I am gonna go do Mount Washington on Tuesday. It is full on winter all the sudden up north and they def have snow and ice up high. Maybe not much but enough to require crampons. I wonder how imperative a ice axe is to go up the Lions head trail or if it is needed at all? Thanks for the help!!!!

I did Mount Washington the first time around November 1 of some year, so there was 1-2 feet of snow on the summit. That was awkward, since the rocks were almost 1-2 feet in diameter. Going up Tuckerman's Ravine wasn't terrible. Coming down the Lion's Head was extremely slippery. The high wind was the worst factor.

--B.G.--

So it could not hurt lol!!! I dont have an axe and am buying crampons tomorrow so i can get out and play in the frozen stuff. If i can wait on the axe i would rather as i been spending money once a week on gear for well over a month now.

Edited by apbt1976 on 11/28/2010 20:15:40 MST.

Hopefully, you can get a local opinion on the mountain.

The way I went, I didn't have any long run-outs, so even if I slipped and fell, it was only a few feet. Find out if you can get by with only a ski pole or something. So much depends on the snow depth.

--B.G.--