[TR] Oregon Ice First Ascents - 1/20/07

[ryland_moore]

Trip: Oregon Ice First Ascents - 1/20/07 - Ramblin' Man, Paradice, Rocky's Revenge

 

Date: 1/20/2007

 

Trip Report:

January 20, 2007

 

Myself, Tim Garland of Redmond, and Scott Kastengren of Portland headed east to check out potential ice lines on private property I had seen the last two years.Note: There may be a possibility that these are not first ascents, if someone poached or illegally accessed the property. The ranch has been in the family since the early 1900's and the landowner has never let anyone on the property for climbing of any kind. That is the main reason we feel these are first ascents.

 

We called the landowner on Thursday to ask if we could head out on his property to look for potential ice lines. He granted us permission and we geared up. We had scouted the ice last weekend, but it just wasn't in to where we felt comfortable leading them.

 

Saturday morning, Scott and I left PDX at 5:30 am and met Tim out at a predetermined spot. As soon as we started seeing the ice, we knew that we would be in for a long day of sending.

 

(FA)Ramblin' Man - WI 3, 55 meters

Ryland Moore, Tim Garland, Scott Kastengren

We started out on a warm-up WI 3 climb. I took the sharp end on this one and then Tim and Scott each led it after.

 

 

We followed some cow tracks up to the base of the climb. It was a four-tiered series with 70 degrees to almost vertical ice "steps" each about 20 feet high, separated in between with about 5-10 feet of flat ice leading to the next tier.

 

 

The ice was solid and we were sinking 17 cm screws without hitting anything. The 3rd tier was actually a smooth ice runnel very confined and about 60 degrees in steepness.

 

 

Very fun route and we ran out of rope right at the top of the climb. We named it "Ramblin Man" at WI 3 for the lower two tiers of ice and 55 meters. I walked off the climb to the right and we cleaned it, since all of us led it, by rapping with two ropes off of an ice screw and large boulder.

 

(FA)Paradice - WI 4, 50 meters:

Tim Garland, Scott Kastengren, Ryland Moore

We headed back to this this line and were not sure if it would go because the lower part of the second step looked "thin".

 

 

Tim Garland decided he would take the sharp end. We could hear water rushing behind the first free-hanging ice curtain of the lower step. Tim climbed up the curtain (20 feet high) to a flat rest about 10 feet in diamter. He headed over to the left and sunk another screw. He climbed up and right and the ice was surprisingly thick and solid.

 

 

He styled it out to a corner on the right and up to the top and out of view for another 35 feet. Scott and I followed on top-rope and we all felt that it was one of the best ice climbs we have ever done anywhere.

 

 

The ice was very plastic and sticks came easily the entire way. Tim decided to call this climb "Paradice" which is very fitting for the setting we were in and WI4. One awesome climb. There is a second short pitch to this climb, which unfortunately was in the sun and was barely hanging on. Another 30 feet of flat walking and there is a short 10-foot step and then another 30-40 foot completely hanging curtain to finish it all off. Because this upper part is in the sun, it will likely rarely form.

 

We walked off but could have set a V-thread. Just easier to walk off!

 

We ate a late lunch and then decided to go check an even more remote spot that we had looked at the previous weekend through binocs.

 

(FA)Rocky's Revenge - WI 5 20 meters:

Tim Garland, Ryland Moore

We eyed a shorter (and closer) single pitch line that was almost touching down last weekend and looked to be in from the binocs. It was getting late in the day, so we thought we could get down to the bottom of the canyon and climb the route and back out by dark.

 

We headed down the deep canyon and after about a 45 minute approach, we could see the line quite well.

 

 

We headed up to the base to find a 20 feet free hanging ice curtain followed by another 40 feet of WI 3 to the top. The ice curtain was barely hanging on and only a few feet thick at the base and about 3 feet wide at the most.

 

Tim manned up and took the sharp end. He styled the ice curtain and it did not so much as groan or creak.

 

 

He moved smoothly through the crux to the easier and much welcomed WI 3 section.

 

 

I followed and really struggled on the lower curtain. It was harder than any WI 5 I've Tr'ed at Lee Vining or Lillooet. I literally flailed on the lower section and will happily admit that without leashes I would have definitely come off. The last 40 feet are awesome WI 3 to the top. Short but pumpy! Tim set an anchor off a huge boulder and rapped off. I cleaned the route and anchor and walked off to the left.

 

We hiked out of the canyon and did not get back to our cars until it was dark. Overall, it was an awesome day, great ice in amazing condition considering it was about 40 degrees most of the day, and best of all it was in Oregon!

 

Note: This post is to share with you information that there is ice in Oregon! Unfortunately, I cannot share the location with anyone as it is on private property and the landowner does not want the liability of others climbing on their property. Please do not poach any ice or rock for that matter without landowner permission. This property is heavily posted with "No Trespassing" signs and they have called the sherriff on poachers/hunters in the past.

 

There are still plenty of FAs to be had out there, but with the warm weather on us, it looks as if they may be gone for a while. Two other potential FAs to the left of Paradice had completely crashed to the ground and were mere wet spots on the rock as they faced SE, while Paradice simply faces due East.

 

Both Ramblin' Man and Rocky's Revenge face North and are in canyons, so less likely to fall down, but the curtain on Rocky's was barely hanging on.

 

Ice season in Oregon ain't over yet!

 

[gmknight]

Nice work and good pics! Looks like a fun day out.

[Mike_G]

Great report, good photos to illustrate, and inspiring to everyone to responsibly go look for ice (or rock, for that matter) in new places. Thanks!

[Lambone]

Sweet Ryland!

 

Hey, call me next time you go there ok!?

[KingsMM]

This is like $1,000,000 being shown to you and then find that it is incased in glass. Looks awsome! Really cool to see ice routes go down in Oregon. This makes me wonder... Is there other ice out there (in Oregon) on Public Land? (not counting the gorge or strawberry mtns) There has got to be...

[jstreet]

Sweet climbs guys! Way to go after it! And really nice pics. Dam.

[ryland_moore]

It has to make you wonder if the only reason we are seeing so many new first ascents this year is because of the unusual amount of precip we got back in November/Early December or is it just more people out there exploring. I'd have to say that I think the unusual amount of rain we got has helped a lot for the desert climbing as this place was cold enough the last two years (when the Gorge was going off) but the drips just did not have the amount of water they do this year. I think Eastern Oregon and Washington have always had the potential, but it may just take the right combination of moisture and temps. The desert usually does not have the moisture component. Sm exception would be ice in the Wallowas and Elkhorns near Baker City. You can try to PM Terminal Gravity from this site and see if he'll give up the beta on existing climbs. Another place that is probably rarely explored during the winter is the Snake River Canyon on the Oregon side around Imnaha and the Steens Mountains. Owyhee Canyon as well? Grab some BLM maps and head out there.

 

Note: There are disclaimers on all public lands maps that say they may not be accurate. I found this to be the case while hunting ove by Fossil, OR. Trust signage over general maps.

 

Yes, I bet there are a ton of climbs out there on public lands. I have seen a ton of potential on public lands when bird hunting for chukar. Heck, I saw more ice then I ever have on highway 84 on Saturday!

[Dechristo]

sweet to run into such priviledge

[MATT_B]

I think that when things get cold most people head for the gorge and dont't think much about other options. I have seen ice on the clackamas river not far above estacata. I have even climbed some ice on the clackamas below carver. What about up high in the cascades when it isn't quite cold enough for the gorge? Just because you don't see anything from the road . . . My guess is that there is more than we might think.

[Weekend_Climberz]

Looks like some nice ice, guys. :tup:

 

It's good to hear that some of the private land owners out there are willing to have some of us tramp around on their land. May they have many years of good Karma.