Camp Hazard (you may see some camp spots there; do not follow footprints on the right side leading to the higher Camp Hazard). There is a short vertical rock section with fixed rope to rappel. Cross the first gully quickly but carefully (it looks messy) to gain access to icy slope. There are two sections of ice to climb to gain access to upper Kautz Glacier. Make no mistake; although not too steep, it is technical ice climbing at this point (climbers rappel on the way down; bring ice screws). The rest of the route is straightforward with not too many crevasses to navigate/cross (assuming you know what you are doing). Although some crevasses may be narrow; there are still deep.

Disappointment Cleaver (DC) Route:
The section bellow the summit is featured with huge crevasses/icefalls and reasonably steep slopes. Do NOT fall because some sections to deep crevasses are short and you may not be able to self arrest. The route (snow path) is rerouted by guides if necessary. Just follow the snow path and wands. Do not go in to a section which is closed by crossed wands (and rerouted). There are two short ladders above and below DC. There are several snow anchors and even fixed ropes set by guides in more dangerous sections. The upper DC is still covered with snow. Although due to the snow path leading to the summit the route is simple, it may still be very dangerous if the weather rapidly changes or a climber makes even a slight mistake.

The rock falls are all over the mountain days and nights. Make sure you are not on their way.

So DO NOT count on luck! Be prepared! Mt Rainier has already taken a few lives this season and many others have got in trouble.

NOTICE: The current conditions may vary depending on past weather.

Here is a video from my previous attempts:
Mt Rainier via Kautz Glacier Two Solo Attempts
https://www.facebook.com/MountaineeringConnections/videos/886209398173324/

Climb Safe!

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ExcitableBoy

 
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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by ExcitableBoy » Wed Jul 27, 2016 10:03 pm

Kautz Headwall looks fun and interesting. I wonder why I've not heard much about it. Looks quite simple to get to. I do think you have mislabeled Success Cleaver as Kautz Cleaver. Take a closer look, maybe I am wrong though. http://images.summitpost.org/original/696975.jpg

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clmbr

 
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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by clmbr » Thu Jul 28, 2016 7:50 pm

ExcitableBoy wrote:I do think you have mislabeled Success Cleaver as Kautz Cleaver. Take a closer look, maybe I am wrong though. http://images.summitpost.org/original/696975.jpg

Thank you for noticing it. I was not sure (logically) but according to the book I used as a reference (“Mount Rainier” by Mike Gauthier) Kautz Headwall comes before Kautz Cleaver. Also both cleavers, Success and Kautz, join before Point Success; so I just put it somewhere there. Hope anyone who would like to climb any of these routes would do more research before attempting them.

Kautz Headwall looks fun and interesting. I wonder why I've not heard much about it. Looks quite simple to get to.

Yeah, not too many people climb that route. It’s nicer if it’s completely covered with snow/ice rather than the exposed rock (well depend what you like). Access is really simple; you just traverse to the left before Wilson Glacier (or whichever way you want). As far as I remember there is only one camp spot (so I slept on rocks/boulders without a tent) but two tents should rather easily fit.

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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by ExcitableBoy » Thu Jul 28, 2016 9:56 pm

I climbed Kautz Glacier over Memorial Day weekend 1999. I'm not sure what variation we took, but we ended up on Point Success, at which point winds from the north picked me up and flipped me head over heels landing on my stomach in a self arrest position. My partner joined me and we both decided that walking upright was out of the question and Columbia Crest was a long way to crawl to, so we descended. I do feel our trip was a 'success' in that I completed my tour of the summits of Rainier; Columbia Crest, Liberty Cap, and Point Success.

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clmbr

 
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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by clmbr » Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:11 pm

Long time ago I traversed the left side of the upper glacier (along the cleaver) to Point Success. One other time spending a night on Wapowety Cleaver I backed down to Kautz and climbed it up somewhere in the middle (not sure if anyone climbs this way). This was only one time when I decided to have an “alpine start” on Rainier and soon after got stuck by a big crevasse and due to lack of visibility could not decide which way to cross it (too dark and cloudy and too many crevasses above). So I set down for a couple of hours making hot chocolate after hot chocolate to keep warm. Once I was able to see the big picture I entered the labyrinth (toward Point Success). Most often, however, I just go over Wapowety Cleaver. Well, due to high winds I have been crawling to the top a few times too :)

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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by ExcitableBoy » Thu Jul 28, 2016 11:38 pm

I think a fun trip in April would be to ski the West Side road, ski/Climb Tahoma Glacier, ski down Furhur Finger, down the Nisqually, exit at the bridge and hitch a ride back to the car.

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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by clmbr » Fri Jul 29, 2016 5:24 am

I do not ski :oops:

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Re: Mt Rainier Kautz & Disappointment Cleaver Routes Conditi

by ExcitableBoy » Fri Jul 29, 2016 4:47 pm

If you are foot, then a classy traverse would be climb Tahoma Glacier (a bit later than April), down DC to Paradise where you have stashed a bike and ride back to your car.


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