Mazama ice

[glassgowkiss]

is there something forming up? also what are the most popular routes and what are the approaches like (snow conditions). thanks in advance- r

[rat]

not likely....but try calling north cascades mountain guides at 509-996-3194 if you haven't already.

[John Frieh]

These look like a great day out... I'd be curious to hear any info on them: MarkAllen TR

[John Frieh]

And if you need a ropegun Bob give me a shout

 

Seriously I'd be stoked to connect with anyone especially a local familiar with the area.

[Tyler]

I climbed up there last winter. Lots of fun to be had! Don't know if I can get away to make it up there this winter...

 

Yeah, definitely check with NC Mountain Guides. I would email them: ncinfo@ncmountainguides.com

 

Temperature is definitely looking favorable:

Washington Pass Telemetry

 

When I was up there in February we spotted some formations around Rainy Lake and a really fat formation down in the Willow Creek (???) draingage. NC Mountain Guides or another local should have much better info.

[DirtyHarry]

Goat Wall is mostly fed by snowmelt, so it needs a decent amount of snow, as well as some good melt/freeze cycles, b4 it forms up. Cold temps by themselves won't do it.

[Weekend_Climberz]

Here's a little program that I put together on my website. If you select a station about mid-way down the page, you can view a graph based on the NWAC data that is produced. It also logs the last 3 months so you can view a graph for say, WA Passes temps for the last week. Hmmmmmm.... might be time for some ice up there?

 

Weekendclimber's Weather Graph

 

<timmay!>

[Jason_Martin]

Here's some new beta Mark Allen sent me. This information should be used in conjunction with the "Washington Ice" guidebook. This is still raw data, so use it as you will.

 

Liberty Ice – WI 4

Length: 80 Feet

Avalanche Danger: Moderate to Serious

First Ascent: Mark Allen and Brenden, 2004

Approach: This route can be found one hundred feet to the right of the Inspiration Route on Liberty Bell, but it cannot be seen from the road. Approach as for the East Face. There is a large arch on the right wall with a northwest aspect. Under the arch there is a gully that the route is tucked back inside. Go past the a boulder/chalkstone to the base of the route.

Route: Climb the beautiful blue Canadian style ice. Beware, this route tends to be an early phenomenon possibly the result of heavy rains. It tends to get covered by mid-season.

Descent: Rappel the route using V-Threads.

 

LB 2 – WI 4

The name of this route stands for Liberty Bell 2, the Department of Transportations identification for the avalanche gully coming down from the Liberty Bell Massif.

Length: 800 Feet

Avalanche Danger: Serious

First Ascent: Mark Allen and Brenden, November 2004

Approach: This route can be found in the massive avalanche gully near the hairpin. This is the gully that usually closes the highway.

Route:

Pitch One: Climb a thin ramble, passing a large boulder. (100 Feet, WI 3)

Pitch Two: Ascend easy snow to the next flow. Build an anchor at the fork.

(200 Feet)

Pitch Three – Left Gully: Ascend a nice variation. This can be continued beyond the obvious end through mixed conditions up loose blocks. Most finish at the top of the easy climbing and lower or rappel back down to the anchor. (WI 3, 80 Feet)

Pitch Three – Right Gully: Ascend a short pitch up a curtain. (WI 4)

Pitch Four – Right Gully: Continue up the second curtain to a good tree belay. (100 Feet, WI 4)

Descent: Go south into the LB 1 Gully. Downscramble LB 1 to the road.

 

Goat Wall Area:

 

Gate Creek needs to be divided into Upper and Lower Gate Creek.

 

Cinnamon Stick – WI 5?

Length: ?

Avalanche Danger: ?

First Ascent: Sean McCabe and Steve House, January 2004

Approach: This route can be found in lower Gate Creek. The entrance gully is climber’s right of the Gate Creek classic, Gate Creek Falls.

 

Rumors of Ice:

• There is a second climb in the area of Cinnamon Stick that has yet to be climbed. Indeed there may be up to three or four 100 foot mixed routes in this vicinity that could be put up.

• There is a 100 foot unnamed WI 3+ at the top of the lower Gate Creek Area. It is possible to rap this route. It was first climbed by Steve House and Ottis Buzzard in 2003.

 

Descents for Lower Gate Creek – Walk back through forest and rappel down into Gate Creek.

 

Gate Creek Falls has bolt anchors for a rappel descent.

 

Southern Comfort – WI 3+

Length: 100 Feet

Avalanche Danger: ?

First Ascent: Mark Allen and Gram Zimmerman, 2004

Approach: This route can be found on the opposite side of Gate Creek from the second pitch of Gate Creek Falls. This is the southeast side.

Route: Climb a beautiful pitch of amber colored ice.

Descent: Traverse 100 feet up creek into a major cleft/chimney system. Rappel off a tree into the creek.

 

In Upper Gate Creek there is a small cirque. This area has a number of mixed climbs that are not bolted but have been climbed by Steve, Larry, and Scott Johnson.

 

Double Tree – WI 4, M4, III+

Consider this an all day route.

Length: ?

Avalanche Danger: ?

First Ascent: Anne Keller and Steve House

Approach: This route can be found beyond “The Bear.” To approach, pass the Goat Wall Creek drainage. The route rambles down Goat Wall and the second pitch – a WI 4 curtain – can be seen from the road. Cut straight through the forest from the road.

Route:

Pitch One: Climb a 120 foot pitch at WI 3+, M4. The pitch is scary to top out on. At approximately 90 feet, begin to drytool on snow-covered rock. Build a belay with cams 30 feet above the ice.

Pitch Two: Ascend the WI 4 curtain. The curtain itself is about 50 feet long. After topping out on this feature, trend left up rambles and blocks to an alcove where a belay can be made in a small curtain.

Pitch Three: Ascend a short pitch up the curtain and snowy rambles to a snow covered ledge system. (WI 3)

Pitch Four: Ascend thin ice and snow covered rock for fifty feet. Beware there is no gear on this M2 pitch. Trend left through a small chimney. Top out on slope on top of the wall. Improvise anchors with shrubs and boulders.

Descent: Walk skiers left and rappel off good trees. Make a 200 foot rappel to a nice ledge. Make a second rappel toward the tree that looks like it has a giant afro, “the afro tree.” Rappel off the afro tree. Reportedly there are four rappels on this descent.

 

Between Gate Creek and Double Tree – Climber’s left of Double Tree, there are two mixed lines.

 

First Mixed Line – 5.9+

Length: Two Pitches

Avalanche Danger: ?

First Ascent: Steve House?

Approach: The first mixed line has a small goatee of ice that forms above. Below the Goatee there is a weakness of discontinuous cracks and blocks.

Route: Ascend the first 100 foot pitch at 5.9+. This is full mixed climbing with pins and trad gear. Some pins may still be there after the first ascent. Belay at 100 feet at a small ledge and “chalkblock.” Ascend the second pitch of serious mixed climbing. Ascend into ice, then complete a 25 foot mixed traverse across a ramp. Continue up through thin ice and more mixed climbing to an overhang and a nut anchor. Beware the top-out is on a slopey ledge.

Descent: A single double rope rappel will bring you to the ground.

 

Second Mixed Line – M4

Length: ?

Avalanche Danger: ?

First Ascent: Steve House, Mark Allen and Scott Johnson

Approach: This second line can be found climbers right of the first mixed line. Walk up the gulley to a landing. This route starts at a flow that comes out of a chimney system.

Route: Ascend the chimney system for half of a pitch. This will spit you out onto the face. Ascend mixed ground for fifty more feet.

Descent: Walk off to skiers left down a ramp. This will deposit you in the gully you started in.

 

Sword of Damocles – WI 5?

This route is considered by many to be the most aesthetic line in the Methow Valley. On the first ascent, the climbers were stemming between the Dagger and the rock, with a great deal of air under their feet.

Length: ?

Avalanche Danger: ?

First Ascent: ?

Approach: Approach as for Rapier and belay in the same area as for the first pitch of Rapier. Do not climb the route unless the Dagger has touched down.

Route: Ascend a full pitch of WI 2-3 rambles climber’s right of Rapier and build a belay. For the second pitch, ascend the “Dagger of God.” This pitch is WI 5 or harder. It may be possible to continue up for more pitches.

Descent: Unknown – it may be possible to ascend via the Standard.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Weekend climber,

 

THat is a pretty great app. I hate having to go back and forth to six different web pages to see a weeks trends. Thanks!!!

[glassgowkiss]

thanks Jason, but do you know if any of these routes are formed up now?

[Jason_Martin]

thanks Jason, but do you know if any of these routes are formed up now?

 

Sorry, I'm in Las Vegas rock climbing in the sun. I haven't had my finger on the pulse of what's going on over there recently.

 

Jason

[ketch]

Hey Bob, I was close but at a lower altitude last week. I saw some ice but no routes (wrong area anyway). It looked to me like there should be something in at the top. I expect to be at Wa pass weekend after next (9/10) I'll let you know what I see.

[tasmith513]

John, Mark's TR is of the ice that forms up at the WA pass roadcut. Last year we were lucky enough to have it form before the highway closed for the season, but by now this year you need a sled to get there. My buddy Ottis was up there this weekend, and said there's ice beginning to reform (I guess what WAS up came down during the inversion)and with the cold temps we've been having this week, by the weekend there might be something to climb. But again, you need a snowmobile or a friend with one to get to it (or a lot of extra time to skin ten+ miles up the road) As for Mazama ice, I don't know first hand if anything is in yet, but last I heard its beginning to. I'd call the NCMG office. I'd say that between the Washington Ice book, and what beta Jason posted here, you have a fairly complete description of everything that's out this way (at least, so far). I'll try to find out myself this week if anything is coming in by Mazama, and post here if there's anything to report. -Tom

[ketch]

I spent a couple good days up at Wa. Pass over the weekend. Sadly the partner bailed so not much climbing accomplished. But here's what I saw.

 

On the north side of Liberty Bell there is some good ice in. Most of it is not directly visible from the road.

 

On the East side just above the hairpin is a sweet gully that looks pretty well in. It looks about WI4. I think this line is LB2.

 

Skinnin in from the block is a long day but climbing was sweet if you spend the night. Approach would be good if you could hook up a sled head.

 

There was several areas that were real close and the temps are behaving up there. Go get it Bob.

[tasmith513]

...and as for ice in Mazama...Not worth the trip yet. The Standard looks climbable from the road, so does The Bear, maybe, but LEAN. Nothin up at Gate creek yet. So not too much yet in general, but getting there. Inversions are sometimes pretty good to the ice down in Mazama.