Logistics

12:00 P.M. Virtual Gear Check (1 Week Before Climb Begins)

Meet your lead guide on Zoom at 12:00 p.m. (noon) PT for a mandatory virtual gear check 1 week before your climb is scheduled to begin. This gear check will last about 1-1.5 hours. You are required to attend this meeting. Please review the Gear Check information and come prepared.

Please note transportation is not provided to the mountain on this trip.

7:30 AM Day 1 of Climb – Meet in White Salmon, WA

Climbers are responsible for their own transportation to White Salmon, WA. The team will meet at the Inn of the White Salmon at 7:30 a.m. for a 8:00 a.m. departure. We will caravan from the Inn to the trailhead. A high clearance vehicle is strongly recommended due to the very rough road to access the trailhead. 

Day 2 of Climb

You will return to the trailhead between 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. on the last day of the climb.  The team will de-issue gear at the trailhead at the conclusion of the climb. Climbers do not need to return to the Alpine Ascents Office after the climb.

Air travelers are strongly advised against booking flights out until the day after your climb concludes. Trip schedules will not be adjusted to accommodate return flights booked on the same day your climb concludes.

Menu Planning

For this climb, you are responsible for bringing your own food, including lunches/snacks. Your guide will provide hot water for your breakfasts and dinners, so please make sure to bring dehydrated or add-water-only meals for those. Your lunches should be ready to eat and not require hot water.

Overview

Food is one of the basic pleasures of wilderness travel. There are countless options for putting together healthy and delicious meals for your trip. For most climbs in the alpine environment, we eat approximately every hour during brief rest breaks. This constant intake is the most efficient way to fuel our bodies and meter our energy output as we climb. We do not stop for long “lunch breaks.” Your lunches should not require the use of a stove while on the mountain.

Basic Principles

A climbing or backpacking outing in the wilderness requires higher energy expenditure on a daily basis than what you may be used to. Eating well and frequently not only sustains energy levels but also boosts morale and attitude. In addition, mountains often challenge climbers with inclement weather. It is important that caloric intake be high and regular to help avoid hypothermia and other cold weather or altitude-related problems.

• Your food should consist of a well-balanced selection of food groups. It is best to plan most meals with high levels of complex carbohydrates to provide the most efficient long-term energy production.
• Refined sugars and simple carbohydrates, found in candy and other items, provide quick, short-term energy.
• Proteins are necessary for good health, but not in the quantities that most eat. On a short trip (3–4 days) lower protein intake levels do not cause problems.
• Fats require much more oxygen and time to metabolize (especially at high altitudes) which can be an important consideration.

Consider foods which are light and compact. Balance this consideration with nutritional needs and packing foods which taste good to you. Packaging should be minimal, but without sacrificing good organization and weather-protection.

Alpine Ascents guides will provide hot water for your breakfast and dinners. Please do not bring anything that needs to be cooked. You will be responsible for providing your own lunches for 2 days. Listed below are sample lunch menus and a packing list for your climb. It is extremely important to bring the listed calorie amounts, though the exact items you bring may vary according to your preferences.

2 Day Climb Daily Menu Sample

Here is a sample of the types of things people bring with them for their on-mountain food.

Day 1: Climb from trailhead at Cold Springs Campground (5,600’) to Lunch Counter camp (9,400 ft.)
Plan to bring approximately 1000 calories of lunch food for this day.
• Cold pizza or fresh sandwich
• Bagel with meat & cheese
• Your favorite candy bar
• Piece of fresh fruit
• Cold drink mix for your water
• A freeze-dried or dehydrated dinner (800-1200 calories)

Day 2: Summit day (12,276′) & descent to the trail head (5,600’)
Plan to bring approximately 1200 calories of lunch food for this day.
• 2 packets of instant oatmeal (300-600 calories)
• 4 energy bars
• 2 energy gels
• Your favorite candy bar
• Canister of Pringles

Sample Lunch Packing List

This list is intended as a sample packing/shopping list to create a complete “lunch bag” suitable for a 2-day climb. These items can be used in conjunction or as a substitute for the above menu sample.

Jerky (Beef, Turkey, or Soy) 2 oz Bag
Trail Mix 1 cup 
Salty Snack Mix 1 cup
Energy Bars 1 Bar
Corn Nuts 1 Packet
Large Cookies 1 Pack
Candy Bars 1 Bar
Granola Bars 1 Bar
Crackers (Peanut butter or Cheese 1 Package
Bagels (1 per day) 2 Bagels
String Cheese 2 sticks
Mini Cheese Rounds 1 Round
Mixed Dried Fruit 1/8 qt Bag
Hard Candy 1/8 qt Bag
Cold Drink Mix (w/ electrolytes) 2 Packets
Energy Gel 1 Packet
Gallon Zip-lock Bag 2 Bags

Caloric info: www.whatscookingamerica.net/NutritionalChart.htm

On the Mountain

All Nights of Climb

Sleeping arrangements: 2 per tent.
Bathroom: Go Anywhere Waste Kits (pack it out).
Cell coverage: Sporadic service with various providers. Clear days offer better cellular reception.

Leave No Trace

Alpine Ascents International practices Leave No Trace principles on all expeditions. We believe that given the proper information most people will do all they can to help protect and maintain the environment. Before your climb, please become familiar with Leave No Trace:

7 Principles of Leave No Trace

As guides, we spend time teaching the environmentally appropriate Leave No Trace principles and practices. There is nothing more rewarding than working hard to get high into the mountains, reaching a pristine campsite, witnessing incredible views, and having the feeling that no one has been there before.

Conversely, there is nothing more disheartening than working hard to climb a mountain, reaching a site and encountering trash, food waste, and toilet paper. Please read the seven LNT principles, and call the office if you have any questions about what you can do to plan ahead.

Tipping

Guides are permitted to accept and greatly appreciate tips. The amount of tip is at your discretion, but tips for excellent service normally average 10-15% of the cost of the program, or $100-150. Our guides pool tips and share them equally.

Please be aware that we are unable to process tips by card. You are welcome to tip your guides with cash or via mobile payment such as Venmo or PayPal.