Longest Ice Climb

[JoJo]

Hi All,

I'm doing some informal research on the longest ice climb(s) in North America or the world. This doesn't include big snowy walls like the Wickersham or even the Cassin Ridge that have a considerable amount of snow slogging but rather pure ice climbs. I'm talking primarily alpine ice since most, if any, water ice routes can compare to some of the Alaskan and Yukon ice beasts. Michael Down told me there are some monster ice routes in the Caucasus but I'm not familiar with the area. Does anyone have any beta or ideas on what peaks might have the longest ice climbs?

Cheers,

Jojo

[layton]

JoJo,

the longest ice climb is the one having the most fun

[Dru]

I get spam every day promising me my |ce cl1mb will get l0nnger

[Alpinfox]

How about that one in China on Mt. S______ that was in the 2002 or 2003 AAJ?

 

I remember the pictures were stunning.

[korup]

One recent copy of Alpinist had Tomo Cesen (?) climbing a huge line on one of Himalayan treking routes (Annapurna?)- but presumably you've read that one....

 

cheers

[wfinley]

I heard a rumor that there is a long ice route somewhere near or on the south face of Mt Gannett in the Chugach. Never seen it though and the source of the rumor tries to sell me on flying into the Chugach like a car salesman everytime I see him!

[Dechristo]

Didn't Jeff Lowe and David Brashears do a multi-day ice climb on the north face of one of the himalayan peaks? Kachenjunga (sp?)?

[Cobra_Commander]

kwangde

[Dechristo]

k

[ken4ord]

Hey Jojo, For pure water ice routes, when I left the East Coast there was a lot of new activity going on up over in Newfoundland. Some big lines were getting pulled down. One monster line that come to mind was one in the Himalayas that Kitty Calhoon? and ???(can't remember who) climbed. Henery Barber did some long ice lines in Norway where they were spending multi-days on the routes, short days though.

[Allan_Halsey]

NW Face of Siguniang, 1500m, ED(sup), Mick Fowler & Paul Ramsden (pp 160-167 2003 AAJ). "12 days without a crap"

 

[Alpinfox]

NW Face of Siguniang, 1500m, ED(sup), Mick Fowler & Paul Ramsden (pp 160-167 2003 AAJ). "12 days without a crap"

 

 

Yup. That's the one I was thinking of. Looks

[Dru]

Does a glacier count as an ice climb?

 

Isn't the West Face of Cerro Torre all ice?

[Alpinfox]

 

Only if its ~vertical. Ice cliff glacier?

[David Trippett]

Unclimbed(?) 300m waterfall.

[ken4ord]

Holy shite, that is a sweet looking line, is the line on Siguniang always there or was it a freak thing?

[JoJo]

FYI:

The routes in Newfoundland (I've been there twice) are up to a few hundred meters with a few over 500 m. The biggest cliff face on the entire Rock is only 800 m. "Slipstream" in the Rockies is right around 1,000m with 1/3 being snow. "California Ice" is close to 1,100 m if you do it all early season when the gully is all ice. In other words, there are lots of 1,000m +/- water ice routes all over the world. But, like I said, these don't compare to the glacial, pure ice alpine routes. The West Face of Cerro Torre is around 1,000 m of actual ice climbing from the col. I'm sure the big rigs in Asia are much bigger but they also have significant stretches of snow, shortening what might be considered the pure ice climbing parts. The Great Coulior on Robson is over 3,000 m, but it could hardly be called an "ice climb." It's a specious definition at best but the reason I wonder is that we did a route in the Yukon this spring that was unique to my experience. It was blue/black ice from top to bottom except for four or five sections, no more than 20 m each, where you could actually put your feet into snow or neve. Although not hard at any one spot, I've never seen an alpine route quite like it and all the tent time waiting to fly out got me thinking if there are many others like it. So, I figure if there is anyone that keeps track of these sort of things, it would be the readers on cc.com...

[fishstick]

Please pardon my ignorance, but, has the true central South Face of McArthur been done?

 

I've often wondered if there is anything hidden (and survivable) on the South side of the Logan massif.

 

GB

[specialed]

I hear there's sick ice in Renton.

[Dru]

So what is there for water ice in the Himalaya? Isn't there some big stuff?

 

Isn't it kind of disingenuous to distinguish between glacial ice and neve?

[jordop]

Next ice age should be cool

[lummox]

norway has some way long ones.

[Dru]

Next ice age should be cool

 

Since those are south facing, they almost never freeze all the way down... Shaun and I have been in there like 3 times now, no dice.

[Stemalot]

Next ice age should be cool

 

Since those are south facing, they almost never freeze all the way down... Shaun and I have been in there like 3 times now, no dice.

 

but if we get another really really cold weather like we had for the past two years, it could be marginally doable.

[Divot]

Yes