Mt. Washington is known as the Home of the World’s Worst Weather, and still holds the world record for the highest windspeed ever witnessed by man, a mind boggling 231 mph. During the winter months, the wind speed on the summit tops 70 mph at least once every three days, and it’s not uncommon for climbers to encounter temperatures of -30F and below. You’ll be above treeline for about half of the ascent, which for many is their first experience with a true alpine environment.
The alpine conditions, combined with Mt. Washington’s accessibility, allow you to gain invaluable winter survival experience…without having to travel to the Rockies, Cascades or Alaska. The SMG guides have hundreds of Mt. Washington ascents under their belts, and this deep experience level and local knowledge will allow you to push yourself higher and farther than you might have thought possible.
In addition to potentially bagging one of the most iconic summits in the lower 48, your guide will work with you on the skills you’ll need to become a competent mountaineer. Here’s a partial list of topics:
- Training
- Gear and clothing selection
- Preparation and packing up
- White-out navigation and route finding
- Avalanche awareness
- Crampon technique
- Ice axe technique including self arrest
- Pacing
- Frost bite and hypothermia awareness
- Proper hydration and food intake
- Descending and down-climbing, including glissading
Prep Day
SMG offers an optional day to prepare you for the Mount Washington climb. This is usually done the day before the climb and takes place in the SMG office and outside. We would highly recommend adding the prep day if you or your group have a lower level of winter mountaineering/hiking experience. The prep day starts at 8am at the SMG office and we’ll wrap up by 4pm so you have plenty of time to rest for your climb the next day. The following is an approximate schedule and topics to be covered:
- 8am – 10am (office & transitioning to outside): guide/group intros, overview of prep day and climb day, go over equipment/packing, and get fitted for boots/crampons/axe, head out to local mountain or terrain with steep slopes.
- 10am – 2pm (outside): crampon & ice axe techniques, basic rope skills, winter travel skills & topics, pacing/food/water strategy.
- 2pm – 4pm (outside & transitioning to inside): wrap up outside & head back to office, review skills/topics, make a plan for climb day, refine equipment choices and packing, conclude the prep day and rest for the big day!
Key benefits of the prep day:
- Take care of boot/crampon/axe fitting, equipment choices, and packing beforehand. This allows us to get an earlier start on the mountain.
- For those new to winter hiking/mountaineering, this allows crampon & ice axe technique practice beforehand, giving us more time to focus on making a summit attempt.
- If the weather is significantly better on your prep day compared to the climb day, we can consider a summit attempt on the prep day instead.
- Better chance of summiting Mount Washington!
Prerequisites
We do not have prerequisites and no prior experience is required. With that said, the ascent is 8+ miles roundtrip and we gain 4250 vertical feet on the ascent, so participants should be physically fit and ready to trudge uphill with a sizable pack for four or five hours. Previous winter hiking or mountaineering experience is helpful. If you are interested, we can direct you to a training program to get prepared for the ascent.
Time
Varies based on fitness level and conditions. Approximately 8+ hours (4-5 hours up & 3-5 hours down).
Equipment & Clothing
SMG will supply you with mountaineering boots, crampons, and ice axe. Please contact us for a copy of our winter gear list. While you are responsible for your own clothing, we do have some items for rent, so contact us if you are short on gear – we will help you to get the proper kit together.
When & Where
Your day will start at the SMG office in Intervale NH at 7am.
More Info
Please see the Lion Head Winter Route Overview, the Tuckerman Ravine Winter Climbing Overview, or contact Synnott Mountain Guides with any questions.
