Cassin Ridge Rack

What protection and rope have you used on the cassin or other technical long routes in Alaska (moon flower, mount hunter) ?

I've climbed the Moonflower but never the Cassin. I suspect the ideal rack for each route would be very different. A generous rack obviously slows you down on easy terrain, but can often speed you up on harder terrain. With more gear, you spend less time looking for a match between what gear you have and what cracks are available, and you can climb faster above a bomber piece than you can way run-out on technical terrain cause you didn't bring enough pro.

The Moonflower is pretty continuously technical (to the top of the buttress) and with a really short approach, so it favors a bigger rack: a full set of cams to a #3, stoppers and 10 or more ice screw.

The Cassin has shorter and easier cruxes, a much longer approach and lots more moderate terrain where a heavy rack would do more harm than good. I suspect whatever is recommended in Joe Puryear's book is pretty spot on. I'm guessing a half rack to stoppers, Cams from 0.5" to 2", 6-8 screws and maybe a picket or two would be about right.

^^^good advice^^^

I have done the sw ridge on mt. frances and carried way to much gear, which I believe led to our unexpected night on the mountain...

I know its not as big as the cassin, but it is very similar in terms of rock cruxes and snow hiking.

I think that a rack of single cams to 3"(leave out smaller cams, small cracks usually filled w ice), a nut set and a couple of pitons would be great. Ice screws for japanese coulior obviously.

I would do a single thin rope.

We had double ropes and a full rack with tricams and hexes and all this extra shite, if I had the same knowledge now I would have taken a single rope and half the rack we took.

Also, take as little other gear as you can and still be comfortably safe, up high on the mountain.

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and last but not least...are you sure you're ready for either of those climbs?

Not trying to be a downer or a jerk, but in my last 3 season spent in the AK range I've seen so many teams who say they're going for the cassin or moonflower and don't even get on route.

This last season on Denali I talked with 6-7 teams "going for the cassin" who never made it past the 14K camp, complaining about conditions. One team only made it to kahiltna pass before giving up!

Meanwhile a european duo flashed the Cassin in 22 hours...

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so many good climbs to do in the range, no use in going for the big ones first and not getting up anything. so many classics, ham and eggs/shaken, 11,300, Frances, mini moonflower etc...

I finally typed up our rack for the Cassin Ridge from last season.  I hope you find it helpful!

Cassin Ridge Gear List