Summit Attempt 2-3-07

[Bill O]

Do you know if anybody summitted that day? I'm guessing nobody made it much past Lion's Head.

[Rich]

Nice TR, alpineski. Congrats on the distance you DID make it with feeling like crap and all. Look forward to the pics.

[climbabout]

Nice report Jake - sounds like you had the full experience. Lots to learn about dealing with those conditions, and first hand experience is the best teacher. I remember after my first winter attempt, I made some written notes to myself about how best to efficiently deal with things -some things that worked well, some that didn't and those notes helped a lot on subsequent trips, until the skills became second nature. Here's how I handle the issue of keping food from freezing. I always make a liter of hot tea either in the hotel or better yet right at pinkham and place it in an isulated sleeve - then I place that in a padded insulated cell about the size of a lunch box - around the hot tea bottle I put my trail snacks that are prone to freezing - keeps them nice and warm.
Tim

[AlpineHikerFan71]

Jake,
Excellent report on your hike. Thanks for the many great details and such. It was fun reading about the trip even through your illness and all. Glad you got to do it though. Looking forward to the video and photos of the hike as well and most of all Congratulations!!!!
Good job!
Dave

[mk10]

It's amazing being up there looking up at the summit and tucks with the conditions. It's a different world. Then, based on time and conditions, our wise guide turned us around. It was about 1 pm.

Check out the summit conditions during your climb:
http://public.fotki.com/MWO/saved/20...onditions.html
(courtesy of Brad's MWO photo archival site)

My training with a 65lb pack was ok, but I should have been doing more endurance training and leg strength exercises.

Endurance train as if you'd be running a half-marathon.

...My food froze solid...couldnt' really eat anything.

You should have placed your food (alongside your cell phone, GPS, digital camera, spare batteries) in your jacket's inside pockets--you're not bringing a 7 course meal here just some peanuts, power bars, slimjims, etc.

...I feel bad. I think my companion could have made it further had I not been so slow. Maybe even summited...

...Maybe if we had gotten an earlier start, if I could have regulated my sweat better, not had a cold, trained a little differently, we would have made it all the way...

I don't think anything you did or didn't do that day would have changed your guide's decision to turn around. And, as you described yourself, many climbers (possibly all of them) abandoned the summit because of the wind and weather.

Congratulations on your achievement and thanks for enlightening and entertaining us with your trip report.

Mark

[Brad]

AlpineSki,

Any day out there and you return safely is a good day. We all have to remember the Rockpile will always win. Sometimes she lets us play with her.

I am hoping to get back into Tuckerman's next Saturday to take pictures. We will see if the weather is acceptable.

[rockin rex]

In reading the account of the hike I read one thing that most hikers do on their first winter ascent. They stick their heavy winter hat that is covered in sweat in the pack and put on a light beanie. They only come to realize later that the hat is frozen solid and can't be worn. The frozen hat now becomes a problem unless an extra one has been brought along. The advice that climbabout has provided is right on. I have learned alot from reading his entries in the threads. As he says keep ALL things that need to be warm in your jacket and near your body heat. I have had my cliff bars freeze solid in my outside jacket pockets and couldn't eat them. THAT WAS A PROBLEM!
Bringing a thermos of a hot drink is another GREAT idea. That has saved me a few times. As far as E.M.S. guides they are awesome. I highly recommend them. Sounds like you had a great hike and next time you can put to use what you learned and head higher. Congrats on making it as far as you did. Lions head winter ascent is not easy hike and making it up to tree is something to be proud of especially in the conditions you faced. Again congrats.

[alpineski]

Working on pics, I promise. A few attached from my climbing partner, I'll upload a few of mine later.

I've been thinking a lot about my trip experience and everything I've read on this forum. In a way, I'm glad I didn't know everything and made a few mistakes on my own. Especially since none were life threatening. Had I received all the information I could and been more "prepared" I'm not sure I would have gotten as much out of it. I know it sounds wierd because suppose I did stash those items I need in my jacket to avoid freezing, supposed I wasn't sick, suppose I did train better and in a different way, I guess I may have made it farther. But, then I wouldn't have the experience of learning.

This is not to say that the advice learned is not valuable and that one should climb without it and without being prepared, but after the fact, I'm very happy with the climb and happy I made mistakes that taught me something, that, if not made, I wouldn't have learned "WHY".

[climbabout]

It sounds like you have exactly the right attitude and common sense to enjoy many safe trips above treeline. Every time I go out it seems I learn something new or a better way to handle a particular situation.
Tim

[KD Talbot]

It is true. You can read every book there is and go to every course there is, but nothing teaches like the actual experience.
KDT