Notes from the Field: Talus, Tundra, and Ice on a High Route in the Wind River Range of Wyoming

WOW! You guys done good!

What a great sounding trip. I live in SE Michigan and have only done a little mountaineering (Olympus, Rainier), but the route you took sounds really appealing to me. (challenging, glaciers, views, snow covered passes to ascend). If I lived out west, I'd probably be begging someone to organize a trip like this one that I could sign onto. :-) I'm impressed with the physical & technical training everyone did. That 5.5 dyneema definitely sounds well outside the traditional wisdom of alpine safety, even to a noob like me! Thanks for writing this up and sharing. It's good to live vicariously through others sometimes.

Thanks for sharing Ryan! The Winds are an awesome and inspiring place. Great trip report and info! I appreciated the details on the technical gear and crevasse rescue kit.

Now that's a high route! Thanks for the article and for your instruction/collaboration with those young men.

Ryan, I'm interest in how you connect your NeoAir X-Lite pad and Exped Schnozzel inflation bag; I'm aware of the use of the Neoair Airtap and DIY adapters using hose etc. from other threads here and elsewhere; I wonder if you have an alternative possibly elegant method? Thanks in advance…

Robert: the schnozzle (female) end mates to the neoair (male) plug directly. The fit is tight and is hard to manage when it's cold but for the most part it seems to work fine without modification. My schnozzle is a few years old, so maybe there's been a design change if it's not mating now? Cascade Designs also makes a valve adapter that you can use to use to make any stuff sack into an inflation bag, and I've had good luck with those as well.

Thanks for the response. Appreciated. Mine don't fit, but I might just try reaming out the schnozzel port.