navigate_next navigate_next navigate_before The Headwall From the comfort of your kitchen tent at 14,000' Camp, the transition to the upper mountain, via the large headwall to the 16,000' Ridge, can be quite daunting. Throughout your time at camp you’ll watch teams ascending and descending the fixed lines, appearing like tiny ants across the massive alpine basin.

While it’s certainly a fairly big undertaking, don’t be too intimidated! You have trained for this, and you’ll be met at the top of the fixed lines with some of the most spectacular views you’ve ever seen in your life. navigate_next navigate_before The Headwall Generally, on the day you and your team head up the fixed lines, it’s advisable to get an early start, so that you can descend before the rocks near the Rescue Gully are warmed too much by the sun and are more prone to tumbling down over the route. Plus, it's nice to get the first hour's hike up the moderately steep snow above 14,000' Camp out of the way before the sun comes around and heats up Genet Basin. It can be downright HOT up there on a clear, still day.

It takes most teams a good 1-1.5 hours to get to the start of the Headwall. The approach slope starts out fairly consistent, but rolls over a convexity before steepening to the start of the fixed lines. Heads up for some cracks that can lurk under that transition zone.

Rockfall hazard is mostly from climber's right and is significant enough to warrant putting that helmet you've schlepped up the last 8,000' on your head. navigate_next navigate_before The Headwall The slopes on the approach are mellow enough that ski poles are helpful. You'll not need them on the Headwall, so if you are carrying up to the ridge above, you can cache them before clipping into the fixed lines. Keep in mind that if the sun warms the slopes above, snow can slough down, causing more than one set of poles to be lost. Give some thought as to where you cache them.

In recent years, there has been a well-defined bergschrund before the fixed ropes, sometimes called "The Eyebrow" for how it appears from 14,000' Camp. It can offer some protection from sloughs, although how much will often vary from year to year. navigate_next navigate_before Fixed Lines The Headwall is protected by two sets of fixed lines. These are ropes that are affixed to the ice at semi-regular intervals with anchors that are often buried deep under the surface. Most climbers clip into the fixed lines with an ascender attached via a runner or "cows tail" to their harness. The NPS and the guide services coordinate to maintain the fixed lines. The one to climber's right is the "up" line and the one on climber's left is the "down" rope. If you're even a little rusty with your use of an ascender, set a few pickets at 14,000' Camp and run through a bit of practice before heading up. Everyone is happier if teams move up and down the lines efficiently. navigate_before Headwall Guide Tips Ascending the Headwall is generally pretty straightforward. Sure, it can be challenging to work an ascender with mittens, and you'll probably be frustrated by someone going slower or faster than you, but it's not rocket science to ascend a fixed line on 40-degree snow.

Descending the fixed lines is where climbers regularly have trouble. A commonly used technique to descend is to take a Sherpa Arm Wrap around the fixed rope for a self-belay, while clipping into the line with a locking carabiner on a cows tail. If someone is having an epic on descent, it can be quicker to lower them from anchor points, rather than fuddle with an arm wrap.