Mt Shuksan Fisher Chimneys Climbing Conditions
2024-08-15 | Mt Shuksan Fisher Chimneys
Climbing conditions on Mt Shuksan are all-time good right now! IFMGA Mountain Guide Zeb Blais led a summit and skills course on the mountain ending on August 15th. He and the team found conditions were more like typical late June conditions than mid-August.
Conditions up to the Fisher Chimneys were as you would expect for August: dry trail up to the top of the Chimneys. Lake Ann was fully melted out, as is usual for this time of year. The huckleberries and blueberries were perfectly ripe and plentiful - definitely budget in an extra 30 minutes for your approach and descent for these treats!
At the top of the Chimneys was a surprise: lots of snow on the White Salmon Glacier. The usual downclimb to get off the Chimneys onto the top of the White Salmon was simple - just a couple of moves and a step across. Snow getting up to Winnie's Slide was thick and supportable.
Winnie's Slide was a perfect staircase of a boot pack. Large bucket steps were so inspiring that we moved up the pitch together as a team, rather than pitching it out. The multi-piece piton anchor on the rock at the top of the pitch is still covered by snow!
The Upper Curtis Glacier and Hell's Highway are still holding substantial snow. Gaining the glacier above Winnie's Slide is a transition straight from the upper bivy spots to thick snow. This snow leads to a section of glacier that is a mix of dry glacier, thinly bridged crevasses and well bridged crevasses - make sure to inspect the bridges before you commit your team to them! There are definitely some weak ones at the top of the Upper Curtis and many climbers have not been diligent about seeking alternative options to where the current trail leads.
After some relatively easy crevasse navigation, Hell's Highway begins with a short stretch of dry glacial ice which leads into a deep boot pack. Again, we were able to move together short as a team on this on the uphill. I opted to lower my climbers here on the descent as some of the steps are getting thinner and revealing some of the glacial ice underneath.
Getting from Hell's Highway onto the Sulphide Glacier was the most hazardous part of the route. Large crevasses between the two glaciers are thinly covered and are quite hollow. Trending to the climbers left, closest to the steep drop-off of Hell's Highway was a much more solid option than the route most climbers were subjecting themselves to.
The Sulphide Glacier is holding up well, but a few holes here and there are an indication that snow bridges are thinning out. Take caution between Hell's Highway and the Summit Pyramid as there are a few crevasses that are showing signs of opening up. Generally, it still seems to be in good condition, but there are some large crevasses and those snow bridges could go quickly.
The Summit Pyramid is still holding on to a sizeable blob of snow at the bottom of the Gullies. Many teams chose to bypass this by climbing down and around skiers right, but this didn't seem easier, faster or safer than taking the snow. The gullies are dry with the exception of the pictured snow blob.
Come Climb with Us!
Blackbird Mountain Guides operates trips on Mount Shuksan's Fisher Chimneys, including skills focused programs like this one. The Fisher Chimneys provide a perfect array of skills from glacier travel to 3rd, 4th and 5th Class rock and is an incredible route that showcases a variety of alpine climbing styles in one classic adventure!
About the Author
Zeb Blais is an IFMGA Mountain Guide and AIARE Course Leader based in Truckee California. He loves all the disciplines of mountain guiding - ski, rock and alpine climbing - but skiing is his first love. In the winter he enjoys backcountry skiing, guiding local and international ski trips, and teaching avalanche courses across the west coast, from Bishop, California to Mt Baker, Washington.