Mount Shuksan - Fisher Chimneys
August 2016We climbed the Fisher Chimneys over 2 days.
Day 1 — Approach
First day hiked past Lake Ann and scrambled to top of the chimneys.
We were lucky to have a dirty boot path on snow marking the entrance to the chimneys. This probably won't be there for too much longer.
Roped up and placed pickets for Winnie's Slide (probably unnecessary) — still very snowy.
We camped above the entrance to Upper Curtis (southwest).
Day 2 — Summit
The entrance to Upper Curtis was melted out and icy. It's not terribly steep and we saw people cross this section in many ways (no rope with 1 or 2 tools, guide lowering 3 climbers off ice screws, roped up no protection, etc.). We ended up just scrambling rock (3rd class) on the left side up to a flat snowy section where we roped up.
Hell's Highway is steep but snowy — placed pickets but probably more for peace of mind than out of necessity.
Sulphide to the summit block is direct and obvious. It does cross a section with several sags that will probably turn into open crevasses before long but I have no doubt there will continue to be a route through.
Summit block gully was dry except for a large patch of snow a quarter of the way up. We used crampons on ascent (~8am) and none on descent (~9:30am).
We rapped once on descent from the summit block (midway down) on my 30m rope and twice descending the chimneys.
Times
- ~6 hours trailhead to camp
- ~3 hours camp to summit
- ~3 hours summit to camp
- ~4.5 hours camp to trailhead
Wouldn't say we were moving particularly fast at any point (except maybe the last couple miles back to the car).
Gear
Crampons, ice axe, ice tool, pickets, ice screws (not used), 30m rope (rappelled 3 times).