Road to the Alpine

That's what I've gathered at this point.

The plan is to head out west for med school. For now, I'm just going to focus on trad, ice, and running. I was invited to join in on a Tetons trip by a few friends who have done it twice already, so I'll be in good hands. I'll start working on alpine skills when I get out west.

William, is not Mount Washington in your neck of the woods a frozen hell this time of year full of snow and ice? I do think that is the case.

Stich wrote:William, is not Mount Washington in your neck of the woods a frozen hell this time of year full of snow and ice? I do think that is the case.

The Blueprint Part Dank wrote: I wish I was climbing Mt Washingon this very second. But I doubt the good stuff is in yet. Great place to practice suffering though.

Diagonal on Wallface in the Adirondacks and Huntington Ridge on Mt. Washington have similiar approaches and lengths to many classic easy alpine routes out west. Also, try to do a winter trip up Katahdin in Maine. Routes on Cannon are as long as the technical sections of many west coast alpine routes, it just has a much shorter approach.

I grew up climbing in the Smokies and lived in Boston for a few years, but have been in the Rockies for a while now, so I've been down your road. Like everyone here is pointing out, it's tough (impossible?) to get decent alpine experience without living near alpine mountains. But it's worth noting there is a big difference between climbing the Grand or other mountains in winter vs good summer weather. Yes, in the summer it can snow too and you can get hammered up high blah blah blah, but if the weather is nice in the summer, it's a completely different game. Summer rock routes are much less painful and easier to prepare for, so you might consider focusing there to start with. For summer rock mountain routes (like most of the ones on the Grand you're probably thinking of) I'd recommend working on improving your trad climbing skills and strength, which is essential to pretty much any type of climbing. Sounds like you may have a trip lined up with friends, but if that falls through I'd consider hiring a guide to take you up your first big peak. No, not as satisfying as doing it all yourself, but where you don't have the chance to really do those skills now, it gets you up there doing it, which is the main way to learn, and can definitely get you insights into where you need to focus based on what your interests are.

Gothics North Face in late autumn right after the verglas forms...

Low angle but still rather epic even with modern gear.