Mt washington winter ascent

Mt Washington, NH at 6,288ft is the highest point in the northeastern United States and is know as having “the worlds worst weather”. We will start our climb at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (elevation 2000ft) and spend the next five hours hiking steadily upwards. We will make our way up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, and take our first break of the day at the start of the Lions Head Winter Trail (3500ft). We will change layers, and put on crampons for the next section of trail, likely leaving them on until we return to this spot in the afternoon. We will ascend the Lions Head winter route with crampons and ice axes, passing the technical “crux” of the route, with the aid of ropes if necessary. We will exit the steeps, and treeline, at about 4200ft. We are now in the “alpine zone”, and we will quickly start to get the brunt of the wind and cold. We still have about 2000ft of uphill climbing before we reach the summit. We will take our final planned uphill break at the Lions Head outcrop (5100’). From here we will make our final decision about heading to the summit. If we are already cold and tired here, it will only get worse as we go upward. We will likely don facemasks, googles, and all of our extra clothing here for the final push to the summit!

During our ascent we will discuss how to layer for wind and cold, how to wear and use crampons and ice axes, pacing, and more! If you want to experience what mountaineering is all about, then join us and come climb Mt Washington! No matter the weather, it will be a trip you won’t forget!

WHAT MAKES THIS COURSE DIFFERENT:

We run these courses to give you a taste of what mountaineering has to offer, and also to give you an opportunity to climb the highest point in the Northeast in winter! If you want to experience the winds, the cold, and the views as we get above treeline, if you want experience walking in crampons and using an ice ax, and you want to learn about how to stay warm and comfortable while covering over 8 miles and 4000+ft of elevation in a day, then this event will be perfect for you!

We will have plenty of time while on the ascent to discuss whatever topics you want. We will not be spending much time stopped for education, so bear in mind that many of the topics covered are not comprehensive, and simply enough to get us safely up and down the mountain. If you want to learn these skills more in depth, please consider joining us for one of our two day mountaineering skills courses prior to this ascent!

During the day, we will spend time working on your skills, and teaching you how to enjoy the most of your day out in the mountains. We will push you outside of your comfort zone, and push you physically as we climb ever higher. We will have a chance to discuss basic rope work, and get you comfortable walking in crampons.

We pride ourselves on keeping low ratios of students to instructors, and providing individualized and exceptional instruction. If you want to see what mountaineering is all about, then join us now!