Mount Shuksan via the Fischer Chimneys Approach

This is a serious climb. It should only be attempted by experienced mountaineers with knowledge of glacier travel, crevasses rescue, steep snow/ice terrain, rock scrambling, route-finding, etc. With these clarifications out of the way, the route begins with the Lake Ann Trail, which is roughly 4 miles long, and is an actual trail which starts from near the Mount Baker ski area. Once on the ridge just above Lake Ann, take the left-hand trail around the shoulder, good camping a short ways, (+-1/4 mile), down. Continue along this trail, which zig-sags steeply up blueberry and heather-covered slopes, then crosses some talus slopes, eventually reaching a dry fall, which should be scrambled up to regain the zig-zagging trail. Follow a somewhat beaten path to the far end of the talus slopes neath cliffs, where the start of the Fischer Chimney route can be found. The start of the chimney route is not obvious, but it is at the very far end of the talus slopes. Ascend the beaten path of the Fischer chimneys, which includes some rather exposed sections and short stretches of scrambling, including one short slab which may be very low 5th class, and continue along the path till a broad gully is reached, which is scrambled directly upward, and is mostly class 2 & 3, with at least one short \"ladder section\" of 4th class. At the top this gully, a short ridge is crossed, then a bit more scrambling leads to the ridge top, which is crossed onto snow, then back onto rocky terrain to below Winnie's Slide. Good bivouac spots here, or one can also camp atop the snow directly above Winnie's Slide. Winnie's Slide is a rather steep, +-200-foot section of either snow or ice, depending on season, which is typically front-pointed and leads to a flat spot. Cross the rocky ridge onto the Curtis Glacier, then ascend its relatively steep bottom, which is often quite icy, and continue up the glacier near its left, (north) edge, till a descent of several hundred feet can be made southward to the bottom of Hell's Highway, another steep snow/ice section which allows passage onto the Sulphide Glacier. Once at the top of Hell's Highway, turn North, and cross up the glacier to the base of the +-800-foot summit pyramid. Scramble up the pyramid on exposed, mostly 3rd class rock, with sections of 4th class. Begin by scrambling directly upward, then veer leftward, cross a minor rib to enter a broad gully, ascend this gully, then some 3rd & 4th class slabby terrain to gain the wonderfully airy summit. Descent via the ascent route. Winnie's Slide can be descended either very carefully, often by front-pointing back down it, or by rappelling. The dry falls much farther down can also be rappelled