OlegV

Hey Dan, did you climb it in winter? What month?

Right. So, Eric, I think the magenta ascent line looks more interesing (next time):

Red line: we loose an hour or more probing the mixed ground on this ramp. We figured the ramp has low angle, so we started without crampons and unropped. It felt very sketchy - useless powder snow, no place for pro, unstable climbing. We repel down after facing the steep rock step and decide to explore the basin. Green line: We unexpectedly decide to climb the route. 1. Easy snow gully culminating in some weird ice/rock mixed climbing. While climbing this crux, we were continually showered by small snow avalanches (since this gully was very narrow and worked as a funnel). 2. Steep traverse. Felt exposed but easy – lots of small tress for protection. 3. The beginning of vertical bushwhacking. It is vertical!!! Somewhere at the point where the line splits, Eric led some of the most frightening pitch of the climb with no possible protection other than frozen moss. 4. We enter the sketchy territory and just push upwards in the woods in the search of the snowfield. 2 hours spent in the dark. High wind doesn’t cooperate. 5. We settle on the small ledge, anchor ourselves to the tree, boil plenty of water and sleep. Yellow line: Descent. We just kept traversing right. Trees, dead-end gullies, wind, cold, more trees, gullies, wind, cold. Need a tent and more daylight next time…

sure felt like winter to us - my bivy bag turned into frozen coffin from wind and snow drifts from above. I'm glad we decided to stay partially protected from the wind, and didn't camp in the open space

We each carried an ice axe and an ice tool. I wish, I had 2 tools instead. Felt pretty insecure on ice. Ice axe did help to hook frozen moss and mud, bud in my hands did very little on ice.

I think, ice is a way to go next time - both up and down. There are obvious uninterupted lines on the slope. This ice is too thin now.

Big J kicked our butts. Discover the beauty of vertical bushwhacking in winter!

I've been at the base of the last technical pitch last December - climbed Sunshine, than did a looong traverse to the left (55-60 degree snow slope). At this point, it was about 1000 ft or less from the summit. From there, downclimbing is a bitch. I'd like to climb the HW when there will be more snow in the gullies and the weather is cold.

Last week, Ivan, Stas and myself climed Reid. At the top of the summit ridge we looked down and saw what appears to be the last section of the Eliot HW. It looked like steep (70 degree) snow/ice slope and some rock. Anyone knows about the routes on the HW?

and I love climbing Reid - each time you feel like it's a different route

I'd call 6F seriously cold for Cascades - it stay like this for a week. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/i...;lon=-121.70625 Oleg, You were saying????? I am sorry to say, I told you so, but at least you got to play around on Reid....... I will trust general weather reports to NOAA but when it comes to site specific temps. I look straight to actual readings on the mountain and there was an inversion up there, meaning no ice or rime on Yocum.... I was wrong, Ryland The lower part was unfrozen mud, and the upper ridge had some ice. Ivan will post some pictures!

I'd call 6F seriously cold for Cascades - it stay like this for a week. http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/total_forecast/i...;lon=-121.70625

Yocum?

I wonder if there is any WI4-5 ice on Hood. What about the east-side of the mountain?

It felt more like WI3 leading it - lot of places to rest your feet.

Hey Pete, read out TR - there is not much ice in Lillooet. Much much less formed ice than during our last trip. You'd be disappointed if you joined us last weekend. I'd give it another 2-3 weeks to form.

Thanks to these guys for the green light on two-way Rambles highway!

Hey Alex, this is the most truthfull TR I ever read. I think we did just great considering fucked-up melting ice on Carl's Berg. Glad we didn't decide to continue up this waterfall - I doubt screw would hold if one fell. I trully enjoyed mixed climbing on Rambles - my left crampon felt no friction on anything

Great job on loose snow, Alex and Eiji!

looks like glacier ice to me though

We'll be stationed just 1.5 h from Lillooet - worth going there and sticking a pick in ice. We'll report next week.

must go to Whistler in a week. any idea how to entertain myself? Skiing, and hot Canadian girls always an option.

Anybody been up there recently? Early ice is always tricky and thin.