Based on your posts, I'd recommend staying as close to the ridge as possible and bypassing anything that looks beyond a couple moves of 4th class to the left/east.
For the most part, this will put you on Bill's website route but perhaps a little higher at spots between the Knife Edge and the fin. Remember than sometimes a couple moves of 4th class on solid rock is preferred over several moves of 2nd/3rd class on questionable rock.
Don't get sucked too low on the left onto social trails as they wind up in looser terrain. Go up whenever feasible.
Same when descending. Stay as high as possible but take east-side detours whenever the going looks harder than a couple 4th class moves.
Yes, there's loose rock, but not much people with your experience wouldn't be able to identify and take precautions. Your group will likely be more prepared for this than most.
Capitol Peak difficulty
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Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
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Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
Anyone have advice on how much wind is to much. Seems like all mountains and saddles have wind. Any particular wind speed you would turn back or not do the trip?
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Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
40 mph
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Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
If you're speaking specifically about Capitol I'd start to get concerned about the Knife Edge at around maybe 30mph or so.
If it's a ho-hum peak that's not real exposed then I've pushed into 50mph or more, but that becomes a chore (especially in winter when it's bitter cold).
I've crawled along narrow ridge tops before due to wind in the 50-60mph range (based on looking up data from the nearest official reading) - that gets pretty crazy... These days if there's a narrow ridge involved I'm more likely to change plans at around 40mph (or lower for extreme exposure).
Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
Also use some of this to determine if it's too windy
Aside from the ridge around the knife edge most of the capitol route is leeward of prevailing winds, but that's quite a stretchhttp://www.listsofjohn.com/m/cougar
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Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
What’s your record for consecutive questions asked?
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Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
Thank you. I was specifically asking about capitol. Everyone talks about how weather is so important so I just wanted to double-check on the Wind since weather report maybe calling for up to 25 miles per hour on the day we want to do it. We've done Peaks like Shavano with 60 miles per hour but obviously that is different than capitoldaway8 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 13, 2021 10:16 pmIf you're speaking specifically about Capitol I'd start to get concerned about the Knife Edge at around maybe 30mph or so.
If it's a ho-hum peak that's not real exposed then I've pushed into 50mph or more, but that becomes a chore (especially in winter when it's bitter cold).
I've crawled along narrow ridge tops before due to wind in the 50-60mph range (based on looking up data from the nearest official reading) - that gets pretty crazy... These days if there's a narrow ridge involved I'm more likely to change plans at around 40mph (or lower for extreme exposure).
Re: Capitol Peak difficulty
After about an hour of 50mph below the high saddle on Shavano last October, when I reached the saddle at 13,380 the winds were a constant 70mph. After a few short minutes in that I decided to turn back.
On a mountain like Capitol, I would not feel very comfortable in any wind above 30 to 40 mph.
On a mountain like Capitol, I would not feel very comfortable in any wind above 30 to 40 mph.