Our rugged ski team made the move from Camp 3 at 14,200′ (4328m) to High Camp at 17,200′ (5242m). It was a sunny, but windy day as they climbed up the Bunny Hill about 1,000′ to the Fixed Lines that drape down the Headwall. Here, each climber tied an ascender to their harness and attached the ascender to the fixed lines. The fixed lines, in this case, are ropes that are semi permanently anchored to the Headwall every several meters for 600′. One rope is for going up, one is for going down. The slope is roughly 50* in steepness, and a bootpack is set into the ice and snow like a steep staircase. An ascender is a progress capture device. It allows a climber to move up the rope, but if they were to slide it down unintentionally, like in the case of a slip or fall, the device will bite into the rope and catch them. The weather up high today is windy, so the team is taking this opportunity to rest and hopes for a good summit attempt window in the coming days.
An earlier team on the Fixed Lines
Here’s Aaron:
