Basic Alpine Climb - Glacier Peak/Disappointment Peak Cleaver

Be at TH Friday, Aug. 17 6:30am.

This is a mentored lead for Meryl Lipman. Please direct all questions to her.

***This climb gives priority to Olympia basic climbing students and 2 from other branches who'd asked Meryl to lead Glacier Peak.*** If you're from another branch, please do not request permission until July 29!!! 

These dates are a placeholder. Scheduled dates could change.    

Day 1: We arrive at Sloan Creek campground at 3pm. Divide group gear. 4pm walk in to Mackinaw Shelter 5.5 miles and 900ft. Arrive 7-7:30pm, get water and early to bed.

Day 2: We start at daybreak on a 9-mile, 4000ft day up to White Pass and Glacier Gap. We'll beat the heat and bugs on what may be the hardest part of the approach to White Pass. Then, we'll take the Foam Creek Trail to Foam Creek drainage and contour down and around, up through a pass and down to WhiteChuck Basin, over probable melting snowfields (taking care not to post hole), onto the now-melted out White Chuck Glacier at 6400ft. It's possible to camp here or continue to Windy Pass/Glacier Gap 800ft higher. Pros of continuing are getting higher and possibly summiting morning of Day 3. 

Day 3:  Possible summit - We'll start at first light and, depending on conditions we'll take the route on the Gerdine/Cool Glacier (or over Disappointment Peak). We walk up a steep and switch backing ridge to drop down to the Gerdine Glacier, rope and crampon up, and head NE toward the Cool Glacier, crossing an ice fall where the two glaciers meet. Hike NW on the Cool to get back onto the steep scree slog to the summit. Descend and decide whether to break camp and move to a lower elevation.

Day 4: Second chance for the summit if we didn't do it Day 3, or out to TH if we did. 

Day 5: Possible out to TH if summited Day 4.