We will rendezvous at the trailhead and complete a gear check to ensure we are well prepared for the next few days on this volcano. We will begin our hike, starting out in the dense forests for a couple hours. Current snow conditions will depend if we start off hiking on the trail or skinning. We will climb alongside the Railroad Grade towards Sandy Camp at 6000’, a hike that gains approximately 3000’ and takes 4-6 hours. We will see how the group is feeling before determining where to establish camp. After setting camp, we will jump into lessons that will cover the proper use of crampons, ski crampons, ice axe, harnesses, helmets, and ropes, and a tutorial on self arrest. Your guide will cook dinner and ensure you are filled up on water.

Today we will go over any skills listed from the itinerary yesterday that we did not have time for, and then jump into crevasse rescue. The goal will be to practice all the components required to haul your partner (or a third party you encounter) out of a crevasse. We will teach the drop loop system and how to make a 6:1. Our lesson will talk about all the components of a haul system, and what you should carry to always be prepared. We will talk about ropes/gear that we can use for Ski Mountaineering. With extra time we will either go into more technical skills, such as a belayed ski, rappelling, or go for a short ski lap above camp depending on the group desires.

We awake before the sun rises, and set off for the summit. We will quickly get onto the glacier and gear up, putting to use our lessons from the past days. Current conditions will dictate if we skin, crampon, or skin with ski crampons. We climb around 4500’ from camp, taking breaks approximately every hour. Before you know it, we have made it to the Sherman Crater, just below the Roman Wall. Here we take our last break, eating food and drinking before setting off on our final push. The Roman Wall is between 35-40˚, and takes just under an hour to ascend. Under typical conditions we switch to crampons here as this slope is quite advanced ski cramponing. Depending on the weather and conditions, we will soak in views from the top that stretch from the North Cascades, all the way to Rainier, Mount Adams, the Olympic Mountains, and into the City of Vancouver, BC. Once ready, if we have good weather and ski conditions, we are skiing down a South facing corn slope approximately 4500’ back to our high camp. We will rest, relax, and enjoy a nice cooked meal once more from your guide.