Hello. I am new here, so be nice. I have a day pass for 6/21. I have microspikes and an ice axe. Have used it before, but it's been awhile. I know my limitations and do not want to slide down the mountain. Que, silly question: Can I walk down the chute or sliding the ONLY option? I don't care what people think, I want to live and not see SAR on my hike. Last year we did Whitney in August, so didn't have to deal with this issue. Any advise helps!
Hello, Snick&Boo. While some of us can get frustrated and a little impatient with newbies who think they know everything, nobody will jump on you for asking an honest newbie question. We all started as newbies, and, admit it or not, we all did stupid stuff when we were starting out.
Glissading is mostly a newbie thing. Newbies usually think it’s cool and fun, and “everybody” does it. Sometimes it really is the best way down, but it usually it isn’t. You can easily get hurt, you can destroy an expensive pair of pants, and you can get your ass cold and wet (which may not matter in June, but it can be a big deal in winter). The first professional guide service I climbed with discouraged glissading, and I’ve only done it a few times since.
The safest way down is to face the snow and walk backwards, kicking steps as you go. Depending on conditions, it can work with or without crampons and with or without an axe. I descended a couloir near Mt. Colosseum this way just yesterday. It was soft snow, and I got by with crappy boots, crampons, and no axe.
My favorite way to descend is to face out, and just walk down plunging my heels into the snow. Depending on conditions, you can do this with either an axe or ski poles. I did this just yesterday with bare boots and ski poles lower on the mountain.
