Mount Shuksan Sulphide Glacier

Day 1

We’ll meet at 6:30am at the Alpine Ascents Seattle office and start with a gear check. A thorough gear check ensures everyone is fully equipped and prepared for the course. Rental gear is fitted and packed at this time.

From the office, we will drive to Mt. Erie to learn the basics of rock climbing in a spectacular setting.  The climbing areas on Mt. Erie overlook the Puget Sound, with panoramic views of the San Juan Islands, the Olympics, and several of the Cascade volcanoes. Students will learn belaying, rappelling, lowering, descending, rope management and climbing techniques. Plan to spend several hours practicing movement skills and working on technical skills that will be used on the summit pyramid of Mount Shuksan. In the evening we will set up camp at a campground near our approach trailhead.

Training:
During the gear check, we will review the functionality of each piece of gear, packing our backpacks, wilderness ethics and LNT principles.  In the field, we will cover climbing movement, belaying, rappelling, lowering, descending, and rope management.

Day 2

The group will pack up and ready themselves for the approach to the mountain.  From the trailhead (approximately 2500 ft. elevation) climbers will make their way up the trail to Shannon Ridge at approximately 4600 feet.  After another 2 miles along a flat crest through patches of timber and meadows, the crest leads to a sloping mountainside.  Teams can choose to make camp here (approximately 5400 ft. elevation) or continue hiking an additional 1,000ft for more camping opportunities at the edge of the Sulfide Glacier.

Training:
Instruction includes nutrition, hydration, rest steps, pressure breathing, and temperature management. Camp set-up, cooking in the mountains and in depth Leave No Trace will be discussed. During rest periods we will have short discussions on mountain physiology and mountain environments.

Day 3

Climbers will spend the day learning and refreshing mountain travel techniques including cramponing, rope travel, self-arrest, and other techniques necessary to make a summit attempt  the next day. With spectacular views of the North Cascades from camp, this is sure to be a memorable, informative, and relatively restful day in preparation for the summit bid!

Alternatively, if weather or route conditions require a Day 3 summit bid, we will begin our trip to the summit in the early morning hours (see Day 4 for more details), having trained in all necessary skills on the evening of Day 2.

Training:
Discuss safety aspects of our climb, rope management, knots, anchors, crampon technique, self-arrest and glacier travel. Afternoon topics might include local history, glaciology, mountain weather, along with map and compass.

Day 4

Summit day! To ensure safety and optimum traveling conditions, we begin with an early morning wake-up to bring us close to the summit by sunrise. We will cross the gentle Sulphide Glacier until we reach the exciting crux of our route, the 700-foot rock summit pyramid. This is where we will begin belayed and pitched climbing up the steep central gully. Depending on the time of year, the gully is usually a fun mix of snow climbing, easy rock, and plentiful ledges. From the summit, climbers will be rewarded with stunning views of Mt. Baker and the surrounding peaks of the North Cascades.

After celebrating this truly memorable summit and taking photos, we’ll carefully descend the summit pyramid via a series of lowers, rappels, and down climbing until we reach the easier terrain of the Sulphide Glacier. Once we reach our camp, we’ll pack up and descend back to the trailhead.

Training:
This day allows us to implement and enforce what we have learned in the previous days.

Itinerary subject to change due to conditions.