Talus Techniques

If you haven’t read this, Ryan Jordan wrote an article on this a few years ago.

Of course people here probably have lots of input.

https://backpackinglight.com/techniques-for-talus-jordan/

Yes, I actually commented on it, but realized it was old and not likely to generate much discussion.

Haven’t read the article but the best way to minimize the hassle of scree depends on the terrain and which way you’re going (ascent or descent).

If descending, scree is a lot easier to deal with than ascending, provided you take your time and make every move measured and take small steps, ready to catch yourself if you slip. You’ll slip and slide a bit but in a controlled way (hopefully). Look for any reductions in angle of slope, even if it’s a little out of the way as it will make descent (or ascent) easier. I like to look for large (hopefully stable) rocks and pick a line from one to the other while descending – they provide relatively stable and flat places to rest. And if there’s different sized scree, find and stick with the size that feels most secure. It’s may also be faster, easier and safer to descend a longer route that’s talus or easy rock, provided the rock/talus is not too rotten or loose. Poles are a big help on the descent for scree (I like to set them at 120 – 125cm for steep descent), but for talus poles get in the way.

For ascending, if you have any talus or easy rock on the slope, even if out of the way, it’s usually much easier and faster to climb than scree. As with descending, looking for intermediate large rocks to aim for, looking for “better” scree, or looking for slight reductions in slope can help. As for poles, good for scree but they get in the way climbing talus. I set the poles at the shortest length possible and even chock up on them from time to time while ascending scree.

Thanks for responding. Your descending technique is pretty much what I did, I guess I’m just slow and need more practice.  Next year I would like to do half of the Sierra High Route with my friend; I need to get a little faster at it I think.

sometimes it’s like skiing downhill

as long as the consistency of the scree is right, you don’t have to place your feet at any specific place, just pump back and forth and slide down

if the rocks are too big, you can’t do this.  If you have to select each rock to step on, it’s slow

Hmmm.  Yes.  It changed to very loose and probably slide-able about 1/3 of the way down.   I guess the slides that were starting behind me were the ones that gave me a little pause.  I don’t have as much experience on that kind as I do on actual talus, and was concerned it might get away from me and be trouble, if that makes sense?

usually there won’t be a landslide and end up burying you : )

the other thing bad is it gets into your shoes, gaiters help

I was doing this in very fine scree, and dirt got into my mesh waterproof breathable shoes, between the mesh and the membrane.  I tried to get it out but finally just threw them away.

at worst you can sit on yr but and slide down … of course your pants and pack bottom should be pretty durable if you do this …

;)

Forget about speed. Slow and controlled is the way to go. Efficient routing comes with experience and that’s how you’ll make it down in a timely & safe manner.

Sure it’s fun to bomb down a scree chute…until it isn’t. Cliff bands and other dangerous features that you may not have noticed from the top come up quick when you’re plunge stepping-glissading down a steep pass.

Sounds like you handled it fine.

“Forget about speed. Slow and controlled is the way to go. Efficient routing comes with experience and that’s how you’ll make it down in a timely & safe manner.

Sure it’s fun to bomb down a scree chute…until it isn’t. Cliff bands and other dangerous features that you may not have noticed from the top come up quick when you’re plunge stepping-glissading down a steep pass.”

A resounding plus 1 to that. Take these words of wisdom to heart, Aimee. They’ll keep you alive and in one, unbroken piece. There is absolutely no need to hurry up in the mountains, unless you’re after an FKT or some such recognition quest. Not only will you miss a lot of the very things you came to experience, but sooner or later you will miss a clue that could have saved you from injury had you been going slower. There is a lot of unstable talus in the Sierra, some of it very large. Losing it on one of those VW sized blocks can easily end in disaster. As for very steep scree, it is usually safer to pick a shallow angle descending line that will take you to the all the way to the bottom, if possible, or at least far enough to the side from where you started to avoid stuff that you may have loosened when it starts a delayed slide. If not all the way to the bottom, the longer you can traverse to one side before switching back, the less likelihood of getting caught in slides from disturbed scree above.

Thank you both–   It’s true my friend has much more experience than I do. (To be clear, he never tried to hurry me or comment on my speed, it was me that asked about keeping on schedule for the High Route)

I guess practice makes perfect. Great hearing your thoughts though. ?

Yes, practice does tend to move in the direction of perfection, a state ultimately unattainable. The idea is to become proficient enough to go where you want to go and return safely in the time you have available. Coming from a wired, high pressure society, where everything seems to take place at warp speed, there is an enormous temptation to try to move in the mountains at the same speed. To the degree you can, try to avoid that temptation. It will inevitably put you in harm’s way, for the mountains are indifferent to your fate and present challenges not amenable to solution at anything approaching front country speed. Take your time, enjoy the sublime beauty around you, and slowly hone your skills to the point where you may travel swiftly, but safely, on a mountain time scale.

Best of luck! You’re off to a good start.

I’m a board member and active participant of our county sheriff depts SAR and I’ve been backpacking for years, well experienced in backcountry just not as much off-trail talus as the last year or two.   I understand about not rushing, I’m not interested in thru-hiking  for a speed record, etc (I’m not even a thru-hiker.). My friend has climbed in Nepal, climbed Denali, and was a backcountry ranger in Yellowstone.

The bit about “speed” was a result of discussing the planned route for the SHR, and his “estimated” mileage a day. Since  I don’t have a big pool of people to go with, and our pace is similar otherwise, I’d like to work on the talus part for the passes.