Season for NF of Maude

[catbirdseat]

What is the latest this route can be done? I've seen TRs into early August.

 

I've done this route in late July. The snow on the traverse helped a bit, though I'm sure it could be done without.

 

I suppose the limiting factor would be the snow melting out of the bottom of the couloir presenting one with wet rock to get on the ice.

[Cobra_Commander]

Winter! Isn't that a ski run now?

[catbirdseat]

Thanks for your input.

[nattybumppo]

I climbed the NF in June this year. With lots of snow, the traverse from the Maude-Jack col is a moderate obstacle. Without snow I'm sure it's doable, it just wouldn't be that much fun. The route itself is all season, it just depends on whether you prefer more or less rock. Based on what I saw, the late season route would be a lot skinnier, but it would certainly have some nice alpine ice and firm sticks. Sort of like the Ice Cliff on Stuart, actually.

 

As for the approach, late season I would come over the ridge east of summit from Ice Lakes, like the original ascenders (see CAG.)

[skykilo]

I'm not sure about your comparison, natty. I think Stuart's Ice Cliff poses both more hazard and challenge than NF Maude. And they're both climbable year-round, with sensible exceptions for avy danger, of course.

[nattybumppo]

Never having climbed either in true Sep/Oct late season conditions, I'll concede without argument. Though I thought the "sort of" covered the spread. I imagine the Ice Cliff is considerably more thought-provoking than Maude late season, as it is in May/June, in my actual experience. As I was.

[skykilo]

I think you'd be hard-pressed to get that beautiful, blue dinner-plating glacier ice on the NF of Maude at all. I could be wrong. Wasn't really trying to call you out or anything.

[catbirdseat]

Well, guys, it turns out that you CAN do the NF of Maude in September. There were a few gaps in the ice, but the exposed rock was easily climbed. In fact the rock islands made for comfortable belay ledges.