One such failed attempt occurred February of 2006. A group comprised of four experienced rock climbing adventurists was turned back at Lion Head, a sheltered staging area for the final summit push, when a 60 mph gust picked up their guide and slammed him against the rocks. Although forced to retreat dismayed, two of them returned February of 2007 to confront the weathered crag once more.
Just Below Lion Head
It all started for me when a friend from last year's attempt mentioned that he was going to organize another trip. Having never mountaineered, and having always wanted to, I expressed a passionate desire for such a venture. After a fourth climber was recruited, we had a full party and logistics were planned--guide secured, plane tickets reserved, gear bought/checked, and research of the infamous weather. As President's Day weekend approached I became giddy with school-boyish excitement, dancing around like a harlequin of the king's court.
Standing at 6288', Mt. Washington pales in comparison to other peaks of fame. Yet, it's a popular training peak for longer, more technical ascents such as Mt. Hood, OR - 11249' (which has received recent national recognition for being a dasher of hopes); Denali, AK - 20320'; and peaks in Africa, South Asia, and Europe. Likewise, Mt. Washington only boasts a 4000' vertical, far less than the aforementioned colossi. If not for the barrage of weather complications one may encounter, this peak would just be another dainty jaunt.
Preparing Gear On the Eve of the Ascent
We started out on the morning of 17 February at Pinkham's Notch visitor's center. An unspoken pessimism ran rank within the group, two of its members having retreated the previous year and the remaining two (now out of a group of five, since a friend from upstate New York was added at the last moment) had researched the mountain's variable moods. I tried to retain a positive attitude; we were prepared, determined, and led by professionals from EMS Climbing School who had scaled the Mt. countless times.
The Trail Begins At the Pinkham's Notch Visitor's Center
After preparing our ice axes and crampons, and donning our cold weather gear in the center's basement, we were ready to depart. After 10 minutes on the trail I had to stop and shed layers to avoid sweating (Lesson #1 - Snowboarding coats are ill-suited for mountaineering pursuits. A breatheable shell [not Goretex] is much preferred].) We trudged up Tukerman's Ravine trail until coming to the Lion Head fork. Here, we left the cat track for an already trodden path through knee-deep powder. Ten to fifteen minutes later we reached the foot of the ascent to Lion Head. Before us was a steep, rock and ice laden slope, out of which we fashioned a stairway using our crampons and ice axes. Unbeknown to us, we were in for a human traffic jam perpetrated by high snowfall the night before.
Our Winter Route Up Mt. Washington
We slowly climbed the 50 degree slope deliberately placing our crampons and using our axes for stability. One slip and we could plummet through the tree line causing severe injury. A third of the way to the tree line we were stopped by a wall of people, who had already been waiting for several minutes. Those minutes turned into a quarter hour, then 30 minutes, 45, etc. Irritation and frustration was obvious as people shouted to the head of the line, "Get a move on" or "C'mon we haven't got all day." They were expressing a common thought within the encumbered mass, that we must reach the summit before 2:00PM in order to safely descend. Any variation in the time-sensitive schedules could spell defeat for a multitude of adventurists who had flown several hundred, even thousands of miles just to make this ascent. As this was the first day in at least two weeks that the weather had slightly abated and a weather system was expected the following day, it was necessary to summit or return home disappointed. We were faced with just such a dilemma after finally reaching tree line, where the trail opened up.
Climbing the Steep Slope Under Tree Line
As we stopped to don our wind stopping layers in preparation for the biting winds that we'd inevitably encounter, it was obvious that at our current pace we would not reach the summit with adequate time left for the descent. It was here that our group made the decision to split in two; Kirk, Travis (EMS guide) and I would attack the peak commando style while Steve, Sean, Chris, and Steve # 2 (EMS guide) hiked around Lion Head and Alpine Garden, the relatively flat region at the foot of the final rise. Travis was skeptical that we could overcome our lost time but Kirk and I encouraged him to set the required pace and we would follow.
Alpine Garden - Only .9 Miles To Summit
On saying farewell to the second half of our group, Travis initiated a trot toward the peak; Kirk and I followed suit. We stopped briefly at the sign reading "Mt. Washington - 0.9 m", rehydrated and reinvested high spirits. We were now confidant that we could summit. Travis kept a blistering pace up the final slope. He later admitted that he was impressed by our determination and that he hadn't expected us to keep up. I was admittedly at my cardio exertion limit and Kirk, who cycles to work every day, later confessed that he was close to his threshhold. It's this aspect of mountaineering that the most addicted adventurists seek. When your body's ability is maxxed, it's only so long before it starts trying to convince the mind to abate. In this state each move is painstakingly deliberate and the mind is concentrating only on the next step, shutting out outward distractions that would normally occupy a resting thought process. (Disclaimer: Alpine meditation does require discipline, determination and an intimate knowledge of your body's ability. If any of these three are absent then there's a potential for serious bodily harm.) When practiced accordingly, this meditation is incredibly refreshing even though your body is a fiery furnace of activity. Back to the climb...
Pushing Toward the Peak With Alpine Garden and Lion Head In the Background
Half way up the slope, we again stopped to rehydrate and suck down some Clif Shot Bloks with added caffeine. This would give us the needed boost for the last leg of our ascent. While steadily trodding up to the peak, we passed several parties who were having a much more difficult time scaling the rocky path. We later discovered that we completed in 45 min what takes the average group twice as long. With spirits soaring we reached the summit 15 minutes before 2:00 PM. Weather up top, as expected, was a relatively mild 5 degrees F with a 20-25 degree wind chill; winds were 40-50 mph from the SE. Despite this fact, our bodies were generating so much heat that a face mask wasn't required.
On the Summit, Beard Covered In Frozen Perspiration
We made our way to the summit post for pictures. Cameras were passed around and sadly a shot taken on Kirk's camera of all three of us never appeared on the film. (It's easy to make mistakes when confronted with deadly weather conditions.) It was now time to descend. Rehydrating and consuming copious amounts of gorp in the Observatory's shelter, we removed our crampons in preparation for the long slide to the bottom.
Clouds and Snow Blowing Over the Summit
Kirk and I (Our Group's Only Two Vegans) Posing At the Summit Post
Observatory Shelter
The descent was much easier than our challenging attack on the summit. Because we had removed our crampons, we let gravity do most of the work. Kirk, who has never skied, snowboarded, or participated in any activity where sliding is involved, had difficulty maintaining balance. After a few crashes, however, he started to adjust. Sliding and bounding through the rock field, we soon came to an open snow-covered slope. Travis thought this a good opportunity to practice self-arresting, the method by which you stop yourself should you slip and start sliding down the slope. If done improperly (by bringing the pick part of the axe to the chest instead of the adze), it can result in unnecessary wounds. After practicing our self-arrest, we glissaded down the remaining snow pack.
Kirk and Travis Sliding Down the Rocky Slope
Kirk Practicing His Self Arrest
Almost Back Down To Alpine Garden
We slid past Lion Head, past the tree line, and all the way down the staircase where the traffic jam had occurred (using a rope in a few select spots to avoid sliding down the tree-laden slope as aforementioned), nearly denying us the summit.
There's no better feeling than summiting a mount, especially when one overcomes his or her body's desire to quit. This experience, which I'm sharing with those of you who have read this far, has resolidified my resolve to overcome any obstacle thrown in life's path. "Adapt and overcome", a phrase frequently used to express this attitude towards life, is no longer just a string of words but an experience that will always remind me that we are able to accomplish anything if we just concentrate on the short steps. Only once we reach the summit are we able to stare back at the entire picture.
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