It's official! The main climbing route used by independent and guided parties is now the Disappointment Cleaver. There are two sections of the route that have adjuncts - a short handline on the traverse to get onto the Cleaver, and a short handline around 13,700-13,800 ft to get up and over a small vertical section. There are currently no ladders, and the route is pretty straight forward and wanded well. Some snow is still lingering on the Cleaver itself, but not much and not for long! It's currently about 20% snow and 80% rock. The mountain is seeing rapid change with the sun and high freezing levels. Penitentes are prevalent in areas that get a lot of sun such as the traverse onto Cathedral Gap, the Disappointment Cleaver, and the upper Muir snowfield. Crevasses are widening and rock and ice fall zones have been quite active in the last couple of days.
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| A Route to the Summit via the Disappointment Cleaver |
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| On the Disappointment Cleaver route between 13,500-13,800 feet |
What is the route? The route is a path up the mountain, maintained by the guide services for their use with their clients. It is not maintained or monitored in between these trips, it is not maintained by the park, and there is no guarantee that crossings in the route will remain good even through a single day as things are melting and changing. The route can be a relatively accessible way to access the mountain, but it's important that you know how to judge crossings and route finding for yourself on the mountain, beyond just following the footprints you see. The route is a handy tool, but it should never replace your own judgement!
What are reroutes? As the cracks melt and widen on the mountain, the route will move to accommodate these changes. If you see crossed wands over the route, this means that there is a hazard, likely a melted-out crossing, up ahead. Even if there is a clear boot pack continuing underneath those wands, that boot pack is an earlier iteration. The crossed wands are a sign to look for new routes, evaluate crevasse crossings in the area, and ensure your own safety as an independent group. You will likely also be encountering these crossings in the dark during your climb, which makes careful navigation and judgement of terrain even more critical.
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| Overview of the Disappointment Cleaver from 6-3-2023 |
Skiing: Many skiers are still making their way to Camp Muir. Conditions skiing down the Muir snowfield are challenging with runnels, sun cups, and penitentes. In other words, it is a really bumpy and a challenging ski. It is not recommended to try and ski on the upper mountain in the Muir corridor due to poor surface conditions and large crevasses. We have seen many parties hike their skis to the summit just to hike them back down again.
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| Penitentes forming on the upper mountain. |