Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: September 24th, 2005
Fun climb, although the ice wasn't 'in' yet - just a smattering if ice beneath very cruddy and irregular neve. Harrington Couloir on Mt Thompson was in much better condition. The climb at the top was fun - the 5.6 variation was fun, although very short.
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: October 7, 2005
Climbed with Peter Doucette. Hard neve and alpine ice filled the couloir. Clear, cool Fall weather. Spicey low class 5 descent of the east ridge to a notch finished off by 1 rappel down to the north face morraine field.
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: September 24, 2005
Simulsolo with Joe LeMay, who turned up serendipitously at the base of the snowfield when Mark Thomas, Mike Ybarra and I arrived. Good neve conditions mostly, with a few annoying patches of hard, brittle ice and some fresh snow. Good climbing, great summit.
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: July 11, 2004
Although we took climbing hardware (6 screws, 4 cams, mixed set of nuts and hexes, carabiners, quickdraws, cordolettes, and runners) and a 9.8mm x 60m rope, Tom Hartger and I ended up soloing the North Couloir in about 1hr 20min under "cruising" conditions - perfect neve (firn). We each had 2 tools. The 4th class ramp/low angle dihedral people talk about looked like 3rd class to me. We started at the base of the couloir at 8:20am and summited two hours later at 10:20am. There was not even a single cloud in the sky, sunny, a bit breezy....just a beautiful day in the Sierras.
Climbed steep snow chute leading to notch by Pk 12640+, and followed the ridge to summit. There was somewhere between 6"-12" of fresh powder atop the Sierra Crest, which made the going a bit tedious.
Traversed over to Mt. Johnson on the way back, which was great fun--excellent class 3.
Route Climbed: Gilbert Ice Couloir (AKA North or Engram Couloir) Date Climbed: October 12, 1998
I climbed this ice couloir two times (never roped) in the last few years. First time with Eric Klostermann in 10 hours RT from South Lake in October of 1998 and second time with Michael Gordon in August of 2000. This ice couloir can be a really good, one day RT car-to-car, solo outing. Several of my friends do it every year, just for training. The fact, that one climbs up the gully and down the Treasure Col back to the Treasure Lakes trail and the car, allows for this. There really is not ANY 5.6 climbing, if one follows the easiest way. From the notch at the top of the couloir, drop down 40 feet, traverse left 20 feet, climb 4th class ramp that changes into low angle corner. 200 feet of this gets you to the summit. This is one of the best ice gullies in the Sierra, because of it's position, because it's away from major trails and you can easily do the climb in a day from your car at South Lake. Recommended.
Route Climbed: Southeast Slopes Date Climbed: June 14, 2002
As a warmup for attempting the Williamson dayhike the following day, I climbed Mts. Gilbert and Johnson out of South Lake. The SE Slope on Gilbert is mostly a slog, but the climb up to Treasure Col was fun. Trip Report
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: July 1979, Sept. 1983
I first climbed this awesome ice route in 1979 with Britt Reeves under warm conditions, with perfect neve. Unroped of course. Came back in Sept. 1983, right after a big snow dump. Climbed it this time with Tim Winiarski and Mike Meng. 900' of 65 degree powder snow over water ice. Talk about scared! I watched avalanches ( caused by Tim ) make my boots disappear. A real epic! Unroped of course! But the class 4 - 5 at the top covered with powder snow was definitely the crux ( a lot easier when dry )!
PellucidWombat - Dec 16, 2005 9:39 pm
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: September 24th, 2005Fun climb, although the ice wasn't 'in' yet - just a smattering if ice beneath very cruddy and irregular neve. Harrington Couloir on Mt Thompson was in much better condition. The climb at the top was fun - the 5.6 variation was fun, although very short.
graham - Nov 25, 2005 2:24 pm
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: ~1976Climbed the North Couloir with Dennis Richards up beautiful neve and then up the 4th class (never encountered any ~5.6) to the summit.
Shano - Oct 17, 2005 12:32 pm
Route Climbed: N. Couloir Date Climbed: 15Oct 2005Climbed with Brian Spiewak. Full conditions on the descent. A very long day.
tdoughty - Oct 16, 2005 1:10 pm
Route Climbed: North Couloirshort but sweet
soslaw - Oct 10, 2005 11:53 am
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: October 7, 2005Climbed with Peter Doucette. Hard neve and alpine ice filled the couloir. Clear, cool Fall weather. Spicey low class 5 descent of the east ridge to a notch finished off by 1 rappel down to the north face morraine field.
Steve Larson - Sep 25, 2005 8:03 pm
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: September 24, 2005Simulsolo with Joe LeMay, who turned up serendipitously at the base of the snowfield when Mark Thomas, Mike Ybarra and I arrived. Good neve conditions mostly, with a few annoying patches of hard, brittle ice and some fresh snow. Good climbing, great summit.
RSN473 - Jun 2, 2005 11:49 am
Route Climbed: SE Slope Date Climbed: May 15, 2004Another fun sierra snow climb
forjan - Jul 12, 2004 2:01 pm
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: July 11, 2004Although we took climbing hardware (6 screws, 4 cams, mixed set of nuts and hexes, carabiners, quickdraws, cordolettes, and runners) and a 9.8mm x 60m rope, Tom Hartger and I ended up soloing the North Couloir in about 1hr 20min under "cruising" conditions - perfect neve (firn). We each had 2 tools. The 4th class ramp/low angle dihedral people talk about looked like 3rd class to me. We started at the base of the couloir at 8:20am and summited two hours later at 10:20am. There was not even a single cloud in the sky, sunny, a bit breezy....just a beautiful day in the Sierras.
Matthew Holliman - Jun 1, 2004 2:15 pm
Route Climbed: E Ridge Date Climbed: May 29, 2004Climbed steep snow chute leading to notch by Pk 12640+, and followed the ridge to summit. There was somewhere between 6"-12" of fresh powder atop the Sierra Crest, which made the going a bit tedious.
Traversed over to Mt. Johnson on the way back, which was great fun--excellent class 3.
kullaberg - Dec 1, 2002 7:40 pm
Route Climbed: treasure col, voie normale Date Climbed: may 99getting back in shape after an injury. also climbed johnson the same morning, which was great fun from the cwm east of treasure col.
asmrz - Nov 10, 2002 12:20 pm
Route Climbed: Gilbert Ice Couloir (AKA North or Engram Couloir) Date Climbed: October 12, 1998I climbed this ice couloir two times (never roped) in the last few years. First time with Eric Klostermann in 10 hours RT from South Lake in October of 1998 and second time with Michael Gordon in August of 2000. This ice couloir can be a really good, one day RT car-to-car, solo outing. Several of my friends do it every year, just for training. The fact, that one climbs up the gully and down the Treasure Col back to the Treasure Lakes trail and the car, allows for this. There really is not ANY 5.6 climbing, if one follows the easiest way. From the notch at the top of the couloir, drop down 40 feet, traverse left 20 feet, climb 4th class ramp that changes into low angle corner. 200 feet of this gets you to the summit. This is one of the best ice gullies in the Sierra, because of it's position, because it's away from major trails and you can easily do the climb in a day from your car at South Lake. Recommended.
Bob Burd - Sep 24, 2002 11:40 am
Route Climbed: Southeast Slopes Date Climbed: June 14, 2002As a warmup for attempting the Williamson dayhike the following day, I climbed Mts. Gilbert and Johnson out of South Lake. The SE Slope on Gilbert is mostly a slog, but the climb up to Treasure Col was fun. Trip Report
Craig Peer - Sep 24, 2002 10:15 am
Route Climbed: North Couloir Date Climbed: July 1979, Sept. 1983I first climbed this awesome ice route in 1979 with Britt Reeves under warm conditions, with perfect neve. Unroped of course. Came back in Sept. 1983, right after a big snow dump. Climbed it this time with Tim Winiarski and Mike Meng. 900' of 65 degree powder snow over water ice. Talk about scared! I watched avalanches ( caused by Tim ) make my boots disappear. A real epic! Unroped of course! But the class 4 - 5 at the top covered with powder snow was definitely the crux ( a lot easier when dry )!