Stuart: Ice Cliff

[john]

Due to the low snow year I suspect that Ice Cliff is probably not safe to climb any longer. As anyone taken a look at it in the last week or so?

[Jens]

There is a lot more exposed ice on i t right now vs. a regular year for this time.

It is fairly broken up but still very climable. This cirque is never really a place to dilly dally. We climbed it car to car two days ago. We encountered a short AI3 sect ion of ice, but the rest of the route was moderate. Keep moving, look and listen while you are moving. There has definitely been some stonefall and icefall activit y up in that cirque in the last week. Nothing came down on us for the 3 hours we were on the climb. The descent down the sherpa couloir/glacier is in good shape right now also.

[scott]

the left side of the upper coulior is in the shade in the morning- if ice has formed on the right side, it will probably start falling when the sun hits it.

[David_Parker]

What side did you pass the shrund? Did you have to get on rock?

Dave

[scott]

the schrund was passed on the right. no problems, but that was a month ago. after the schrund, we moved over to the left side.

[CascadeClimber]

We passed the ice cliff on the left, the large middle crevasse near the middle of the glacier, and the schrund back toward the left. We stayed on the left side of the couloir until we split off onto the right branch near the top. The cornice is gone.

The descent down the Sherpa was pretty straightforward.

Oddly, we saw zero spontaneous rock or ice fall the entire day. YMMV.

Full TR here: http://www.cascadeclimber.com/mount_stuart.htm

Pictures up by the end of the week.

-CC

[David_Parker]

It really helps to know the approach along mountaineer creek. The first time I did the approach to Ice Cliff, I ended up in the boulder field. This is a huge mistake. There is a very nice path that follows along the creek. The only hard part is getting from the trail, across the creek coming from Stuart lake, over a minor ridge and through a swampy area and finding the path. Once you do though, it's easy walking in a beautiful forest. The boulder field is totally unnecessary and too hot!

I'm glad I have this approach wired now because I still have not finished the route. If anyone is up for a car to car, email me!! I have the beta, you just need to be fast! I'll go anytime...even in fall when it's even icier!

Dave

[Kalun_D]

Just did the N ridge of Stuart, the Ice Cliff Glacier is very broken up and the snow is soft. Lots of boulders perched in the snow and ice. While we were on the N ridge we frequently heard stuff falling in the Ice Cliff cirque including some big stuff. "Full" conditions for sure. I soloed this in April of 94 and the glacier was unbroken, except for the cliff(rotten glacier ice) and the shrund below the couloir. 12" of powder on a hard base on the glacier and hardpack in the couloir. The crux was the 30' 45deg overhanging cornice at the top, bypassed by rock on the right, way sketch. Descended the unbroken Sherpa, looks broken now. Think the low snow winter has adversly affected this route. Plus it gets sun from 10am or so this time of year, heinous.

[This message has been edited by Kalun D (edited 07-13-2001).]