G-spotter

Trip: Fraser Valley - FA Janice Ales 200m WI3 Date: 12/11/2009 Trip Report: Graham took the day off and came out to the Valley on Friday. In the morning we took a sniff up the unusually snow free Skagit Valley. Lots of ice way up the valley sides but pretty thin down low. We ended up doubling back along Hwy 1 and climbing a line I have been eying for a couple of years. About half a km east of "Easy Intro" and the same distance west of The Diviner there is a prominent red cliff with a dagger that forms but never touches down. There's also a less prominent continuous flow to the right of that dagger that you can see quite notably from Seabird Island. This was what we went for. We hiked up a landslide track below the dagger to avoid the worst of the bush - about 150m of elevation gain (20-30 minutes, steep) up to the route. The dagger from below Graham leading the first pitch. The first two pitches were both full ropelengths of WI2 with a nice continuous angle of 60 degrees or so, not the usual ledgy steps of WI2. These ended at a broad ledge below the business part of the route. Graham reaching the end of p2. And leading p3. Pitch 3 went at WI3 with some steeper climbing and a 3m vertical curtain at two-thirds height providing the crux. The last pitch was a half-ropelength up a ramp, WI2+ to the forest above and a nice cedar tree belay. We rapped off trees to climbers right of the route. The first rap was 30m to a ledge, then 60m down through steep rock with tree bands. We traversed again to climbers right to a tree overlooking the final dropoff and at this point found an old sling. No sign of any rap tat higher up so who knows where this one came from - an old attempt or something climbed further to the right of our route? The old sling. Anyone know the story? Post here or PM me. We made the final rap just as the sun was going down, and hiked back down to the truck without headlamps, going straight down from the climb through some grotty slash on the powerline. Then it was off to the Greek Islands in the Wack for beers and power carboloading. We ended up calling this thing (assuming it was an FA and that the old sling was from a previous attempt only) "Janice Ales" after our favorite brewery The last rap off. Might be a good mixed climb up this slab. Gear Notes: Stubbies through 16cms. Double 60m ropes. Approach Notes: Park at gravel pullout c. 2km west of Peters Road. Climb is obvious above highway to west.

Graham and I climbed a 4 pitch new (?) route on the red cliff halfway from Easy Intro to the Diviner (the one with the big hanging drip that never touches down). This is the continuous flow somewhat less prominent on the right side of the same cliff. Pitches went at 2, 2, 3, 2+, 200m more or less. 3 raps down from trees to climber's right, 30, 60, 60 plus some scrambling. On the last rap we found an old sling around a tree, might have been from a previous ascent or from an ascent of some shorter seep to the right during thicker times (?)

The whole drainage is the comp area - it's not like there is a little crag like Ouray, the comp is in the whole drainage with hundreds of routes scattered around the hillsides and canyons.

It's a comp where you run around the area and try and climb as many routes as possible. News report says Lacelle was caught in an avalanche while traversing between two routes. His partner was at the edge of the slide and was slightly injured.

Went for a drive today to scope. All in all fat ice is found at higher elevations on north facing slopes. If you are prepared to hike uphill for an hour or two you'll find better ce than at the roadside. Hwy 1: Bridal Falls area: Never a Bride and White Weddng could possibly be climbed but are quite thin. Other routes have holes. Powerhouse Falls has large hole on second pitch. Piccadilly Circus: looks thin and wet. Easy Intro; lower WI2 is all there, crux pitches have large open hole. The Diviner: in and fat, ditto its unclimbed neighbour (see pic) Hunter Creek area: Medusa is in. Jet Lag looked doable but thin. other routes in this area (Pearly whites, The Cure, Jaundice etc.) looked very thin and generally not in yet. Mousetrap area: Actual visible ice on Jah Loveth the Righteous. Not an everyday occurrence. JLTL has ice too. Mousetrap is fully iced (see pic) but close inspection reveals it is wet, hollow and blobby. Possibly quite hard to protect. The unclimbed pillar high above Mousetrap is HUGE! and yellow. The Sheet looked good (photo), Canton Palace to the right is about 70% there. Skagit Valley: Cruel Pools and Big Cedar are hollow and wet. Might not support body weight yet or will be wet if they do (bring extra dry boots and Goretex) See pic of Big Cedar Falls Highway 7: Tradewinds is not there. Tailwind upper part is in. Lower part is very thin, not really in. Might be feasible using the right-hand start. Unclimbed (L) & The Diviner ® Mousetrap from by the Husky station The Sheet Big Cedar

^^^ Logging and reforesting is net carbon neutral. New trees take up carbon released from decay of from old trees cut down. Only deforesting (clearing forest land and planting crops or building houses, eg) results in net emissions.

http://supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=1032804&tn=0 What a sad day. Guy was the Ice Master. No one else was close.

Look and see if it has Royal Flush listed. If it does, it's version 4.1

They often suck: http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:IGCwq4XTvHsJ:www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php%3Ft%3D379997+neoprene+ice+climbing+gloves&cd=6&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

[video:youtube] http://carbonfixated.com/newtongate-the-final-nail-in-the-coffin-of-renaissance-and-enlightenment-thinking/

Well since Stephen Hawking got killed off by the NHS, yes.

that sounds painful. vagina tightening surgery?

OMG, remember the Bush war on science?

In Alaska even the prettiest girls have beards You take a 'dutch wife' on your crabbing boat?

Ice is now continuous on many of the "seep" style routes in the Fraser Valley, but the bigger waterfalls with higher volumes still have significant holes. Should be climbable by the weekend for sure. No idea what's going on in Box Canyon or up the Fraser Canyon yet.

a baby angle is the shortest and narrowest angle pin and protects narrow cracks a sawed off is a larger angle that has the tip cut off so as to be nailed into a wide, shallow pocket. not very strong and not much use except on blown out aid routes.

The psychology of denial: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2009/12/climate-psychology/#more-15274

Cold temps is time for bouldering silly, not routes. Especially ones that are half in the shade all the time?!?

I am pretty sure you mean km. I have walked it a couple times and it is not 10 miles!

That guy is one strong dude... and a master sandbagger!

^^ I know this thread is spray-free but that first pic is a tough sell on "cleanest"?

No shit? Thank for clearing that up. I suspect many Oregonians would have no idea

Fern's pics from the Duffey: Carl's Berg Shreddie Upper Rambles Right (Petersen-Smaridge dihedral)

We were thinking about Sumallo but figured the new snow was teh suck. Good to hear we were correct! How did the ice below the NF of Silvertip look?

Adrian is going to blog format for reports this year http://westcoastice.wordpress.com/ First conditions report should be up later this week. I saw where Fern said the Duffy was super thin on the w/e. Sumallo is forming, good to go by midweek maybe. First Time Lucky is fattest. Anthrax Ripple is all there but very thin. Cruncy Frog is about 60%. Landmark curtain is 1/4 way down. B/K is very gray (thin), upper unclimbed ice is quite impressive. Hope is forming more slowly, except Mousetrap which has more water and is forming faster. no idea what's up in the Fraser Canyon. Heard there is some ice around Box Canyon already, quite thin though. Snowline is quite high, allows access to some rarely reachable things, go get'er! landmark and the BK forming Unclimbed ice/mixed line above the BK Crunchy Frog trying to form