Route:  Mt Shuksan/Fisher Chimneys
Climbed:  August 27, 1998


Approach: Hike to lake Ann.  No permit required but you can fill out a
voluntary climber's registry at the Glacier Ranger Station.

You can see the Fisher Chimneys from Lake Ann.  With your eyes,
follow the trail on from lake Ann to where it traverses across the
scree slope heading toward the lower glacier.  The trail clearly heads
up into a right slanting chimney (gully) in the cliff bands. Trees
and clear signs of trail are visible in the chimney.  From the top of
this chimney the trail traverses right across heather covered slopes
then goes out of sight.  The next chimney is visible in the distance,
pretty much the right most chimney before the rock buttress, facing
toward you.  It looks steep and rocky and there are faint signs of
trail in it.

Climbing Route: From lake Ann follow the trail toward the glacier.  In
about 30-40 minutes, after the switchbacks, the trail crosses a gully
then becomes less distinct.  Continue to follow it in a gently rising
traverse for another couple minutes.  It becomes more distinct then
enters another gully, just below the cliff bands.  Across the gully is
the entrance to the first chimney.  Ascend this for about 200 ft then
look for a clear exit trail to the right.  If you are below a short
cliff that blocks easy progress up the center of the gully you are
just above the exit trail.  Follow the exit trail up the ridge just
right of the gully, then traversing right across a heather slope,
until you come out on a small ridge.  Good bivi site here, no water.
Beyond is a talus field with no distinct trail, though probably some
charins.  Traverse across this slope, gaining about 100 ft., to enter
the gully at the far side which is facing you.  Climb this on the
obvious trail.  You will encounter a 10 ft section of class 4 then a
20 ft section of class 4.  After this gully the route traverses for
about 70 ft then turns left up a side gully.  (Don't continue up the
grassy gully straight ahead.)  100 ft up the side gully the route tops
out on the ridge.  There is a clear trail all through the chimneys.
If you are not on a clear trail then you are not in the correct
chimney.

Follow the snow then rock up till you are at the base of a short
(170ft) steep slope (Winneys Slide, which is labeled incorrectly on
the map).  Good bivi sites here for 2-3 tents, water from snow.  Climb
the slope then cross through the ridge again.  Good bivi sites here,
water from snow or glacial run off.  Now ascend toward summit until
you are above crevasse field to the right.  Turn right and make
descending traverse toward Hell's Highway.  (Incorrectly labeled "The
Hourglass" on the map.  The Hourglass is the large gully through the
rock ridge, near the summit.  Ascend Hell's highway then the Sulphide
to the base of the summit Pyramid.

The Pyramid can be climbed by the right hand sky line or by a gully up
the center (right of center?  There is a small orange arrow at base,
painted on a rock but this is only visible when you are standing to
the right of the rock).  Climb is class 4 and can be done un-roped by
competent climbers.

If Hell's Highway is impassible the south face can be reached by going
clockwise around the base of the summit pyramid.  This is an easy but
long traverse and may involve descending 500 ft onto the Crystal
Glacier to avoid crevasses.



[Route description written by Tom Unger]