This was one of those moments...

This was one of those moments on the Kautz route when we probably should have unpacked the rope. The climbing looked straightforward, though, and we were over this obstacle quickly. Just beyond this large formation we entered the "Kautz Ice Chute," a 40-45-degree ice slope of about two or three hundred feet. In the early morning hours, the slope was very hard, and the cramponing was a challenge; later, on descent, the Chute offered perfect snow for front pointing and plunge-stepping.