Mazamas — For the Love of Mountains
Starting with May 1 climbs, Climb Registration Fee includes Mt. St. Helens Permit Fee ($22/person).
This route is open year round from the Marble Mountain Snow Park, so it's usually used for early season ascents. It's about 1,000 more vertical feet than Monitor ridge. Snow can be soft early season due to the low starting elevation, so bring skis or snowshoes in case. St. Helens is one of the lower and technically easier glaciated peaks in the Pacific NW, but still a strenuous climb as the starting elevation is relatively low. The peak is often underestimated; exposure and route finding challenges in low visibility can make this peak a serious as any in the Northwest. Watch out for the cornices on the summit crater!
This is a classic NW ski climb, with long open runs, minimal avy danger, and no crevasses. This can be a nice overnight trip as well - ski in, make camp, and hike up for some tele turns. Permits and Stuff: St Helens is one of the most heavily regulated peaks in the US. See the Gifford Pinchot National Forest web site for current permit regulations, SnoPark permit required between Nov 15 and April 30.
Activity Notes
This is a ski mountaineering climb of MSH, in other words: skinning up, skiing down. I have five (5) permits total, including for myself, so four (4) others can join. Please have an AT setup or a splitboard, experience with binding transitions, and skiing ungroomed conditions.
You don't have to be a pro, just please don't be a complete novice.
Once accepted, please pay me for the $20 permit in advance of the climb, since I have already paid for the permits, so that I know you are in. Mazamas climbs cannot be official if there are fewer than four participants, so I want a committed party, as our margin here doesn't have a lot of room for error in that regard.
Have questions? Call or text me (360)440-9830. If you think you are on the edge of being qualified, I would rather have you check with me than not apply.
| Other Information | |
|---|---|
| Driving Distance from Portland | 80 miles |
| Driving Time from Portland | 2 hours |
| Distance - Round Trip | 12 miles |
| General Route Info | summitpost: https://www.summitpost.org/mount-saint-helens/150360 |
| Expected Duration | Car to car in one day |
| Relevant Books | Climbers Guide to the Cascade Volcanoes by Jeff Smoot Cascade Alpine Guide: Columbia River to Stevens Pass by Fred Beckey Selected Climbs in the Cascades by Nelson and Potterfield |
| Relevant Maps | USGS 7 minute series, Mt. St. Helens, WA Green Trails, Mt St. Helens Google map https://goo.gl/maps/dudyw1gC3fn |
| Awards Qualified | 16 Major NW Peaks, Guardian Peaks |
| Useful Links | GPS Track GPS Coordinates Map |
