Mount Washington Winter Climb

Mount Washington Winter Climb – Classic Climb Itinerary:

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• Day 1 Arrive in Plymouth, New Hampshire anytime today and enjoy a taste of small-town New England before our climbing adventure begins.

  Arrive at your leisure at the Econo Lodge in the New England town of Plymouth, New Hampshire. This evening dinner tonight is on your own. The town center is close by and are many local restaurants for you to choose. Eat and rest well tonight before our first day of climbing instruction tomorrow.


• Day 2 Ascend Welsh and Dickey peak, a rugged 4-mile mountain climb and perfect location for learning a variety of winter climbing skills.

  After continental breakfast at the hotel or a full breakfast on your own in town we gather in the lobby at 8:00 am for your introductions, orientation and gear check with considerations on your personal clothing, equipment and food selection. We then set out to Welsh and Dickey for a day of winter climbing skills with development in snow and ice travel, crampon techniques and ice axe use, self arrest, and navigation. Our climb on Welsh and Dickey is 4 mile mountain climb on rugged terrain that is perfect for your introduction to winter climbing techniques. Bring your own variety of quick lunch foods to be eaten constantly throughout the day—energy bars and drinks etc.
In late afternoon we will return to the hotel. In the evening plan to head out to the town of Plymouth for dinner which is on your own. There are a variety of restaurants in Plymouth near our hotel. Eat and rest well tonight to prepare for our longer climb of Mt Washington.

• Day 3 We make our push to the summit of Mt. Washington today, climbing almost 4 miles and 3,500' in an attempt to reach our icy goal!

  Today we meet and gather once again in the lobby at 5am to leave for Mt. Washington and commence our summit attempt. Our plan is to ascend The Ammonusuc Ravine Trail to the Lake of the Clouds Hut (closed in winter) then onwards above tree line on the Crawford Path to the summit. Our route up Mt Washington is strenuous with 7.6 miles of climbing round trip and 3500 ft of elevation gain. Our ascent is broken down into three sections with our first objective hiking through the forest along the Ammonusuc Stream to beautiful Gem Pool. Then our ascent quickly steepens for 1500 feet to the exposed The Lake of the Clouds Hut. This our second objective at 5100 ft is above the tree line and exposed. It is here above tree line that we may anticipate substantial winds and extreme cold. At Lakes of the Clouds, we assess current weather, climbing conditions, and the group's condition and then make the decision on continuing up the mountain if everything seems favorable enough. From Lakes of the Clouds it is another 1.5 miles and another 1100 feet of gain along the Crawford Path to the summit. The summit cone is the other area where we very much anticipate substantial wind. We will be climbing between Lake of the Clouds and the summit for three to four hours, typically. Above tree line travel in winter is extreme and as we climb, our guides will continue to offer coaching and instruction on climbing efficiently and safely. Expect high winds and arctic temperatures today and ample opportunities to test your newfound skills and willpower as we press for the summit. We expect to be back by around 6:30pm, so if you are flying out, plan accordingly (for example, plan to fly out of Manchester no earlier than 9:00pm). Bring your own variety of quick foods to be eaten constantly throughout the day, energy bars and drinks, etc.

• Note on Itinerary

  Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule listed above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control. The final route and schedule is left up to the discretion of the guides, and is based upon trip member’s skill, interests, and weather conditions. Hotel accommodation options in Plymouth are limited, and we’ve selected our accommodations for comfort, cleanliness, convenience, and affordability.

• Single Travelers

  If you are traveling alone and specifically request single accommodations, you will be asked to pay the full single supplement noted on the trip itinerary. If you wish to share accommodations, we will assign you a roommate if one is available. If a roommate cannot be found, you will be asked to pay a reduced single fee, which is half of the full single supplement. Please be advised that there are a very limited number of single rooms available on most departures.

Mount Washington Winter Climb – Observatory Overnight Itinerary:

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• Day 1 Meet your guides and fellow climbers and set out for the summit of Mt. Washington! Overnight in the Mt. Washington Observatory.

  Night Before
  Since we will meet at 8:00 am on day one of your trip, you may need to arrive the night before our trip begins. Hotel night stays are not included in the cost of this trip.
  
  Your trip begins today at the AMC Pinkham Notch Visitors Center. We'll meet on the first floor at the weather observation and conditions forecast area no later than 8:00 a.m. where your guides will greet you and begin outfitting you with the gear needed to set out for the summit today. As we begin our ascent via Tuckerman's Ravine, guides will offer instruction in crampon and ice axe use, self arrest and other important considerations for clothing, equipment and food selection. As we climb, Lions Head is our first objective at 4,800 feet. We anticipate substantial wind and extreme cold at Lions Head. If we make Lions Head, we assess current weather, climbing conditions, and the group's condition and then make the decision on continuing up the mountain if everything seems favorable enough. It is another 1.5 miles and another 1,400 feet of gain from Lions Head to the summit. The summit cone is the other area where we very much anticipate substantial wind. We will be climbing between Lion's head and the summit for three to five hours, typically. The winds usually are out of the west/north west, while we will be climbing on the east side of the mountain, which may afford us some wind protection through sections of the climb. As we climb, our guides continue to offer coaching and instruction on climbing efficiently and safely. Expect high winds today and ample opportunities to test your newfound skills and willpower as we press for the summit. At the top, look forward to a hot dinner and a tour of the famous Mt. Washington Observatory. It was here that the world record highest wind speed in history was recorded at 231 miles per hour in April, 1934. We spend the night in the observatory tonight before making our descent in the morning. Dinner included. Bring your own variety of quick foods to be eaten constantly throughout the day, energy bars and drinks, etc.

• Day 2 Descend from the Mt. Washington Observatory, employing many of the climbing skills and techniques learned during yesterday's ascent.

  After breakfast at the observatory we gather up and assess weather conditions for our descent. If the weather today is too extreme to allow us to descend, our group may be forced to spend another night at the observatory awaiting a window of time that will provide an opportunity to descend. If we are forced to overnight at the Observatory an additional night, a fee of $100 will automatically be charged the following business day. Such an arrangement may also significantly impact your return travel plans, which may need to be adjusted accordingly. For this reason, we very highly recommend travel insurance for this trip. In the absence of extreme weather conditions, we set out in the morning and descending the route that we climbed, returning to our vehicles where we'll offer one another congratulations and say our goodbyes. If the weather allows for our descent as planned today, we expect to be back at the Visitors Center by around 2:00 p.m. today, so if you are flying out, plan accordingly (for example, plan to fly out of Manchester no earlier than 7:00 p.m.). Breakfast included. Bring your own variety of quick foods to be eaten constantly throughout the day, energy bars and drinks, etc.

• Note on Itinerary

  Although we do our very best to adhere to the schedule above, this itinerary is subject to change for numerous reasons beyond our control including weather and terrain conditions.
  
  Important: If we reach the observatory and weather on Day 2 is too extreme to allow us to descend, our group may be forced to spend another night at the observatory awaiting a window of time that will provide an opportunity to descend. If we are forced to overnight at the Observatory an additional night, a fee of $100 will automatically be charged the following business day. Such an arrangement may also significantly impact your return travel plans, which may need to be adjusted accordingly. For this reason, we very highly recommend travel insurance for this trip.

• Single Travelers

  Sleeping accommodations at the Mt. Washington Observatory are shared bunkrooms. These common spaces do not provide the opportunity for anyone to request private accommodations. Single travelers are welcome and there is no additional single fee for this climb.

Contact REI Adventures prior to purchasing your airline tickets to confirm that the trip has the minimum number of participants required to operate.

Professional instruction and guiding, lodging and meals as described in the itinerary, group climbing equipment, permits.

Transportation from your hometown to group meeting point and to trailheads (for classic climb); insurance of any kind; alcoholic beverages; optional night’s lodging before or after the trip; energy foods and energy drinks (see equipment list for guidelines); guide gratuities and items of a personal nature.

Manchester, NH: Manchester Airport (MHT), 65 miles

There is no reliable transfer service from any airport to our meeting place. Anticipate renting a car if flying in for this weekend getaway.

This trip is rated Vigorous (4) as climbing the peak involves carrying a daypack (10-20 lbs.) over very steep, snowy/icy/rocky terrain in potentially very challenging weather conditions for many hours continuously. The climbing portions of the trip involve travel on very steep terrain and at altitude, which is physically demanding. To maximize your enjoyment of the trip and to avoid sore muscles, we suggest that you engage in a regular exercise regimen beginning at least three months prior to your departure. Most important to your overall enjoyment is your overall fitness level.

You may experience very cold temperatures, fog, frequent cloud cover and high winds. Climbers should come prepared with every piece of equipment indicated on the gear list below and should maintain an awareness that the environmental factors are part of the challenge of the climb. Climbers should also maintain the understanding that weather may turn us away from our objective at any time, and that the final call is left to our instructors and must be adhered to by all group members. 

This trip is subject to the booking information set forth in the current REI Adventures Weekend Reservation Information. Please read this information carefully and call us if you have any questions. A full gear list and detailed pre-trip information is sent upon sign-up. We highly recommend the purchase of travel insurance through REI Adventures. If coverage is purchased at the time of your initial reservation, the 'Pre-existing Conditions Exclusion' is waived (certain exclusions apply).

We look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! Why wait? Space is limited, reserve your adventure today.

Having the proper gear is vital to your comfort and overall enjoyment of the seminar. Attached is a gear list that has been specifically designed for this trip.  We often get asked if all items appearing on the list on the following page are really required. Our guides assert that climbers must arrive prepared as indicated, but please keep in mind that not all gear will be required for all departures. The weather and terrain conditions on Mt. Washington at the time of your arrival will dictate what clothing and equipment you will be required to carry with you during the day and what (if anything) can be left behind. If you do not already own all of the necessary gear and are not certain if you will participate in mountaineering trips on a regular basis, please consider renting.

Weather

You may experience very cold temperatures, fog, frequent cloud cover and high winds. Climbers should come prepared with every piece of equipment indicated on the gear list below and should maintain an awareness that the environmental factors are part of the challenge of the climb. Climbers should also maintain the understanding that weather may turn us away from our objective at any time, and that the final call is left to our instructors and must be adhered to by all group members.

Gear Checklist

Things to Consider

• We recommend thin liner socks under your regular, thicker hiking socks. The liner sock should be made of a non-absorbent wicking material, not cotton. Test your sock combination before you go on the trip.
• COTTON KILLS! Once cotton clothing becomes wet, it will drain your body heat. Bring wool or synthetics such as Capilene, MTS and Thermax. Always test your layers before a trip. Your outer garments should fit easily over your layers without binding or bunching up.
• To protect your face and neck while climbing you will want to climb with a combination neck gaiter and face mask or with a balaclava. If you are very concerned about wind/cold, you may wish to bring all of these items.