Mount Sill from Potluck Pass, pls comment on best route
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2011 11:34 am
Hi,
We'd like to summit Mt. Sill the least dangerous way possible. Approaching from Bishop/Knapsack/Potluck Passes and then ascending one of the southwest chutes.
To best honest, some of the trip reports I've seen scare me. Secor makes out this route as straightforward, Class 2 with some Class 3 on top. But everyone else who seems to do it reports ending up on Class 4 stuff. (We are not equipped for that.) I suspect they end up on Class 4 stuff b/c they're not on the ideal route; hence I hope for some guidance from you guys.
1. Best (least steep) route down from Potluck Pass?
2. Good camping below Potluck Pass? Lake 11,676 or tarns/streams above it?
3. Going up-canyon from the big lake below Potluck (11,676) to the Palemonium Glacier looks on the map to be straightforward, but I read reports of people going up the wrong canyon. We know how to use our compass & topo maps to orienteer, but any other visual advice would be useful.
4. Which chute or ridge to the top of Sill? Secor says stay far left and go up the west ridge; but at least one trip report suggests that ridge has a lot of exposure. People seem to favor the next chute over, and/or one of the ridges between chutes. But I am not sure (visually) which one this is.
Looking at this photo here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6915" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Is it the chute with the snow in it that we should go up? Or a ridge on either side of it? Or some other route?
Thanks much,
Elizabeth
We'd like to summit Mt. Sill the least dangerous way possible. Approaching from Bishop/Knapsack/Potluck Passes and then ascending one of the southwest chutes.
To best honest, some of the trip reports I've seen scare me. Secor makes out this route as straightforward, Class 2 with some Class 3 on top. But everyone else who seems to do it reports ending up on Class 4 stuff. (We are not equipped for that.) I suspect they end up on Class 4 stuff b/c they're not on the ideal route; hence I hope for some guidance from you guys.
1. Best (least steep) route down from Potluck Pass?
2. Good camping below Potluck Pass? Lake 11,676 or tarns/streams above it?
3. Going up-canyon from the big lake below Potluck (11,676) to the Palemonium Glacier looks on the map to be straightforward, but I read reports of people going up the wrong canyon. We know how to use our compass & topo maps to orienteer, but any other visual advice would be useful.
4. Which chute or ridge to the top of Sill? Secor says stay far left and go up the west ridge; but at least one trip report suggests that ridge has a lot of exposure. People seem to favor the next chute over, and/or one of the ridges between chutes. But I am not sure (visually) which one this is.
Looking at this photo here:
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=6915" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Is it the chute with the snow in it that we should go up? Or a ridge on either side of it? Or some other route?
Thanks much,
Elizabeth