gyselinck Posted June 27, 2005 Posted June 27, 2005 Climb: Mount Stuart-Ice Cliff Arete Date of Climb: 6/24/2005 Trip Report: It has been my 6th time on the north side of Stuart this year and it never gets old. I love that place! I usually don't do TR's, but I thought I would write this one up because it's a relativly unclimbed route (has it ever seen a second ascent?) and I am way bored. Though I can't see myself doing this route again...I recomend it to others. Beckey calls this route a Grade IV, 5.9 which is pretty much right on. Route finding can be trickey. "Rasta Climber Dude" and I did a climb up the Ice Cliff Arete on Mount Stuart. From the Stuart basin climb to the top of the glacial moraine and follow it (left) to the base of a giant arete. Six full 60m pitches and several half pitches to avoid rope drag lead to the top of the arete. From here we were able to unrope and scramble up the ridge line on easy class 3. As we got near the upper section of the arete we roped back up. As the beckey book shows you traverse left around a tower. From here the climbing got spicy as and turned to mixed snow, rock, and ice. We did a lot of short pitches through the upper tower to avoid rope drag. The climbing was difficult. We began our the climb at first light and topped out around 8:30 at night. One rap got us to class 3 which we were able to down climb and jump on the Sherpa. We desceded the sherpa in the dark and finally found our bivies around midnight. Be careful where you camp. A freaking mouse ate up my socks and chewed up my rock climbing shoes during the night. Next time I go there I am bring a mouse trap, i am tired of that asshole eating my stuff. He ate my food a different time. All in all, this climb offers great views of the N. ridge of Sherpa and Stuart, its also kind of cool to look down at the Ice Cliff the whole time and watch things come crashing down. Hey NOLSe, if you have any pics of the arete and have the time, you should post a few. Gear Notes: I think Rasta Climber Dude would have wanted : Gloves, gaitors (all which he forgot) I would have liked: an insulated jacket (which i forgot) We both could have used a picket or two and maybe a screw, more water Approach Notes: Easy Quote
John Frieh Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Damn it! Couldn't you have waited for me? I want to do the arete bad! Good work d00d! Keep ticking 'em off! The only pic I have of Ice Cliff Arete (doesn't do it justice): http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showphoto.php?photo=11296&size=big&sort=1&cat=500 Quote
Lyger Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 Even through reading about you doing all these awesome climbs, I cannot get the images of you baking cookies and ironing out of my head. What a well rounded guy you are! Quote
Szyjakowski Posted June 28, 2005 Posted June 28, 2005 gyselinck, where is all the Mt Stuart batholith porn pictures you promised to email me??? I need more mt porn. tia~ skuzzy Quote
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