Mount Olympus, Hoh River Trail to Blue Glacier — Saturday, Jun. 15, 2019

3-day climb via Blue Glacier on 6/15-17 with a group of 8.

Gpx

https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/ca94f534ce3fa4ea64878e44a5c2da55/

Photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/p1KmAm41tuCMG6fFA

Most important gear:

• 50m/60m single rope, regardless of your group size. Half of a rope will get you up and the full length will get you rappel back to the base. It's a low class 5 climb, but non-single rope or setting a fixed line to prusik on will not be sufficient to protect a fall. 
• Bug spray and bug hat. Mosquitos are fierce at the Glacier meadows camp. 
• Approach shoes / trail runners, which make your feet much more comfortable hiking to the camp. A few muddy spots and stream crossing where your toes might get wet but they dry out quick. Totally worth carrying mountaineering boots on your pack. 

Report

Approach

• Route was melted out until Blue glacier. Follow Hoh River trail for 17.5mi to Glacier meadows camp. First 12mi is flat and along scenic Hoh river, mostly in the shade, with some cool breeze from the river. Then 5mi of moderate uphill. Most elevation gain in the last 2mi. Although you walk along the river, for most of the time it's not accessible for water source. Some easily accessible water sources (river/stream/waterfall) are at mile 3, 8, 9, 12, and 15. You can hike in with just 1.5-2L to save some weight. 
• Several slide areas and washouts have damaged the trail during the last 2mi to Glacier meadows camp. Descend ladder at the washed out area 0.25mi before camp. Wear helmet to protect from rockfalls, and gloves for better grip while holding onto the cable and rope next to the ladder. One person at a time to avoid kicking rocks on each other. Alternatively climb next to the ladder, using it as a handhold.
• Good places on the approach to take extended breaks (shelter, toilet, bench): Happy four camp, Guard station, Elk lake camp. 

Glacier meadows camp

• We were welcomed/kissed by mosquitoes as soon as we arrived. Have your bug hat and spray handy when you are approaching and spray them over your clothes too. 
• A running stream to refill water. A shelter. 2 toilets. 2 bear wires (each can hold 2-3 bags) to hang food. You are required to hang food. We ran into one bear and 2 deers. 
• Camp sites are too small to fit its max capacity. Individual site (up to 6 people) can fit two 2P tents with their doors almost touching each other. Group site (7-12 people) seems to be able to fit six 2P tents, but again door to door. 
• Sign the climbers register at the ranger yurt at Glacier meadows before going further.

Ascent

• Follow the Blue glacier primitive trail to the top of lateral moraine, turn left, and traverse on the moraine until you see an obvious dirt path down. Put on helmet before descending. We splitted into two groups 4, went one group at a time, stayed close to each other so that in case some kicks a rock down, it wouldn't gain enough momentum to hurt the person below. The path started out easy, and at the steepest part at the bottom, you will find a fixed rope tied of to a large boulder. Put on gloves and go one person at a time. 
• Rope up at the Blue glacier. About ten foot-wide crevasses to step over, and they were all on the flat part. You can hear/see glacier water running. Stick to the solid blue ice as much as possible to avoid punching through. Cross a gorgeous and flat glacier. 
• Gradual ascent to the wide and open area of Snow dome. From there, you get a close view of the two options ahead of you, the direct route (Forth of July route) and Crystal pass. One group we ran into went up the direct route but descended the Crystal pass, as the snow bridge on the direct route was very thin. Most other parties opted for the Crystal pass, so did we. We crossed a snow bridge (still looking solid). Traversed above a huge crevasse, where we placed 5 pickets (~20m apart) on the way up and decided it's an overkill. From there, an uneventful climbed up the gentled slope to the false summit, with a few steps on some exposed rocks mixed with snow. Descended to the saddle between the false and true summit. It was too icy too plunge step, so we followed the boot paths. Climbing up to the base of rock pitch looked very intimidating (almost vertical and edgy) from Snow dome, and still looked steep from the false summit. As usually, the slope usually seems more scary from afar. It was that steep when we were actually on it and there were well kicked in steps and even ice ax holes. 
• Pitch 1 was a ~80ft 5.4 climb. No good anchor for the belay unfortunately, so we just trusted that gravity will work. There were multiple old and new webbings and cords tied around a boulder on top of the pitch and 3 rap rings. Assess the anchor materials before you commit to belaying on/rappeling off it. Pitch 2 was a flat, but exposed and loose scramble. Some people might appreciate prusiking on a fixed handline. We were comfortable walking unprotected, just be aware of your footing and maintain 3-point contact. 

Descent

• Rappel off the rap station at the top of pitch 1. 60m rope was plenty to get us rappel back to the base. 
• Going down from the base of rock pitch to the saddle between true and false summit was the steep and icy. Can step in the boot tracks, or plunge step or glissade in the non-icy part. 
• Easy plunge step condition in the soft and gentled snow slope. 
• Climbing up the lateral moraine was absolutely the worst part of the climb. Half of the group used the rope and the other half chose their own adventure.

Route

https://www.summitpost.org/mount-olympus/150427

https://www.mountaineers.org/activities/routes-places/mount-olympus-blue-glacier

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RT distance: 44mi

Elevation gain: 7,400ft

High point: 7,965ft (West summit)

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Hoh river TH (578')

Five mile island (800', 5mi from TH)

Happy Four Camp (800', 5.7mi from TH)

Guard Station (948', 9mi from TH)

Lewis Meadows (10mi from TH)

Hoh river bridge (1,400', 13.2mi from TH)

Elk lake (2,500', 15mi from TH)

Glacier Meadows (4,200', 17.5mi from TH)

Group gear

(Group of 8)

2 stoves, 4 8oz Isopro fuel cans, 3 squeeze filters, a light rock rack, 60m * 9mm single rope, 30m * 8mm twin rope, 1 shovel.

We had 5 people on 60m rope and 3 on 30m in the glacier. 

Packing suggestion: make sure water filters are quickly accessible as you'll stop a few times to refill. 

Individual gear

Crevasse rescue (z-pulley), rock belay & rappel, glacier climb, camping, approach shoes/trail runner, bug spray & hat.

Itinerary

Day 1

TH-camp (+3,622’, 17.5mi, 10.5hrs)

0730 Hoh river TH

0945 Happy four camp

1115 Guard station

1500 Elk lake

1800 Glacier meadows

Day 2

Camp-summit-camp (+/-3,765’, 8-10mi, 9.5hrs camp-summit, 16.5hrs camp2camp)

0345 Left camp

0430 Lateral moraine (before downclimbing)

0530 Blue glacier, roped up

0830 Snow dome

1130 Saddle between false and true summit

1200 Base of rock pitch

1330 Summitted!

1400 Rappelled off summit

1430 Base of rock pitch

1630 Snow dome

1840 Blue glacier (before climbing up moraine, unroped)

1940 Lateral moraine

2020 Glacier meadows

Day 3

Camp-TH (-3,622’, 17.5mi, 9hrs)

0730 Left camp

1215 Guard station

1630 Hoh river TH

1630 Hoh river TH

Camping reservation 

https://www.nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/wilderness-reservations.htm

Weather

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=47.860515557&lon=-123.934820294

https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mount-Olympus-2