cturturica - Sep 24, 2013 11:17 pm Date Climbed: Oct 21, 2012
Amazing rout just some bad planning and it could have turn out very bad.
Left Rock Creek on Saturday morning around 7am with plans to make it back by late night. Made the base of the face by noon and slowly made our way up it with 30mil/hr. gusts dusting us with ice crystals. My two friends didn't have full face masks and it was harder for them. By 10pm we made it to the cove on the right of the ice chute that goes to the ridge and found a little cave about 10 feet up the face big enough for one person to lie in. The other two fixed a line up the face for the next couple of hours and spent the night on a spire about 50ft from the ridge. I stayed in the cave and shivered most of the night. None of us had packed overnight gear (sleeping bags or extra clothing) and temps fell to 14F that night. Sunday morning at around 6am one of the guys came down to get me and the packs that had been left with me. We climbed the fixed lines and got to the summit quick in daylight but through the night we had used all the rest of the fuel to stay warm and had no way to melt snow for drinking water or for our dry meals. We had to hike all the way back to Rock Creek on the west side without water or food. When I finally got to the creek around 7pm I drank an entire Nalgene straight from the creek. Would like to do the route again but maybe take a sleeping bag and matt just in case and an extra fuel canister. Also back when we did this none of us had done much rope work or ever used ice screws and pitons before. The worst was that we all had a bit of frost nip on our toes but nothing serious and after a few weeks it was all good with no permanent damage. I am glad nobody got seriously hurt.
kevinhansen - Oct 3, 2011 1:18 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2009
Good route
The snow was slick and soft. I didn't have a partner, so I stayed on the rock as much as possible.
reboyles - Feb 28, 2010 8:37 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 1976
First Ascent
Mike Weber and I climbed this route in October 1976.
cturturica - Sep 24, 2013 11:17 pm Date Climbed: Oct 21, 2012
Amazing rout just some bad planning and it could have turn out very bad.Left Rock Creek on Saturday morning around 7am with plans to make it back by late night. Made the base of the face by noon and slowly made our way up it with 30mil/hr. gusts dusting us with ice crystals. My two friends didn't have full face masks and it was harder for them. By 10pm we made it to the cove on the right of the ice chute that goes to the ridge and found a little cave about 10 feet up the face big enough for one person to lie in. The other two fixed a line up the face for the next couple of hours and spent the night on a spire about 50ft from the ridge. I stayed in the cave and shivered most of the night. None of us had packed overnight gear (sleeping bags or extra clothing) and temps fell to 14F that night. Sunday morning at around 6am one of the guys came down to get me and the packs that had been left with me. We climbed the fixed lines and got to the summit quick in daylight but through the night we had used all the rest of the fuel to stay warm and had no way to melt snow for drinking water or for our dry meals. We had to hike all the way back to Rock Creek on the west side without water or food. When I finally got to the creek around 7pm I drank an entire Nalgene straight from the creek. Would like to do the route again but maybe take a sleeping bag and matt just in case and an extra fuel canister. Also back when we did this none of us had done much rope work or ever used ice screws and pitons before. The worst was that we all had a bit of frost nip on our toes but nothing serious and after a few weeks it was all good with no permanent damage. I am glad nobody got seriously hurt.
kevinhansen - Oct 3, 2011 1:18 pm Date Climbed: Aug 20, 2009
Good routeThe snow was slick and soft. I didn't have a partner, so I stayed on the rock as much as possible.
reboyles - Feb 28, 2010 8:37 pm Date Climbed: Oct 22, 1976
First AscentMike Weber and I climbed this route in October 1976.
skunk ape - Mar 28, 2007 8:57 pm
July climbNo hard Ice.