Vernman23

Went into Strobach yesterday. Nothing really to note...warm wet delam ice. Pictures make things look better than they are.

4+/5 seems fair.

The climb you called “Stairway to Heaven” across the lake we did a few days before you. It is called Bombs over old Baghdad.

Felt fine. We brought skis and a drill to check depth. I was deep and solid.

Looking for information on the first climb across the lake at banks lake. It is not Tea in the Sahara. Climbed it today. Assumed it’s been climbed but just wondering if anyone has information.

I did it on 7/12 didn't bring crampons or and ice axe but did have trekking poles and found the snow to be very soft and no need for crampons or ice axe. I hit the bottom of the route about noon. Summit around 2p.m. so the sun had plenty of time to warm things up.

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For the vast majority of the time pickets are worthless, unless you spend a lot of time compacting snow and burying the picket (there is data out there which is worth reading http://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/objects/ISSW_O-061.pdf). I don't think their is any myth in the community about the dangers of that route. This is not the first nor the last time that someone has got seriously hurt in there. As the first ground rescuer who would have been on the scene (if they needed to be moved for the heli to be able to get to) I was for one not excited to be climbing part of the route in order to move them, as I waited in a t-shirt). Luckily they were able to get out quickly and it shows how lucky they are that we had heli support. Glad that the two climbers brought the right gear and had a PLB. Hopefully they can organize a rescue crew for the rest of their leftover camping gear...I will donate beer to the effort but my days of hiking the road for fun are over...Sorry

Wouldn't call Mazama Ice fat but I did climb the Chech Gully yesterday which was in really good fun shape. More parties are headed up tomorrow. By the weekend things should be shaped up nicely.

Trip: Aasgard Pass - The Valkyrie Date: 8/29/2014 Trip Report: Headed up to climb Acid Baby but there was a group of three starting and a group of two waiting (no idea this route was so popular!). With the wait and never liking to climb under people we switched gears and climbed The Valkyrie. Blake's TR has the best beta mine is just to add to it a bit. I added what I felt like are the grades and different pitch options just to add to the dialogue on this amazing route! P1. Up slab 5.8 to corner which is fun and protects well 5.10b. Belay at the orange wall. P2. Step out right and into crack (fairly heady move) 5.10c/d? (sections until the off-width felt hard). Continue up widening crack to off-width 5.10b didn't use anything larger than a 3 and thought it would be hard to place when jammed in the crack. Continue up to left facing hand crack 10b. Belay at the end here on horn or with a 70 continue straight up for another ~25m on face holds and cracks to a blocky belay that had a red sling tied around it (doing 3/4ths of p3 via Blake's topo) P3. Two options if you linked p2&3 via Blake's topo you can continue up and slightly left and do the rest of P3 (about 20m) or you can continue straight up from the belay via thin finger cracks (10+/11- & dirty) which takes you right into the corner that you traverse into on the standard P4, corner felt like 5.9/10-. P4/5. Continue up easy cracks to face knobs (5.10b) then you can either belay quickly here or with a 70 you can finish off the ridge traverse of Acid Baby (5.9 exposed). To get off you walk off don't try to rap walk off is easy. down climb from ridge to scree traverse north (climbers left) then head East (up) then you will be on top and its an easy walk down to your pack. Gear Notes: Doubles to 3" handful of slings. Approach Notes: up hill

You and your ICE WORMS! Well done way to get out!!!

Compared to my mistake of not getting a pass? Yeah huge violation there to go climb snow creek! Seems like if they only have one year or left on the grant that they would find a way to pay for it and what better way to pay for it then implement a new permit system by saying they are keeping people "safe" and protecting the environment! Not very often a government agency shrinks...

Yesterday Craig G and I headed up to climb Snow Creek (or Prusik to see what the climbing ranger would say). We were asked if we filled out a permit at the trailhead (we had not) and were told to do so since "They are currently free" This struck us as an odd statement "they are currently free" implying that they might not be free in the future?! Wondering what everyone was thinking about this, if anyone had heard anything...

Climb some place other than Castle Rock?