MrGecko

Any interest on the Sandy Headwall on Hood? Please have alpine experience as I don't want to guide. Thx

Oh for all the whining on this thread about no ice...this ehem low angled highway gully was climbed on Monday and is about the same distance from Seattle as Leavenworth. Oh look just a couple miles from the trail head Approach fun to the water fall At the base of the route All done time for more Jello Mommy

"this state sucks" Correction: This state sucks for reliable ice climbing

Kurt, You also mention a route called Corner Route, where is that climb?

Up at 5am and off to find ice today around the I-90 and Leavenworth areas. After hitting the Alpental area we found that Aplental 1-4 were all wet and somewhat non-existent. The colder weekend temperatures didn't do much here. So we drove to Leavenworth and spotted some activity in the Icicle with the following to report: >> Hubba Hubba - 2 parties spotted from the road, looked clean and fairly well formed >> Rat Creek Valley - climbs were not spotted and so assumed not in >> Dog Dome - spotted a route that looked good and fairly fat. >> Icicle Buttress - very thin verglas and a party of 2 bailing >> Pivotal Moment - trying but not quite there >> Rainbow Falls - a party TR'ing the left which looked good but the right side looked wet and thinner >> Careno - apparently quite yet - see next post >> The Smear - formed fairly well >> The Silver Tongue - no The next two routes provide some confusion between the guide's description and what we were observing. Plastic Fantastic Lover (PFL) is claimed to be up and right of Comic Book Hero (CBH). PFL is described as 3 short pillars and is actually up and left of CBH. From our vantage the 3 short pillars of CBH were formed but PFL was not. Another route down and right of CBH also looked to be available. See pics. >> Plastic Fantastic Lover - not formed >> Comic Book Hero - potential looks good >> Unnamed - looked ok >> The Drip - oh I think very much so With the light slowly fading we spotted some ice just one gully east of The Drip. We stepped out to investigate and believe we might have snagged a FA of what we are calling Nothing Really. As in 'How was ice climbing this weekend? What did you guys climb?' **** Nothing Really, WI2+, 2 Pitches **** Park at the Lake Jollanda Dam and walk 2/10ths of a mile east to the 1st gully east of The Drip. P1 - follow the low angled ramp of ice up to a bulge and on to a single large fir tree belay in the middle of the gully. ~110ft. P2 - ascend a ribbon of ice behind the tree to slabs and rolling steps to a final steeper 25' section of ice. Tree belay. ~110ft. And now the goods Alpental Falls (Aka Alpental 1) - the dark streaks are running water Alpental 2-4 Careno Left & Right Rainbow Right Rainbow Left - climber almost topping out Hubba Hubba - 4 climbers on route Icicle Buttress Dog Dome Route The Smear Comic Book Hero Unnamed Panoramic showing CBH in blue and Unnamed in red relative locations, PFL is up and left of CBH but not formed in this photo Did I mention The Drip was in? Crazy kayakers going by... Nothing Really - P1 Nothing Really - P2 Did I mention it was a late evening

Actually he is a very gentle man as the ice is thin.

Yeah, we take what we can get... I'd be interested to hear what folks think is the definition of a WA style ice climb? Not too much above it, the top dried up into moss and dirt. What did you jump on down the trail?

Trip: Exit 38 - Here Today Gone Tomorrow Date: 1/2/2011 Trip Report: Hit Exit 38 for a short cold Sunday afternoon. Checked out 'Here Today Gone Tomorrow' - ok but melting and running more than expected so I think you better go early before the grind tomorrow. Went over past the Nevermind Wall and saw this seep I haven't seen form up before. Easy route with bulges and steps for 30m made for a fun day out for my 1st time ice climbing partner. No anchors up top so I left a section of 10mm around a couple of trees. We are calling it 'A Weep Between Two Trestles', WI2 Here Today Gone Tomorrow A Weep Between Two Trestles, WI2 Kerry following Gear Notes: stubs at best Approach Notes: Exit 38 rail to trail

Ed what you doing tomorrow?

Screw the weekend join me tomorrow for a sunny day

text me I have gear, guide and all the rest. Safe and easy going, all grades welcome

Checked out the Shakespeare wall and would call the routes from left to right as Macbeth 10a, As You Like It 9, Midsummer Night Dream 10a and Comedy of Errors 10b/c. The last route on the right has some bad falls zones. Also checked out the route on the way up to Shakespeare wall. It is 8 bolts on a slab that is about 5.5 Pic here shows the line with top anchors(thin yellow strip).

I agree Rad they are fun routes. I'm just adding my $.02 to the consensus pile for future guide books as we both know is of interest to some of us authors PS. If anyone needs a proof reader I'm available eh.

For those who haven't climbed the Off Ramp wall the routes are great value for the grades even if a little short. The Girls Rule route is missing the 5th bolt; looks chopped. Also want to comment that the 10d and 11a routes to the right of Space Face are very soft at the given grades even for Exit 38.

I got Wed and Thursday off would be interested in: Squire Creek Wall - Slab Daddy Mazama, Goat Wall - Restless Natives WA Pass - Chianti or Disappearing Floor N Cascades - Forbidden/Torment Traverse N Cascades - S Face of Forbidden Tieton - Goose Egg Mtn

Any recommendations? I heard rumor that there were some sites along the road to the trail head but then I read that no camping is allowed in the watershed area only day use. Thx

I thought Beacon Rock was in WA???

Pauline and I are heading out around 11am for an afternoon of climbing. Anyone else interested ping me.

Thanks for clearing that up...didn't know that was the case.

So you are suggesting that when the route was freed it got renamed but that really isn't typical unless a variation gets climbed is it? Even then it wouldn't it be Tatoosh with the Free At Last variation. If it was originally called Tatoosh then perhaps Cummins has it right.

The block still exists in it precarious position. I did the same variation as Rad, #2. Same issues, making the crux moves while considering a fall into bad rock. I also pulled on the BIG block and it tilted before I quickly down climbed and pushed it back against the wall. It needs to go and a coordinated effort to manage the displacement of this monster should happen by those who know how to do it safely. I call this route Bicycling to the Chopping Block. Good question. I tried to climb B to B on Friday, and since looked at the guide (old Bruce version). Here is my assessment: There are three routes/variations right of Insomnia. They are: 1 - B to B. This starts in the hand crack (shared with Insomnia), goes up two bolts, veers slightly right into a 5.easy crack up high, and traverses right under the roof, clips a bolt at the lip of the roof, and goes to the chains. The very last moves under the roof that are the crux and the rest is much easier. 2 - Start at the anchor at the base of Insomnia, start up on a slanting chossy band, climb straight up quite soon on some highly textured black rock with few features (5.10 something) past two bolts, continue up past the left edge of a giant flake (#3 camalot at its top works here), clip one more bolt, place one piece (#1 camalot) in the upper crack, traverse right under the roof (joins B to B here), clip bolt at roof lip, up to chains. This is a fun climb that is more varied and runout than other routes in this area, and I thought that was a nice change. The moves under the roof are not the crux. 3 - Start as for 2 but keep diagonalling right on the crappy band (don't fall here as pro is not available), pass a small tree/bush (sling or you are looking at groundfall), over a small roof past two bolts, up the face with 1.5"-2" gear in a shallow crack, come straight up to the final roof-lip bolt (join 1 and 2 here), and up to the chains. 2 and 3 are not in the old addition of the NB guide. I climbed 2, sort of, and it was pretty fun. I followed what seemed the natural line for 2, which was diagonalling right on the ramp and then up onto the face. The problem was that this left me traversing back to the 2nd bolt, making 5.10 moves and looking at a fall that would have dropped me onto the broken rock below. If you know who put in the bolts please send me a pm as I have a question. WARNING! There is a giant block that you layback on the left route. When my partner was following I noticed the block rocks as he pulled on it. This block is 4' x 6' x 1' and it seems to only be held in place by a small corner down and right. It would be REALLY bad if this comes off while people are on the route. It would also likely obliterate several bolts and much of the route(s) below. FYI, you can link the lower approach pitch with any of the upper routes, but consider using long slings to manage ropedrag. You can rap to the ground with a single 60m rope from the chains. Go get some.

Where is Peter Puget on this subject - I thought that guy would have some historical perspective to add.

Climbing from morning to mid afternoon. All grades - just for fun. Updated: partner found

The Eastern 5.7 route called EB4 has no bolts on it. I also noticed the guide calls it EB4 on one page and EB5 on the other?!?

Joe, is possible I will know Sun night. I'm in a WOFA course this weekend.