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Mendenhall Towers Late May

Original Post
Dane Christensen · · Nomadsville · Joined Jun 2012 · Points: 10

I'm going to be passing through Juneau from May 21 to 25 (approximately) and am hoping to get out on some alpine rock or possibly ice for a few days. Mendenhall Towers look sweet, but I'm down for anything moderate. Can comfortably lead trad 5.9, though I like to go easier and faster. Long approaches are my forté!
Hit me up if you'll be in the area and you have a day off or so.
Dane

Bill Doctorman · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2010 · Points: 125

You might want to head over to the Rock Dump (the local gym) and find some partners there. That said, the weather in Juneau is such that you would probably want a little more time than 5 days to get a decent window for a serious alpine climb like the routes on mendenhall. Most people charter a helicopter to get dropped off at the base as the approach to the tower would take about 2 days of maze like route finding through the glacier. The towers have good rock, but like most of Alaska, there is a significant amount of terrible choss and loose rock that requires a high level of proficiency in sub-optimal climbing conditions. There is no trail to the base of an icefield tower. Temsco helicopters might be able to offer you a deadhead style drop off for 100 - 200 bucks. No pickup, so after spending the time actually climbing a route (usually 1 - 2 days), expect 1 - 2 days to descend the maze of crevasses back to civilization. That wall is not to be taken lightly. You won't find any ice in late May in southeast, unless you are on a glacier. There is a fairly active community of climbers in Juneau, just ask around at the gym and I'm sure they would be happy to give you a tour.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Pacific Northwest
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