Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Shuksan is located approximately six miles to the east of Mount Baker in the North Cascades. Mssr. Beckey has this to say about this route: €œIt is a clever and tortuous route, not technically difficult, but involving stimulating route finding.€ (Ahh, that €œstimulating€ Beckey route finding!) This route can be a challenge for those who find steep snow and class 3-4 rock with big exposure to be unnerving. There have been some L O N G days spent on this peak by the unprepared. Know the route as best you can and start early.
Activity Notes
Mt. Shuksan is one of the highest non-volcanic peaks in the Northwest at 9,127 feet. A strikingly beautiful peak, it is the most frequently photographed mountain in the United States.
The Fisher Chimneys route is a more challenging way to access to the upper glaciers of Mount Shuksan. Starting on the other side of the mountain from the Sulphide Glacier, a scenic trail takes climbers past the beautiful Lake Ann to the base of the Lower Curtis Glacier. At this point the trail changes to interesting but doable third and fourth class climbing interspersed with exposed walking on talus and heathery benches. These are the Fisher Chimneys, and they climb through the middle section of the mountain to 6700 feet on the White Salmon Glacier, near an incredibly scenic high camp, with close up views of ice falls and the massive Mount Baker in the distance. From the high camp, there are snow climbing and crevasse rescue training venues. The climb to the summit traverses the Upper Curtis Glacier, through Hell's Highway, to gain the upper Sulphide Glacier and access to the summit pyramid.
**Prefer ICS-trained climbers!!
It will be helpful if applicants can list who your BCEP climb leader is/was, if you are new to climbing!!!! Will consider strong BCEP graduates, if I have strong recommendation from your BCEP leaders.
For non-ICS graduate, crevasse rescue training is mandatory, if you wish to be considered for this climb!
Be mindful this is a mixed glacier and 4th class rock climb/scramble, a bit more challenging than the Sulphide Glacier route. The route will join the Sulphide route on the summit pyramid. This route is the one most often seen on photographs of Lake Ann. The Shuksan summit pinnacle is known for rockfalls.
You must have good physical fitness to be active all day in the mountains, multiple days in a row. You should be comfortable at heights and with exposure.
You must be comfortable with loose rocks and multiple rappelling stations on this route. The decision whether to fix line or to do a 4th class scramble is dependent on our comfort level and risk appetite.
Times: Estimated 2-3 hr trailhead to camp, 7-8 hr camp to summit.
**Extra point - Who can get camping permit on Upper Curtis on 7/16 before main group come? Shoot me an email.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 320 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 6 hours |
| General Route Info | summitpost https://www.summitpost.org/fisher-chimneys/155674 mountain forecast https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Shuksan/forecasts/2782 USFS Glacier Public Service Center: (360) 599-2714 Located approximately six miles to the east of Mount Baker in the North Cascades, Mount Shuksan is the tallest non-volcanic peak in the Cascades. From Selected Climbs in the Cascades (Nelsen and Potterfield): "The massive and complex Mount Shuksan - whose handsome profile from Picture Lake has become a frequent photographic cliché - offers no less than five rugged faces, with four of them commonly climbed. Big, remote, interesting, and guarded by sometimes troublesome approaches, Mt Shuksan exerts a strong attraction for climbers drawn to its wilderness slopes and rugged beauty." Beckey writes about the route, “It is a clever and tortuous route, not technically difficult, but involving stimulating route finding.” (Ahh, that “stimulating” Beckey route finding!) The Fisher Chimneys is an interesting and demanding route, providing a serious challenge to those who are out-of-shape or who are nervous climbing exposed slopes on high angle snow or unbelayed through Class 3 - 4 rock chimneys in mountaineering boots. Many parties have had very long climbs on this route (20 hours+!) Clarence “Happy” Fisher pioneered the route in 1927. See Beckey’s Cascade Alpine Guide for more detailed look at this area’s geologic and climbing history. |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in two or more days |
| Interesting Features | Spectacular Views |
| Relevant Books | Selected Climbs in the North Cascades by Nelson and Potterfield Cascade Alpine Guide: Rainy Pass to Fraser River by Fred Beckey |
| Relevant Maps | USGS 7 minute series, Mt. Shuksan, Green Trails Map #14, and US Forest Service Mt. Baker National Forest map Google map https://goo.gl/maps/AE5tpQzsSUr |
| Awards Qualified | 16 Major NW Peaks |
| Useful Links | GPS Track GPS Coordinates Map |
