my winter climbs...let me know
Forum rules
- This is a mountaineering forum, so please keep your posts on-topic. Posts do not all have to be related to the 14ers but should at least be mountaineering-related.
- Personal attacks and confrontational behavior will result in removal from the forum at the discretion of the administrators.
- Do not use this forum to advertise, sell photos or other products or promote a commercial website.
- Posts will be removed at the discretion of the site administrator or moderator(s), including: Troll posts, posts pushing political views or religious beliefs, and posts with the purpose of instigating conflict within the forum.
For more details, please see the Terms of Use you agreed to when joining the forum.
-
liquid1187
- Posts: 5
- Joined: 2/26/2010
- Trip Reports (0)
my winter climbs...let me know
Hey all, just wanted to run by my winter climbs I am planning on climbing in the middle/end of may. Please let me know if any of them are not climbable this time of year without any equipment. I have been over Quandry and sherman already and am looking for some other options. Please help me out. I am planning on climbing Oxford/Belford, Huron, La Plata and Humbolt and probably Challenger. Are all of these ok?
-
emcee smith
- Posts: 212
- Joined: 5/8/2007
- 14ers: 58 1
- 13ers: 23
- Trip Reports (52)
Re: my winter climbs...let me know
Obviously year to year the conditions can change. Typically, you will start seeing trip reports in May and can judge conditions from them. Last year I was able to do Yale and a solid attempt on Antero in May without equipment other than poles and microspikes/yaktrax.
Elbert seems to be an early favorite. I just got back from Humboldt, it is ready for a spring climb on the east ridge.
The others I am not sure of, but there is a good route up the south side of La Plata if the road is melted out.
That being said, snowshoes seem to be pretty standard equipment for this time of year, especially below treeline. What seems solid in the morning is knee deep slush in the afternoon. I would typically take some other sort of traction for the inevitable snowfields up high, and I am a big believer in microspikes.
Good Luck
Elbert seems to be an early favorite. I just got back from Humboldt, it is ready for a spring climb on the east ridge.
The others I am not sure of, but there is a good route up the south side of La Plata if the road is melted out.
That being said, snowshoes seem to be pretty standard equipment for this time of year, especially below treeline. What seems solid in the morning is knee deep slush in the afternoon. I would typically take some other sort of traction for the inevitable snowfields up high, and I am a big believer in microspikes.
Good Luck
"Chug a luggin up one side, glidin down the other, [I'm] a lover of the other side of the hill"
Re: my winter climbs...let me know
You have to be a lot more specific. What kind of equipment?without any equipment
There are no 14ers in May that can be climbed "without any equipment".
I'm old, slow and fat. Unfortunately, those are my good qualities.
-
liquid1187
- Posts: 5
- Joined: 2/26/2010
- Trip Reports (0)
Re: my winter climbs...let me know
Well, I guess I mean just that. I mean just hiking up there with just some good hiking boots. No spikes, poles, snowshoes etc.
-
jf32
- Posts: 327
- Joined: 7/2/2008
- 14ers: 58 2
- Trip Reports (13)
Re: my winter climbs...let me know
2 quick points - 1) I always use poles so would take em on all the hikes you mentioned 2) snow coverage is different year to year obviously and my experiences last year may not provide any useful info for this year. That said here goes.
I did Bel/Oxford last may and have a tr up (may 2nd). Snow coverage wasn't bad at all but snowshoes helped a bit on the return.
I did La Plata on May 25th last year and rock hopped the last 1000 feet or so - i didn't need or use snowshoes but my axe came in handy for a fun and time saving glissade.
I did Huron on May 15th (and Princeton on the 14th) - didn't use snowshoes on either - axe again was handy on a glissade on Huron.
I don't own microspikes and have only used em when I've borrowed them from friends. My thoughts on them - they're useful but not enough to make me purchase em yet (too many things on my to buy gear list ahead of them). That said if i had em i'd prob wear em on all the hikes you mentioned.
I didn't get to the Sangres until mid/late june so I have no info on what it's like there. I'd add Shav/Tab to your list - I may reclimb em this year (or shavano anyway) because I enjoyed glissading the Angel (one day I'll have to learn to ski). Basically once you get out in the Sawatch and get a feel for snow conditions most of them are pretty manageable that time of year.
edit: I did all the above hikes in trailrunners for what that's worth.
I did Bel/Oxford last may and have a tr up (may 2nd). Snow coverage wasn't bad at all but snowshoes helped a bit on the return.
I did La Plata on May 25th last year and rock hopped the last 1000 feet or so - i didn't need or use snowshoes but my axe came in handy for a fun and time saving glissade.
I did Huron on May 15th (and Princeton on the 14th) - didn't use snowshoes on either - axe again was handy on a glissade on Huron.
I don't own microspikes and have only used em when I've borrowed them from friends. My thoughts on them - they're useful but not enough to make me purchase em yet (too many things on my to buy gear list ahead of them). That said if i had em i'd prob wear em on all the hikes you mentioned.
I didn't get to the Sangres until mid/late june so I have no info on what it's like there. I'd add Shav/Tab to your list - I may reclimb em this year (or shavano anyway) because I enjoyed glissading the Angel (one day I'll have to learn to ski). Basically once you get out in the Sawatch and get a feel for snow conditions most of them are pretty manageable that time of year.
edit: I did all the above hikes in trailrunners for what that's worth.
When you come to a fork in the road take it
