First, as a reminder, the Public Shelter at Camp Muir is closed for the season. Please plan on bringing a tent/bivy to stay at Camp Muir.
The DC has been in great shape for mid-July, and lots of teams are making it to the summit. Some unseasonable stormy weather has left a dusting of snow and graupel on the upper mountain. Expect busy weekends through early-August - this is prime time to climb! The Emmons/Winthrop Route has significantly less traffic and can offer more solitude this time of year.
Trail conditions up to Camp Muir are now mostly snow-free until Pebble Creek. Above Pebble Creek, consider trekking poles and even crampons (or at least some kind of shoe chains if only going to Muir) if traveling early or late in the day when the snow firms up. No crevasses have opened up on the Muir Snowfield yet - but be aware of rocks melting out in glissade tracks and cornices on the snow rolls above Pebble Creek.
Cornice collapsing above Pebble Creek, 7200' |
The route just above Ingraham Flats goes up the glacier until around 11,200' and then crosses over a ladder and traverses to the Disappointment Cleaver. Don't linger on this traverse - there's overhead hazard from both rocks and seracs. From the nose of the cleaver the route ascends staying mostly on the spine of the cleaver with a couple of zigzags to climber's left.
Glacier travel on the upper mountain, above the cleaver, remains fairly straightforward - ascend up from the top of the cleaver, crossing two horizontal ladders, at about 12,800'. Traverse climber's right once above the ladders, over to the Emmons Shoulder, and ascend for another 600 or so vertical feet until traversing back climber's left towards the Crater Rim. As in other places on this route with overhead hazard, move efficiently on the traverse and plan to avoid congestion on the traverse due to serac fall hazard (see photo below).
Traverse at 13,000 between the Emmons Shoulder and the route above the Cleaver. |
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Looking down on the Cleaver, 12,700' |
For more info, check out our Disappointment Cleaver Route Brief. See you on the mountain!