Your TR's are always a great read! The route pictures are awesome. How do you create those? Anyways, sounds like another great outing!
I just started winter backpacking in the ADK's this winter, and those slide climbs really attract me.... For a beginner climber (I have all the gear except rope and technical ice tools) which slide/face climb would you recommend for a first (non trail) trip? (after I acquire more winter experience of course)
Thank you! I just use layers in photoshop. It's quite a process actually depending on the layout of the slide.
Regarding the slides in winter. I don't know how much winter experience you have, but I had none 10 years ago. I spent quite a few years doing the 46W which gave me a basic feel for ice...at least on a trail. IMO I wouldn't go on any slide as a beginning climber without protection and someone along who has significant ice experience. I found it a literal life-saver to have a friend with great experience who helped acquaint me with the proper use of the tools, footing for low angle ice, frontpointing, avy awareness etc. etc.
If it were a summer trip and speaking in general, Bennies Brook is fairly accessible and is moderate compared to many of the slides. The top portion gets a bit steeper. Sorry if I'm coming off as overly cautious, but the hiking community had quite the reality check in December. Read the following to see what CAN happen on even low-angle ice.
That article is really sobering... I'm just going to keep climbing the peaks by the trails for now or seek professional instruction, since I don't really know anybody with ice climbing experience. There's no rush really, I'll get there when I get there. One day though!
Very thin. We followed the heavier flows on Saddleback, but it wasn't fat. It was mostly delicately placing the axes on Gothics vs. sticking deeper on Saddleback. It's always a learning experience! Thanks.
Thanks! In all honesty I never imagined going in this direction, it's been an intriguing ride and I've learned alot. I haven't seen a report on the Cat Chaos yet no, but I'm sure there have been some ascents either this or last winter. There's alot of talented climbers out there who don't post. Happy hiking!
I enjoy reading your adventures. Gothics was always my favorite Adirondack peak so its good to hear of new climbs there. I remember going up with a friend and climbing the slide on the north face at about this time of year way back in the '80's, deciding to do a direct finish up a final steep rock slab and ending up using little tufts of moss as tool placements when the layer of ice turned into an inch or two of powder over bare rock... Left me puckered for weeks afterwards! (but topping out as the sun set sure was pretty...) Anyways, nice report and keep up the climbing.
Thank you, much appreciated. I really enjoyed this day. I keep climbing and reclimbing Gothics (and Colden) which makes sense because of all the variations one can do. I'm having flashbacks to the tufts of moss now! It sounds like you were much more exposed than we were. Nice job! I hope to hit the N Face on the 23rd. Thanks again and happy climbing to you.
I went up the cable route in the winter of 1971... jeans, fisherman's ice creepers, a ski pole, and 6' of snow! Certainly one of my seminal memories! BTW, we couldn't find the cable.
Wow! I thinks it's so cool that you and a few others shared memories from a time before I started hiking. I love hearing about it. That must have been some challenge with that gear! Thanks for posting.
Jfaub - Feb 7, 2013 5:34 pm - Voted 10/10
Awesome!Your TR's are always a great read! The route pictures are awesome. How do you create those? Anyways, sounds like another great outing!
I just started winter backpacking in the ADK's this winter, and those slide climbs really attract me.... For a beginner climber (I have all the gear except rope and technical ice tools) which slide/face climb would you recommend for a first (non trail) trip? (after I acquire more winter experience of course)
Cheers,
Joel
MudRat - Feb 7, 2013 7:07 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Awesome!Thank you! I just use layers in photoshop. It's quite a process actually depending on the layout of the slide.
Regarding the slides in winter. I don't know how much winter experience you have, but I had none 10 years ago. I spent quite a few years doing the 46W which gave me a basic feel for ice...at least on a trail. IMO I wouldn't go on any slide as a beginning climber without protection and someone along who has significant ice experience. I found it a literal life-saver to have a friend with great experience who helped acquaint me with the proper use of the tools, footing for low angle ice, frontpointing, avy awareness etc. etc.
If it were a summer trip and speaking in general, Bennies Brook is fairly accessible and is moderate compared to many of the slides. The top portion gets a bit steeper. Sorry if I'm coming off as overly cautious, but the hiking community had quite the reality check in December. Read the following to see what CAN happen on even low-angle ice.
http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/534619/Heroic-effort-saved-climber-s-life.html?nav=5008
Be safe and have fun! Thank you again~
Best,
Kevin
Jfaub - Feb 7, 2013 9:19 pm - Voted 10/10
Re: Awesome!That article is really sobering... I'm just going to keep climbing the peaks by the trails for now or seek professional instruction, since I don't really know anybody with ice climbing experience. There's no rush really, I'll get there when I get there. One day though!
Thanks for the advice, and happy climbing!
Joel
Sierra Ledge Rat - Feb 9, 2013 9:21 am - Voted 10/10
looks sketchybold adventure!
MudRat - Feb 9, 2013 9:46 am - Hasn't voted
Re: looks sketchyThanks. This was the highlight of the month so far. We took fairly protected lines when we could. Fun fun fun!
mike_lindacher - Feb 10, 2013 12:37 pm - Voted 10/10
adirondack legendjust getting in to the face is effort enough, less going after it on a winter day like that.
MudRat - Feb 10, 2013 2:28 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: adirondack legendThanks, man. I was really in awe of the face and the view. Going back this summer to check it out and play a bit!
triyoda - Feb 10, 2013 9:44 pm - Hasn't voted
Nice routeThe ice looked really thin on the faces. How were the sticks? The exposure would seem totally different for solid sticks versus near verglass.
MudRat - Feb 10, 2013 11:17 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice routeVery thin. We followed the heavier flows on Saddleback, but it wasn't fat. It was mostly delicately placing the axes on Gothics vs. sticking deeper on Saddleback. It's always a learning experience! Thanks.
MudRat - Feb 11, 2013 8:22 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Another good one ...Thanks! In all honesty I never imagined going in this direction, it's been an intriguing ride and I've learned alot. I haven't seen a report on the Cat Chaos yet no, but I'm sure there have been some ascents either this or last winter. There's alot of talented climbers out there who don't post. Happy hiking!
RobSC - Feb 13, 2013 10:47 pm - Voted 10/10
Nice Report!I enjoy reading your adventures. Gothics was always my favorite Adirondack peak so its good to hear of new climbs there. I remember going up with a friend and climbing the slide on the north face at about this time of year way back in the '80's, deciding to do a direct finish up a final steep rock slab and ending up using little tufts of moss as tool placements when the layer of ice turned into an inch or two of powder over bare rock... Left me puckered for weeks afterwards! (but topping out as the sun set sure was pretty...) Anyways, nice report and keep up the climbing.
MudRat - Feb 14, 2013 8:57 am - Hasn't voted
Re: Nice Report!Thank you, much appreciated. I really enjoyed this day. I keep climbing and reclimbing Gothics (and Colden) which makes sense because of all the variations one can do. I'm having flashbacks to the tufts of moss now! It sounds like you were much more exposed than we were. Nice job! I hope to hit the N Face on the 23rd. Thanks again and happy climbing to you.
MoapaPk - Feb 14, 2013 5:15 pm - Voted 10/10
42 years agoI went up the cable route in the winter of 1971... jeans, fisherman's ice creepers, a ski pole, and 6' of snow! Certainly one of my seminal memories! BTW, we couldn't find the cable.
MudRat - Feb 14, 2013 6:22 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: 42 years agoWow! I thinks it's so cool that you and a few others shared memories from a time before I started hiking. I love hearing about it. That must have been some challenge with that gear! Thanks for posting.