The freezing levels have been high - staying above the mountain for most of the last week, but convective cooling, light breezes, and long days have been making for optimal conditions on the Disappointment Cleaver Route. Almost all of the guided parties and many of the independent climbers have had successful summit attempts. And, with the route still being fairly direct, faster than normal times have been reported.
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| View from the top of Disappointment Cleaver. The route still climbs almost straight to the Crater Rim without any major traverses. |
Parties have been getting early starts to be off the upper mountain before the heat of the day. Many using 6:00 AM as their turn-around-time. This last holiday weekend felt busier, but not completely full. If you're on the fence about whether or not you'd get a walk-up permit, chances are extremely likely that you will. We didn't turn anyone away last weekend - which has historically been one of the busiest.
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| View of the Disappointment Cleaver and the camp at Ingraham Flats. Note the spine of the cleaver is almost completely rock. |
The traverse on to the cleaver remains one of the most objectively hazardous places on the route. Remember to move deliberately and efficiently through this section. Don't get caught in a slowdown behind another team right here, don't rush or trip over your crampons right here, and definitely don't stop for a photo or water right here. Do keep the rope taught, keep your head up watching for rocks, and watch your footing when traversing onto the cleaver.
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| A close up of the traverse on to Disappointment Cleaver. |
There are some ladders on the route and the amount has varied depending on where the route has been routed to. So far the ladders have just been for expediency. They cross crevasses that can be end-run one way or another, but using the ladder can make it faster to get around the crevasse. Don't trust any adjunct on the mountain in these hots temps. Inspect any handline, picket, or ladder you intend to use - they melt out quickly in these temperatures.
Come on up and enjoy some of the best conditions and most stable weather we've had all season! See you on the mountain!
