Alex

im not trying to chestbeat, but ive actually soloed that headwall, at night. it wasnt so bad, the night time made the exposure less terrifying

sick amount of snow. feels like 1999, which was a 150% snowpack year!

the descent off the corkscrew looks like it won't go all the way down, but it does. barely. i remember that part of the route being the most unknown, but it didnt take overly long...

more attacks on Polish Bob please, I love the noob telling Bob he's from Montreal en Francais!!

Yes, the first low angled section is polished granite and fantastically clean, but most exposed to rockfall. The next section all the way through the mandatory unprotected "4th" - which is a lot of pitches - can be a bit friable at times. It isn't as exposed as generally you are on the climbers left of the face, but my experience is that really there is no where to hide from rockfall from above if you are on the lower half of the route. You might not see folks who are really high up from the first slabby pitches, but I would be on high alert if it's not O-dark-30 when you are starting up the route and someone may be ahead of you! The most likely scenario is that folks rapp'ing back down the route are going to kick some stuff off. Second and third pic of this TR show that danger zone...

Its a good route but you're about 10 years late for any debate. When I climbed it we had plenty of time, but you have to be reasonably fast. We simulclimbed the first 8 pitches or so as a single block. The route is great training for speed. I wouldn't climb under another party on this route!

Nice to do the Skyladder with skis! Everything looks very snowy, since I've done those routes only in August!

Awesome pics

It is MID APRIL! people, geez, rock climbing?! Hello?!

I think Wayne was trying to say WI5 might be too lenient a rating for this route.

Pretty cool! Rat Creek seems to be becoming the "Strobach" of Der Worth, where climbing ice isnt about the ice limbing, but the whole package. That route on te right side seems a monster, an must form some years complete if its in that shape now!

Im Alex and I approve this TR.

Seems like a tough market to break into, as there have been alot of good offerings in the past, and its a tough price point.... My two favs: My old Trango 45L (it was size L) pack, yellow and black one. It was perfect. It lasted alot of hard-wearing years. My current Cold Cold World Chernobyl, which I like alot except the tool tubes are too old school. Everytime I think I about to cut them off the pack I stop, but I'm getting closer.

very cool way to get out and explore!

definitely helocopters! I think it must be a Frostfire II or Frostfire III, the original Mountainsmith Frostfire was about 5000 cu in. (thats the one I had...) It was a sexy pack but carried like crap and was not durable.

The road wont be open. The FS leaves it closed until the road dries out completely - eg snow melts off - so that the potholes dont get worse and the yahoos don't get high-centered up there, as there are generally very few turnaround spots. I did the route hiking from the gate back in ...I hesitate....1997? We tried it once in March and didnt even get to the Lake. We came back first weekend of May and it was casual. Both times as an overnight, but we saw folks on the route in May who were going car-to-car in a day, and it was really fine and fun either strategy you choose, the road is only a plod on the way back down when you are tired, but by then you've sent a great alpine route and the suffering will be ok. But if you try to go in a day car-to-car, in order to get on the route at daybreak you'll likely be leaving at or before midnight, and chances are you'll not get lost only if you have a trail already blazed to Colchuck Lake, or you've done it alot before.

johndavidjr, if you are referring to a Mountainsmith Frostfire, which is ndeed early 90s vintage, that pack and even the Frostfire II are not more than 60 L. I had a TNF Inca Trail long ago, which was fairly large, larger than my Frostfire (I), but it was only about 75L. It carried like crap.

wimps the best way to introduce your honey to the pleasures of climbing is to get your -20C sleeping bags and take a nice cheap ice climbing trip to Banff. Hostels? Hotels? Rocky Mnt Ski Lodge? Akai? Too expensive, you sleep in the car. You can keep each other warm. And makes for nice late starts. Breakfast? That's what the white gas camp stove is for, as well as Safeway. You can regale her with how you are training for Denali so you have get get used to using the stove in -15C. Oh and all temperatures are in CELSIUS. Leave Fahrenheit in the States, like miles. The camp stove is also for warming up your oil pan. Espresso? What are you from Seattle?!? The nice long drive to Weeping Wall allows you to run the car heater and warm up. Start on WI2? Not a chance, start on Weeping Right with her in tow. Since you know your trip will be pretty short A Priori, might as well get some real climbing in, eh? You'll be soloing because she doesnt know how to belay yet, but the falls are clean. No need to worry about av danger on Weeping Wall, might as well STACK THE DECK IN YOUR FAVOR! Next day you send Murchison, because the drive is just as long from town and the hike warms you up too (finally warm....). The only pleasures allowed on this trip are on the final day, a single trip to Laggans Deli. The money that you save from this trip has already been spent on Marmot 8000m parkas to keep you warm at belays. (This describes somewhat accurately the first 3 or 4 trips I took to Banff!)

The recent thread genepires posted on risk comes to mind reading the ESPN article. Agreed these guys were pros. Sorry to hear about this accident

For a general survey Climbers Board is probably best. If you're after risk specifically associated with backcountry skiing and avy beacons, stuff like that, I would go frieshiezzone.

older-school Dana Designs, I have an old-school Dana TerraPlane I've taken to Alaska. But it's much much too large for anything but extended trips in the lower-48. If you're looking at a 90+ liter pack, I hope you're not overpacking for weekend trips! The last 12 years or so I've been using a 45L pack for all trips, including some winter alpine overnights.

That's the nicest topo I've seen so far Kurt, thanks for sharing!

This is cool man, it's nice to see something I'm not familiar with!

Last Sunday there was still ice on the mixed routes above Blackice at Exit 38. This Sunday it's all completely gone, melted away...

Good input Dru. But I would not recommend PanDome as a lead for a WI3 leader; so JCDH, tread carefully there and know that it IS possible to TR it with some shenanigans approaching from trees from above.