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| The Cleaver has a fresh coat. |
After almost a week of parties
not making it to the summit via the DC Route (due to stormy weather and higher avalanche hazard), groups made it to the top today! There's a smearing of new snow covering most of the rocky portions of the route (Cathedral Gap and the Disappointment Cleaver itself) making for great cramponing.
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| Current track log, but keep it mind it changes frequently this time of year! |
The route currently rolls out of Camp Muir, across the Cowlitz Glacier (keep an eye out for occasional rockfall just out of camp and just before Cathedral Gap) and up to Ingraham Flats. From the Flats, climbers have been heading up glacier fairly high, almost to 11,400 feet before traversing across the Ingraham Glacier and onto the Disappointment Cleaver. Don't linger on this traverse - it's another place prone to rock and ice falling from above. Once on the cleaver, the route ascends the spine, or the snowfield climber's left of the spine, until the top at about 12,400'. The top of the cleaver is a great place to take a break. Since the route traverses from the top of the cleaver out across the Ingraham Glacier to the top of Gibraltar Rock - and this traverse is prone to icefall from above - it's best to take breaks before or after this portion of the route.
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| The traverse above the Cleaver to Camp Comfort (climbers in the middle for scale) - notice the large seracs looming above! |
Once at Camp Comfort (the saddle formed by the top of Gibraltar Rock connecting with the upper mountain at about 12,800') the route switchbacks almost directly up to the crater rim. There's a couple of steeper sections with small crevasse crossings on the upper mountain - don't be hesitant to place running protection or belay short pitches when the surface conditions are such that team-arrest would be impossible if someone on the rope team were to fall into the crevasse.
Be aware that the "route" can change daily, especially when the freezing level goes to above 10,000 feet. Often times climbers will be confronted with multiple boot packs and old stray wands and have to make navigation decisions for themselves. Just remember: there's no guarantee that a crevasse bridge that you cross on the way up will be there on the way down. Always be looking for alternative paths.
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| Looking down on Gibraltar Rock. |
Lastly, it's the best and busiest time of year to be on the DC Route! Try to remember and smile to your fellow climbers while on route - effective communication makes everyone safer on the mountain. Planning who will step uphill or stay in the boot pack, when to pause on switchbacks, and planning strategic snack breaks facilitates smooth summit bids. Come on out and enjoy prime time on the mountain!
