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| Emmons-Winthrop Route from Camp Schurman. |
Over the course of the last month, fewer and fewer climbers have been showing up to Camp Schurman in order to attempt the Emmons-Winthrop Glacier Route. With late-season route finding challenges, broken glacial conditions, high temperatures, and intense smoke it's not hard to see why climbing numbers are on a downward trend. With that being said, there are still a number of teams trickling into camp and attempting to climb. For those parties well versed in glacial navigation, route finding and managing tricky crevasse hazards, success has come in the form of 14-17 hour summit climbs. Despite having previous experience, these teams reported challenging route finding in the dark, given the lack of bootpack and the haphazard nature of crevasses strewn about the mountain. Many teams that showed up to camp and felt unprepared to handle to challenges of the current route. They decided to bag their climb and simply enjoy a night in the alpine.
Overall, the route is still following the same general track that was posted on 8/6/18. Climbers continue to report insecure cracks just out of camp, on the lower corridor, traversing back to the north around 12,500'-12,600', and again near the bergschrund at 13,400'. In addition to the upper mountain, it's worth noting that hazardous conditions can be found much lower as well. Glide cracks and overhung crevasses are beginning to open up along the edge of Camp Schurman. Climbers should pay attention to where they are walking when collecting snow and pitching their tents.
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| View of the Inter Glacier |
In addition, as the summer heat continues to take its toll, the Inter Glacier has melted out to a point that is quite hazardous due to increased rockfall, open crevasses and large expanses of exposed ice. Teams should pay extra attention to the hazard both overhead and underfoot. Once atop the Inter Glacier, the standard descent onto the Emmons from Camp Curtis is also causing issues for inexperienced teams. As the glacier and seasonal snowpack recede from the ridge, what's left behind is steep, crumbly terrain that is insecure underfoot and exposed to the moat below. Although one can see from the photo that the route still connects, teams should be prepared to handle this terrain, provide security through some form of belay or perhaps turn around all together. Once onto the Emmons, a long traverse will bring you up and around so that you actually drop down into Camp Schurman as opposed to climbing up into it. Doing so avoids the loose, crumbly and steep slope that climbers use earlier in the year to access camp.
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| Line showing the route onto the Emmons Glacier at about 9000 feet. |
