Mini Moonflower North Couloir

[climbbird]

Anyone climbed this? Supertopo says its WI4 at the crux. Others say 4+ or 5.

[John Frieh]

It varies year to year just like other alpine routes. A few parties reported it as a 4 last year.

[Dane]

You may already know this but others might wonder. Alaska routes even short ones like mmf are way more than just the technical grade. If you aren't climbing WI5 at the home crags MMF might be a fairly big bite to chew at WI4.

 

As John said...alpine routes change...season to season...or week to week depending on conditions.

[W]

I've climbed it twice, most recently last spring- here's a shot from last May:

 

 

We climbed the left side in the photo- it was genuinely overhanging ice for 5 meters, and one of the pumpiest pitches I have climbed in a long time. In 2006, we climbed to the right, past the plates of rock. It was thin and sketchy, like M5R. In a really fat year, the right side would probably feel like WI4. The left side this spring I thought felt like solid grade 5. Not sure who thought it was grade 4 last year but that makes me feel weak. On the other hand, it seems that many parties climb the route to that pitch and then bail. I think last year only one or two other parties topped out.

 

There is a WI4 pitch two pitches above this one, otherwise the rest of the route is grade 2 and 3.

[John Frieh]

Not sure who thought it was grade 4 last year but that makes me feel weak. On the other hand, it seems that many parties climb the route to that pitch and then bail. I think last year only one or two other parties topped out.

 

There is a WI4 pitch two pitches above this one, otherwise the rest of the route is grade 2 and 3.

 

Guy and girl from the rado... climbed it 3rd week of April. They had just come out as we got to Talkeetna. Now that you mention it I cant remember if they topped it out or not.

 

Shit: about 90 days to AK!

[climbbird]

Grade 4 is the top of my comfort zone right now. Any alternate suggestions?

[Dane]

Nice photo, W!

[genepires]

ham and eggs. go in late april

 

i think you would have more options in the ruth. Stuff not in guidebooks but I hear about cool lines there. maybe someone with intimate knowledge will chime in?

 

If you haven't climbed in the range, maybe you should tone down your goals to get experience with AK climbing which is a whole new big ass bag of kick ass. some good "get familiar" suggestions:

sw ridge of frances (mostly rock and snow)

japanese couloir of barill

kahiltna dome and pt farine (non technical)

crosson (overnighter)

 

getting a feel for the range (and the needed suffering skills) is more important than having the WI skills. In my opinion.

 

and 6 pitches of 50 degree ice is a lot harder than you would think. a lot.

[Dane]

getting a feel for the range (and the needed suffering skills) is more important than having the WI skills. In my opinion.

 

and 6 pitches of 50 degree ice is a lot harder than you would think. a lot.

 

Good comments......the "50 ice" especially so...it aint generally like any other 50 degree ice you'll ever climb. Think what it might be like to climb 50 degree concrete

[climbbird]

Thanks, sounds like good advice.

Thinking about the Ruth, Japanese Couloir on Barrill to start,

then either H&E, West Ridge on Mooses Tooth, or just read up on Freezy Nuts. Seems like the couloir part would be about right.

Has anyone climbed Freezy Nuts?

[genepires]

where did you hear about freezy nuts? That is one that sounded good to do but I don't know any of the specifics.

 

my calves still argue with me when I think of the 50 degree ice on mini moonflower. Unbelievable. Maybe it is the slightly hunched over position which causes a over stretching of the calves with locked knees.(vs normal WI you are more vertical with slightly bent knees) When you train for AK and you are looking at that kind of ice, I would suggest you somehow training for that trouble. Extensive use of 3 oclock position for feet didn't solve my problem and it has too hard (and cold) for lots of low daggering. so piolet anchoring it was and then the sore calves. Maybe I just suck.

 

ou got me thinking again bout AK. Thanks and good luck.

[Dane]

Will Finley's page has Feezy Nut info and much more.

 

http://www.peakaweek.com/index.cfm

[climbbird]

Dane, thanks, that's what turned me on to it.

Looks like an ideal intro.

[John Frieh]

All great suggestions. Add to those the lines on London Tower climbers left of Trailer Park including Cornhole Couloir and you have a great list of objectives.

 

If it was me I would fly into the Ruth camp below Dickey and see what you can snag down there before heading up to the Root and trying Ham and Eggs.

[climbbird]

Does last week of April sound about right?

[John Frieh]

See you there!

 

First round @ the west rib is on you!

[tvashtarkatena]

Please extinguish all smoking materials....

 

[video:youtube]

[genepires]

it is crazy that you can see the ham n eggs as the plane turns around on the glacier. my kinda approach.

[tvashtarkatena]

Too bad the climb wasn't quite so sunny...

[yeoman]

Will Finley's page has Feezy Nut info and much more.

 

http://www.peakaweek.com/index.cfm

 

I climbed Freezy Nuts with Billy last year. I'll need to check the dates, but I think we went in early May. The conditions were superb. Much better than the conditions my buddy reported only 3 weeks earlier.

FN is a gigantic funnel for anything melting off the top of Werewolf Tower (?) (the peak to the north of the FN Col). So stuff that melts off that tower falls into there and as you'll see in the slot, there isn't anywhere for it to go but through it. So in my opinion, you need to make sure those slopes up there are clear because when sun hits it, stuff falls.

I have a feeling the difficulty of the route varies a LOT. When we climbed it it was basically supportable snow/snice/ice the whole way. The top opens up into a beautiful, exposed amphitheater with the final snow pitches being the steepest and the crux (imho). And is a great moderate route.

I second Japanese Colouir on Barrill as a great first Ruth route. Really a great climb and gives you an idea of what the scale is like on the routes in the area.

 

 

[iamjacktors]

btw, where did you see that SuperTopo called it WI4 in the first place? The book calls it 85-degrees.

[iamjacktors]

Anyone climbed this? Supertopo says its WI4 at the crux. Others say 4+ or 5.

 

btw, where did you see that SuperTopo called it WI4 in the first place? The book calls it 85-degrees.