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Leavenworth, WA Ice Conditions?


NJW

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Hi All, 

I'm doing a mixed route in the area on Friday, and wondering if I should extend my trip to Saturday for some ice. Given the recent conditions, it seems dismal. With the coming weather this week, how do we feel about ice climbing this weekend?

Thanks much!

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dismal is a pretty apt assessment at the moment.   last Friday there were four lines climbable at Hubba-Hubba, but at the rate it's snowing today, and the forecast of rain & snow through the weekend, I wouldn't recommend the approach below The Funnel...

Millennium Wall was in reasonable (not FAT, but enough to take screws) shape on  Sunday, and is protected from avalanches, although you do cross a couple of active tracks on the approach.

Can't comment on Drury, but the approach up Fall Creek is an infamous terrain trap, so I'd have to recommend against that...

Last week's rain pretty much obliterated everything else that was in - so, the short answer is Millennium.

Curious about your mixed route - not a lot of that kind of development here that I'm aware of...

-Haireball

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Also curious about any mixed route beta in th Leavenworth area. I've been searching and coming up with nothin really. 

 

I've read people climb r&b in the winter, but I don't want to be the guy to scratch up a very well-traveled rock climb. 

 

Any info would be much appreciated!

Edited by AnthonyLubetski
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Anthony -

R&D does occasionally ice up enough to climb, although the lower slab variation has never, in my experience, thickened enough to take screws.  Two pitches of largely unprotectable very thin moderate angle ice gets quite sporty.  Central Gully (aka "chicken gully), ices much more dependably, and offers a sporty mixed finish on its fourth pitch.

Below Rainbow Falls, the short cliff climber''s right above the creek has some developed dry-tooling pitches with resident top anchors.  Depending on conditions, it can be sporty to get to the anchors to set a top-rope, but some of the easier problems are leadable for mere mortals

About four miles up Snow Creek, Vern Nelson and Jens Holsten have established a few mixed/dry-tool lines on a cliffband right in the creek bottom.  Climber's left of that cliff, above the trail, is Fourmile Falls,  2+ pitches of wi3+.

Of all of these options, the most fun for an alpinist or mixed climber of modest ability is the Central Gully on Icicle Buttress.  It forms more often than most mixed options I know of, although it has not come in this year.  This late in the season, its not likely to come in, but if we get a late cold snap, it could.

There appear to be possibilities for mixed routes at the climber's left edge of Careno Crag, but I have not heard of anyone completing any of those lines.  Shipman and I did climb one three-pitch mixed line between Careno and  the Candlestein Cliff back in the 'nineties, but its been decades since I've seen the initial pillar form...

There are also mixed variations on Hubba-Hubba, on either side of the main Funnel, and independent mixed lines several hundred feet climbers left of the Funnel.

If you're still interested, I can show you where any/all of these options are...

-Haireball

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6 hours ago, montypiton said:

Anthony -

R&D does occasionally ice up enough to climb, although the lower slab variation has never, in my experience, thickened enough to take screws.  Two pitches of largely unprotectable very thin moderate angle ice gets quite sporty.  Central Gully (aka "chicken gully), ices much more dependably, and offers a sporty mixed finish on its fourth pitch.

Below Rainbow Falls, the short cliff climber''s right above the creek has some developed dry-tooling pitches with resident top anchors.  Depending on conditions, it can be sporty to get to the anchors to set a top-rope, but some of the easier problems are leadable for mere mortals

About four miles up Snow Creek, Vern Nelson and Jens Holsten have established a few mixed/dry-tool lines on a cliffband right in the creek bottom.  Climber's left of that cliff, above the trail, is Fourmile Falls,  2+ pitches of wi3+.

Of all of these options, the most fun for an alpinist or mixed climber of modest ability is the Central Gully on Icicle Buttress.  It forms more often than most mixed options I know of, although it has not come in this year.  This late in the season, its not likely to come in, but if we get a late cold snap, it could.

There appear to be possibilities for mixed routes at the climber's left edge of Careno Crag, but I have not heard of anyone completing any of those lines.  Shipman and I did climb one three-pitch mixed line between Careno and  the Candlestein Cliff back in the 'nineties, but its been decades since I've seen the initial pillar form...

There are also mixed variations on Hubba-Hubba, on either side of the main Funnel, and independent mixed lines several hundred feet climbers left of the Funnel.

If you're still interested, I can show you where any/all of these options are...

-Haireball

I'm most certainly interested! DM sent!

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  • 4 weeks later...

it had begun to refreeze/reform with the cold spell this week, but the initial curtain was still absent today...  other lines besides the main Funnel appear snow-covered, but one would have to walk up there to determine whether there's any ice under that snow.  doesn't look attractive enough for me to walk up there, but that could change - I''ll let you know when it looks more enticing...

-Haireball

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