NR Baker question

[goatboy]

Hello,

 

In the gallery, I found a tasty photo taken by JesseH.

 

 

I wonder if these are representative of August (or general late-summer) conditions (the photo was posted in August, so I'm just assuming...)

 

Thanks to anyone familiar with the route who might be able to answer.

[genepires]

Given the lack of snow in the valley, exposed glacier ice and the beat in trail in the glacier, I would say it is in august.

 

I haven't been on it for 6 years or so but I remember the ice bit being much steeper. More like 70 degrees back then. Looks mellow now. It usually is steeper to the climbers left.

[ashw_justin]

 

This is a picture from early June. 1-2 foot of fresh powder (should have been skiing instead). I think you can pretty much see from this photo that there's a ramp/rib to hit on the left. (But don't ask me how we saw this, and then tried to pull some direct AI4 shit in the center wall...)

[Gaston]

Hey "Goatboy,"

 

I think the NR consistently gives you some options, with the ice step getting bigger and steeper to climber's right (this conflicts with what genepires says above). Following the ridge proper yielded a few pitches of moderate (AI 3) ice when I did it in June of 2004 (after a low snow winter). What made it most interesting was the varied nature of the climbing: steep neve followed by steep glacier ice followed by a snow covered shield of ice followed by deep snow. Plenty of cleaning rotten snow off of ice, then bashing granulated ice away for screws. I recall that one pitch featured both ice screw AND t-slotted picket placements!

 

Hope this helps.

[JoshK]

You can climb pretty much anything when doing the NR. You can go straight up the summit ice cap if you want. If you take the easiest line it should be quite easy.

[genepires]

Yeah I meant "right" but my fingers said "left". Maybe the worlds best ice is over left but now one ever looks!

 

Great route and really "funner" in july and august.

[JoshK]

Haul skis up so you don't have to slog down the C/D. We did and it was nice blowing bye all the poor sloggers who were postholing up to their knees!

[goatboy]

Great info and thanks very much, all.

 

Gaston, I hope the Alps are treating you well! How about a Chamonix Trip Report when you're done stuffing espresso beans and bon bons down your gullet?