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[TR] Wy'east (Mt. Hood) - Fric-Amos 01/23/2021


bedellympian

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Trip: Wy'east (Mt. Hood) - Fric-Amos

Trip Date: 01/23/2021

Trip Report:

I went up to the Black Spider last weekend with Lindsey and Riley. We found the Fric-Amos in very nice condition but were too late on a warm day and bailed up an easy mixed pitch to the L of the main pitch. Thankfully the weather granted me another opportunity and I came back this weekend with Kyle to get it done. 

Noah and Matt saw my Insta story from the first weekend and jumped on the send train. They acted as true gentlemen, coordinating with us and giving us a head start. 

The route is currently in good condition (but don't expect a straightforward WI4). We used an approach pitch to the R of the original both times that follows an easy ice slot (the original would probably go but is discontinuous ice blobs up a vertical cliff). The crux pitch is a full 60m or could be broken up, expect tricky and sustained climbing but with good ice. Above this snow slopes take you through one more short ice step and up to the summit ridge.

This may be one of the more frequently formed ice routes on the Spider given that it is in a shaded cleft, unlike most of the other routes. Though you are basically going for one mega pitch, it is very good and I would recommend it!

I talked to Bill Amos the next day and he believes ours was the 3rd (and Noah and Matt the 4th) ascent of the route (2nd was Marcus and Marsha, go figure).

Awesome sunrise approaching on first attempt...

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Lindsey and Riley below the face, clearly too late...

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The face...

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Closer view of the Fric-Amos (original approach pitch is on the L, our approach pitch was on the far R of the hanging snow field)...

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Riley following the approach pitch, classic slot...

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Our escape pitch...

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The crux pitch (taken during from 1st attempt)...

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Kyle booting up to the face on attempt 2 (much earlier)...

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Kyle's pic, me below the face...

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Kyle's pics, me on the crux...

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Looking down from top of crux...

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Kyle leading above crux...

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Looking down from ropes off...

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Summit selfiez...

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Gear Notes:
Screws: 2xstub, 4x13, 2x16, 1x22 (used for the belay but not any good) Rock gear: nuts, cams 0.4-0.75, pins (not used), 2 med hexes (not used) Plenty of slings if you're going to do the crux as one pitch.

Approach Notes:
Boots from Timberline, crossed White River ~8,800ft.

Edited by bedellympian
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I second the above comment. For future reference I also wanted to post this photo from December. At that time there was actually more ice on the rest of the face, for instance the obvious smear at the base of Arachnophobia, but I guess we were afraid to commit to anything. Now having done Fric-Amos I'm pretty sure it would've gone at any time over the last couple months. Based on some news helicopter footage, I'm suspicious there was ice on the face as early as October. In any case, this route and possibly some of the others are climbable outside of the brief (and often non-existent) Spring window when people usually look up there.

20201129_073930.jpg

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11 hours ago, zaworotiuk said:

Now having done Fric-Amos I'm pretty sure it would've gone at any time over the last couple months. Based on some news helicopter footage, I'm suspicious there was ice on the face as early as October. In any case, this route and possibly some of the others are climbable outside of the brief (and often non-existent) Spring window when people usually look up there.

Totally, this experience has me rethinking when and what climbable conditions look like on this face. 

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