Lighten up a Shasta Load

[Will Elliott]

Thread is about pack weight, not glissade technique; saving that discussion for a different thread will keep this one more helpful to people interested in the original subject.

In response to the pertinent replies above:

[] Will definitely bring a warmer insulating jacket and a warmer bag. Thanks!

[] Glove progression is barehanded, shells only, shells & liners. If the temperature is right for a light liner, I find it is warm enough for skin or cool enough for shells.

[] A couple people have said to ditch the waterproof pants. I'm wearing thin, unlined soft shell pants— Simple Guides. Long underwear is not convenient to take on and off as conditions warrant. Shell pants and belay pants are, hence the "rain pants" on the list. I think the terminology was confusing.

[] Sit pad— do you find that sitting rests allows you to move faster than you would if you left the foam pad at home? I'll have to consider that.

[] Yes, the repair kit is a knife, duct tape, band-aids, Tums. No sunglass case— I wrap them in layers. I carry crampons in the pack.

[] OK, we'll ditch the shovel and bring a snowclaw, since it makes a nice frame for my pack.

[] Again on the "rain pants," these aren't for rain (that's why we aren't bringing a waterproof tent) but for cold, wind, and glissading. They are the 2nd piece of clothing on my legs (besides boxers).

[] I think that's all! Thanks. Looks like the sit pad is still in question. I'll try it and see if I move faster.

How about Kahtoola crampons, vs. Neves or Air Techs? There's a half pound one could save.

[Bob Gross]

"How about Kahtoola crampons, vs. Neves or Air Techs? There's a half pound one could save."

Will, out of 22 successful summits on Shasta, I made it up only once without any crampons. All other 21, I had full crampons on. The style of crampons depends a lot on your boots (rigid plastic, flexible leather, etc.).

In a way, it is nice to be able to climb without using crampons. It is lighter on your feet. However, the problem lies in where you might have to put them on.

Typically, lots of climbers start up from Helen Lake with crampons on. That's OK. Some like to start hiking up Avalanche Gulch to see how high they can go before they have to put them on. That's OK, except that there may not be a decent place to sit and get them strapped on properly. With your ice axe as an anchor, it can be done. I just found it to be more foolproof to put them on in camp where I can walk around and test them for snugness before I get too far up. If there is one thing that is awkward, it is having a crampon go loose when you are halfway up the slope.

One year it was so icy and bad that we had to put on crampons about 400 vertical feet (lower) before we got to Helen Lake. That was a tough year.

–B.G.–

[Brian Austin]

Crampons on/off to 25-30 degrees is quite simple. Worse spots are icy 10 degree stuff because on steeper stuff you just jam your foot into the hillside and you get your straps nice and close to your hands, whereas on lower angle stuff its much farther away and trying to bend over with a full pack is NOT fun on one leg.

Fastest glissade will be with nylon pants or a garbage bag. I suppose I have seen some folks take PVC saucers up the hills. Foam sit pad simply protects your buns for sitting in camp and for glissading.

[Will Elliott]

Thanks, Bob! I'll take real crampons, and a trash compactor bag to glissade.

[Bob Gross]

Yes, I feel that real crampons are required. As for the trash bag… it seems like we tried that one year. The trick is that you have to get it bound onto your hips so that it doesn't rip off and it doesn't let much snow or ice into your crotch area. So, if you had some webbing, you could fashion a diaper sling around the trash bag. Keep in mind that you want something that you can apply correctly in a hurry, plus, you don't want something that is too heavy. I assume that you will summit successfully, then walk back down Misery Hill with crampons still on. When you get to Red Banks is when you need to apply this diaper trash bag. On some years, there is an open bergschrund right there at the south end of Red Banks. Sometimes it is closed, but often climbers jump over it if it is only two feet wide. Sometimes it is open about four feet, and that makes a good place to crawl into to get out of the wind for a few minutes. Then you can descend Avalanche Gulch, armed with your ice axe at the ready position, and probably with your crampons off. Of course, if the whole Gulch is icy, you may have to walk all the way down the thing with crampons on. I've done that, but it is really tiring.

On summit day, I highly recommend that your party is the first one out of camp at 5 a.m. or earlier, and be the first party on the summit (9 a.m. or so). It just gives you a larger window of opportunity if weather suddenly closes in.

–B.G.–

[ROBERT TANGEN]

Sorry to be off topic, but there’s always the “Atlanta Braves’ self arrest” in which you tomahawk your way down the slope at the speed of sound.
Bob, you said, "For Helen Lake, we used to put four people in a three-person tent to improve warmth." Did you also use 1 pee bottle for 4 people? That must have been like being a strand of spaghetti in an Italian dish!

[Jason Acker]

Do not listen to what this man says.

[Bob Gross]

"Did you also use 1 pee bottle for 4 people?"

Of course not.

There was one for males and another for females.

–B.G.–

[Anonymous]

"Don't glissade while wearing crampons? Why not? Just don't use your feet DUH! Unless its mush of course, then feel free, of course if its mush why the heck are you wearing pons?"

Huh? Surely you speak in jest.

[Daniel Yaris]

I climbed Shasta a few years back for the first time in 2000 mid May. My two friends and me had light packs. My pack had a stove, pot, expedition down parka, and water bottles, and some power bars.

for clothing I had on koflacks, poly pro long johns, shell pants and jacket. I also had warm gloves, a balaclava, helmet, and sunglass/with goggles. Technical gear was an ice axe, crampons, picket, rope, and trekking poles. That was all we had

When I took breaks I put the down parka on. My pack was very light and we moved fast. (everyone else had about the same gear)

we tried to do a single push and ended up spending the night in a snow cave freezing as the weather turned bad. But it passed and we later summited. Most of the people below at the camp turned around.

I have since been trying to lighten the load and keep it at around 25lbs total for climbs such as rainier and no more than 15lbs for shasta or hood.

Tonight I'm going to Hood for a quick climb and should have a really light pack as the weather has been good. My first hood climb of the year I did with a 15lb pack though I should be able to get it to about 8lbs tonight.

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