Hello all. I was just wondering what most of you are using for an ice axe and crampons… Do you have them shipped to Kennedy Meadows? And when do you ship them back? Well, thanks in advance.
Sean
Sean
Ice axes & crampons
system
#1
system
#2
Camp XLA210 - fully rated, very light - a quality axe. Drawback vs. a heavier axe: The lightness will hinder your ability to chop steps - the one time I did, it was a real effort with such a light axe.
If you want super light, go for the un-rated ULA ‘Cat Hole Digger’. Definately better than nothing for a self arrest aid.
Another alternative is a whippet - an attachment (or is it built in?) for your trekking pole that approximates the blade on an axe.
Kennedy Meadows is where you’ll want to pick your snow gear up up, assuming there’s snow the year you go. You can ditch it at Red’s Meadow, Sonora Pass/Bridgeport, or Tahoe, depending on snow conditions and your comfort level.
Last year, I carried from Kennedy Meadows to Tahoe, but could have ditched it at Sonora Pass / Bridgeport where I sent my bear can home as the ‘nasty and dangerous’ Elephant Back between Sonora and Tahoe wasn’t all that nasty or dangerous.
I’m glad I had the axe - I fell on the south side of Glen Pass and used it to arrest and also used numerous times for glisading. I probably would have turned around at the top of Glen as the north side was VERY steep, with dangerous runouts.
Crampons - I used Camp insteps. I found them to be all but useless (others have commented that they loved their insteps - YMMV). If I was going to bring crampons again (unlikely as I got through just fine in one of the highest snow years on record rarely wearing my insteps), I’d bring my Stubai 10 point aluminum versions.
If you don’t try and go over the passes TOO early, the snow will be soft enough to kick steps into with just running shoes, so you won’t really need crampons.
Token Civilian