First Time

[Klutz]

Consider Boott Spur from Pinkham Notch. It's a bit longer but the climbing is more steady, which also makes for a nice descent if you don't enjoy steep descents. The views into Tuckerman Ravine are awesome from this trail.

Tuckerman Ravine Trail brings you right through the floor of the ravine. The beauty of that place is incredible. You really have to experience it for yourself to appreciate just how beautiful it is.

I would suggest ascending via Tuckerman Ravine Trail and descending the Boott Spur Trail.

Happy Trails

I, also, have not done Mt. Washington and would like to do it sometime. This is the kind of info, I'd be looking for as well, especially since I don't like to kill myself being near edges, they scare me. Maybe this fall....I'll have to see.

 

[DougPaul]

But you're not a first time-er, and you have rock climbing experience.

I'm not sure this is a wise thing to say in a thread entitled, "first time"

You cut out my recommedations which qualify my comment. And the OP is hardly a first time hiker.

The downclimb may have occured before I learned to climb and I was with some non-rock climbing friends who also had no trouble. I think we went both up and down it that day.

On another trip, a beginner froze on the slab section (going up). She just lay down on the rock and stuck there, no sliding. She was perfectly safe (just scared)--plenty of time to figure out what to do. Another guy and I pushed and pulled and, once off the slab, she was fine. It was so traumatic that we rescued another party a little higher on the route*...

The difficult section is very short--a bit exposed, but not very difficult. It should be respected, but not feared. IMO, north slide of Tripyramid is more serious--more difficult and far more sustained.

Doug


* The rescue was nothing dramatic: Conditions were 40-50 deg F, light drizzle, and 10-15 kt winds up on the Alpine Garden. A 15 yr old boy had run ahead to the summit with the pack. We insulated a man and 10 yr boy old (dressed in cotton tee-shirts), got them to the road, and commandeered a ride to the summit for them. We then continued on our own hike. Just another day on the Rockpile...

 

[Mike P.]

That's interesting, different strokes for different folks. IMO going up North Tripyramid is much easier than Huntington Ravine. After my trip to Europe I did tell myself I would go have to try descending Huntington to see how that compared to descending a cabled (ferreta?) route without gear just holding onto the cable. (that was 8 years ago, never did try the descent)

That said, given a choice of descending Huntington's or the North Slide of Tripyramid, I'm not sure which I'd want to do less.

Either way I would not recommend descending either to someone who had not been up one or the other & who was looking for advice. It might make an interesting poll question for people with a good deal of experience.

 

[giggy]

I would agree on the huntington ravine descent - probably not a wise choice to go down it if:

1) you haven't gone up it and seen it - while it is easy for many of the people on VFTT, it can be unerving to some. I had a freind freeze on the class 3 section and it was a pain the arse.

2) unless the weather is so bad you have no other choice.

some folks just can't deal with that exposure. I am also a beliver that its best to descend what you have seen - for most trails this need not apply, but huntington headwall is sustained class2/3 and some might get spooked about that.

but doug is also right, it really isn't that big a deal.

 

[sierra]

My 2 cents. I think Tuckermans is the way to go for a first ascent of Washington. Its not that steep and the ravine itself is so rich in history you have to see it imo, besides you can get last minute weather from the caretaker. You can descend Lions Head or back down Tucks, Boot spur is long and exposed. still a great route but the exposure brings weather more in the picture. The ammou/jewell combo is my personal favorite but I never descend the jewell, I think the jewell is much better to ascend and I like to have the water of the ammou trail to cool off in after a long hike, but hey thats just me, either way the loop is one of the best in the whites.
In regards to Hunningtons as a descent route, that I dissagree on totally, why desend Hunningtons? Its a great ascent I just dont consider it a descent route at all.
ok maybe thats 3 cents.