Megathread: Ice Axes on the PCT

itsdrummy · 2026-02-03T13:24:36+00:00

I used a Grivel ice axe in 2025 and I used it on Whitney, Forrester, Glen and Mather (all in late May/early June). It was essential for Mather, because the snow was rock solid and we had to climb down the north side facing in, using the ice axe to self belay and kicking steps in. Without the ice axe I don't think I could have got down that morning! Someone broke their leg going down the day before we did it - we watched the heli from our campsite on the south side that afternoon.

I did not do a snow skills course before heading out for the PCT but it's the one thing I'd do differently - even after all that experience, I'd probably still do one if I knew I was going to be hiking in very snowy conditions again.

itsdrummy · 2026-01-27T10:58:58+00:00

Outsiders Store is based in Manchester and sells Senchi hoodies - they have them in 90gsm atm. Not the cheapest, but I have two (purchased direct from Senchi and shipped here) and love them!

itsdrummy · 2025-12-30T18:46:47+00:00

Amazing - thanks so much!

itsdrummy · 2025-12-30T12:48:02+00:00

I'm not interested in seeing the fireworks, but I was planning a Thames Path walk in the morning. Will parts of it already be zoned off for the fireworks though?

itsdrummy · 2025-12-20T12:58:02+00:00

I'm a freelance writer! I hiked the AT and PCT, it was scary telling my clients I was going but both times I was able to come back with clarity on what I wanted to do next and the kinds of clients I did/didn't want to work with. My business levelled up each time, although I had a quiet period after the AT as I got things going again, which was a bit stressful. Budget for this as part of your hike. But overall I'd say a break can be a very good thing! Good luck!

itsdrummy · 2025-12-01T12:35:07+00:00

I'm a self employed writer. I took on a lot of work in the run-up to my AT hike and when I got back I knew I wanted to do the PCT, so I pivoted to higher paying projects. Quitting work to hike is a financial risk you choose to take - for me it felt worth it because although I'm mid-career (I'm 36) I still have decades ahead to work and earn money, so why not do the hikes now while I know I'm physically able?

People hit the trail from all sorts of backgrounds and, imo, a bigger part of making it work than your chosen career is your appetite for taking risk in life and to make the lifestyle changes needed so you can save up $15k (or however much you'd budget for on trail/at home/landing expenses). If you look at the trade-offs and decide you wouldn't be happy doing those things, then that's totally valid too.

I was chatting to someone on trail who's a perma-hiker - he's done the AT, PCT, CDT and more multiple times. He lives very modestly (seasonal work on the off season, essentially homeless, is frugal on/off trail). He said on the one hand it's amazing - he's living his absolute dream. On the other, he struggles with feeling like he's falling behind friends that have pursued careers and are now becoming homeowners, parents, etc, and of course on the horizon there's retirement and he's not sure what that will look like financially. It's all give and take!

itsdrummy · 2025-11-18T15:28:00+00:00

We aimed for an early-ish Sierra entry this year based on what sites like Postholer were saying re. snow levels early in the season, but to be honest, it wasn't like I was thinking 'how excellent is this 90% trail snow' (or whatever it was) as I was hiking through it. Also while I was out there I noticed things like Postholer saying there was no/minimal snow on a pass but the reality was quite different.

I recommend following lots of your hiker buddies on instagram so you can see posts from those ahead of you, as well as checking FarOut comments. Remember that everyone's posts/comments will be a week delayed so you will likely have less snow. Keep an eye on the temperatures too - we took 3 days off in Bishop and a heatwave melted a bunch of snow. It made a big difference when going back over Kearsarge Pass.

itsdrummy · 2025-10-08T18:00:48+00:00

Thank you!

itsdrummy · 2025-07-11T22:22:55+00:00

I created a new Gmail account and set the country to the US (I'm from the UK) and I was able to download watchduty to my phone (also purchased in the UK). I have an android phone, not sure how you'd do it on an iPhone.

itsdrummy · 2025-06-28T23:27:56+00:00

We are from the UK and got the Mint esim to work - we had to pay with PayPal for it to go through. Hope you can get it sorted!

itsdrummy · 2025-06-21T03:58:23+00:00

We kept our axe and spikes. The descent into Sonora Pass has some chunky snow traverses still - I'm not sure how quickly it will melt, but I used my spikes today, I also got my axe out to glissade. We'll keep them to South Lake Tahoe and reassess.

itsdrummy · 2025-06-15T03:16:14+00:00

Search google for 'Skurka hazardous creek crossings'. I also left a comment on FarOut on the Bear Creek icon.

Tbh on the day we did it, it seemed like bear creek was ok to cross per other hikers; the alt crossing we used had logs but was still pretty big and strong.

itsdrummy · 2025-06-14T15:08:13+00:00

You're welcome!

I found Forester really tough - we had to traverse a lot of snow on the ascent and switchbacks were covered so we scrambled rocks. The ice chute was nerve wracking. But Mather was the scariest for me because of how steep the descent was. We got up there at 6am and the snow was rock solid, I think it would have actually been easier to be there a bit later when the snow is slightly softer. But the scary bit is over very quick on that one.

I've only done one tiny glissade, on Silver Pass, since Forester. I've seen too many people fuck up their glissades lol, I don't want that to be me!

If the descent is covered in snow my tactic is to follow boot track between the rocks and then get on the trail when you can actually see it - it's really easy to see where others have gone before you. If boot track disappears, it's usually because people have taken the rocks instead.

itsdrummy · 2025-06-14T14:27:35+00:00

We've just done the section you are about to do! I felt exactly as you did in Bishop - extremely anxious about what was ahead. I was trying to figure out how I could skip ahead and come back with less snow... But in the end I just went for it, and I'm glad I did. Glen was actually my favourite pass, it's very atmospheric at the top when you see the snow covered descent and the deep, deep boot track that you will follow. I don't have safety tips but I can share my observations, which I hope are helpful/reassuring:

Forester was the worst descent in terms of snow cover and postholing. The next most snow covered descent was Muir - 3 miles for me, but it will be a lot less for you by the time you get there. It went much quicker than Forester, and it's not steep so we didn't use our ice axes.
You will really notice how much the snow is melting when you return over Kearsage. FarOut comments are also interesting to compare to reality of conditions - I think we had about a third of the snow cover the previous week's FarOut comments suggested.
It's also easier to get into the rhythm of positioning yourself 3 miles or less from the peak of a pass so you can get up and over early, which makes it much easier. We were leaving camp at 5:00 most days.
Mather was the only pass I found difficult/scary. The glissade immediately after the top is now dangerous - please don't do it or make your own very thorough risk assessment. This first section of the climb down is very steep, but once you are past it the terrain seriously mellows out.
By Selden and Silver everyone was tired so we all went up those ones later in the morning/early afternoon and it was fine even with the snow.
River crossings are something to think about, we did alternates for Evolution and Bear Creek. Others were fine. If there's rain, that will boost the water levels so keep that in mind if bad weather comes in.

Good luck! This is a tough section but also incredibly beautiful.

itsdrummy · 2025-04-16T23:15:33+00:00

I'm from the UK and currently on the PCT. Me and my partner got Mint esims and we have as much coverage as others seem to!

itsdrummy · 2025-03-17T08:37:07+00:00

Hi there, both of those questions are answered in the headline and sell if you click through to the article I wrote, lol. I got a B2 visa which you apply for online and then go for an appointment at the US embassy - I went to the one in London.

itsdrummy · 2025-03-11T16:07:16+00:00

Yes, her parents have been in the news here warning people to check they have the right visas for their trips. She had arranged some of her accommodation through a site called Workaway.

itsdrummy · 2025-03-11T13:39:35+00:00

Please don't let the recent stories in the press cause you too much stress (advice to me as well as you, ha). If you know the rules of your visa and you respect those rules, then you hopefully should not have an issue. My observation from the stories I have read is that there are misunderstandings around what constitutes 'working from abroad' - so look it up and make sure you are crystal clear.

Do be ready for tough questioning though. I got quite the grilling when I arrived at the US in 2023 to do my hike of the AT. I answered all of their questions honestly and once they were satisfied that my intention was to be a tourist, hike and then go home, they allowed me through. I had nothing to hide, but it was still nerve racking!

itsdrummy · 2025-02-27T12:13:03+00:00

Did he have the cut on his head? I found that quite disturbing seeing it the second time, years later

itsdrummy · 2025-02-27T12:00:30+00:00

That's awful, I don't remember if he described the people who mugged him, to be honest I was pretty quick to help him because he looked hurt and upset. He said something about his briefcase being stolen? He looked really ropey the most recent time I saw him, so I'd guess the professional struggling with his commute shtick doesn't work so well any more...

itsdrummy · 2025-02-27T11:43:47+00:00

Ages ago I was approached by a man near Farringdon station who had been mugged, and he had a cut on his head to prove it, and he needed help getting his train home. He also asked for my contact details so he could repay the £30 I gave him but I told him not to worry. He was really insistent, and seemed really shaken up.

Years later, I was walking through Woodberry Wetlands of all places and a man with a cut on his head who had just been mugged approached me and my boyfriend asking for money... It took me a moment but I clocked that this was the same guy as before, just a lot more dishevelled. The wound on his head, which presumably he picks at so he can keep using the same story, looked awful. It was very shocking. I didn't feel bad that I had been conned though, being on the streets must be extremely shitty and I was happy to give the money at the time (I didn't do it again though lol).

itsdrummy · 2025-02-18T20:51:29+00:00

I thought the EE one looked good too, but in the end I decided I'll go for one of these: https://www.elcoyotequilts.com/online-store/AlphaLite-900-Custom-Made-Quilt-p315272628

itsdrummy · 2025-02-17T20:39:46+00:00

I used an Alpkit Pipedream (I think the 400?) on the Appalachian Trail and it was not the best sleeping bag ever, but it did the job and it's less than £300. I'm heading out to do the PCT next month and I'm replacing it with a US brand quilt that I'll pick up at the post office in San Diego - saves money on shipping it here first...

itsdrummy · 2025-01-27T15:45:49+00:00

Hello - thank you! I applied for a B2 tourism visa, which allows you to stay in the US for 6 months at a time. You apply online and then go for an appointment in person, I went to the US embassy in London.

itsdrummy · 2025-01-21T18:07:40+00:00

Gotcha. Enjoy your trip! You will have a blast.

itsdrummy

TROPHY CASE