Beginner routes?!

[mzvarner]

what are some good beginner alpine routes? I have had very little exposure to steep snow and even less exposure to pure ice and even less to mixed climbing.

 

I was thinking that things like the North face of Lane peak, Chair peak, maybe some of the steeper routes on Colchuk might be good places to start. Also some of the mellow routes on Hood like Reid headwall and Leuthold coulior.

 

Then for ice i was thinking any thing WI 2-4 should be ok like Hubba Hubba?

 

What are your thoughts and when do you think these would be coming in?

Edited November 14, 2010 by mzvarner

[Alasdair]

Chair peak

Leuthold

Colchuck NEB

are all good choices.

 

Others might be the coulior route on South early winters.

 

For slightly more advanced you can do Dragontail Triple Coulior 1st coulior to the top and then take the upper north face to the summit. This makes for a really big feeling route, that is not really that technical. (do some of the other routes first)

 

Also have a look at some of the routes on Mt. Joffre up in BC. The north ridge of baker is pretty good also, but get some ice climbing leading in first.

[genepires]

If you are living in Spokane, then you really need to be thinking about heading up to canada for some easy ice climbing practice rather than alpine climbing practice. If you get the ice climbing down, then the snow climbing will seem real easy. Banff is fairly close for you and waterton park is even closer. If you can find a reliable and competent partner, you will get a huge amount of learning in.

 

If the weather progresses as the forcasts call for, there will not be much of a alpine season here due to being buried under heavy snowfall and high avi conditions. Not to mention the difficulty getting into most places. Sure, there may be a window or two, but for the most part it should be a great season to be inbounds.

 

With that, go to banff or waterton as much as possible and get strong for the spring where the routes will come back into climbing shape. Just my opinion.

 

oh yeah, whatever you do, learn about, watch out for, and be VERY afraid of avalanches. Got to be our #1 killer in the winter.

[DPS]

 

For slightly more advanced you can do Dragontail Triple Coulior 1st coulior to the top and then take the upper north face to the summit. This makes for a really big feeling route, that is not really that technical.

 

Hmmm, at least in the conditions that I found them in, doing Triple Couloirs with the crux waterfall pitches was miles easier and far less technical (WI 4 when we did it) than continuing up the North Face. From the top of the Hidden Couloir we climbed 3, 60 meter pitches of difficult rock climbing (5.7 in summer was our guess). The North Face bowl was compact rock slabs with 1/4" of snice and zero opportunities for pro until the exit pitches which were more rock climbing (again about 5.7 in summer). I know an accomplished climber who had the same opinion and rated this version at M4 (Darin Berdinka or Jens Klubberud, can't remember who said it).

[Alasdair]

 

For slightly more advanced you can do Dragontail Triple Coulior 1st coulior to the top and then take the upper north face to the summit. This makes for a really big feeling route, that is not really that technical.

 

Hmmm, at least in the conditions that I found them in, doing Triple Couloirs with the crux waterfall pitches was miles easier and far less technical (WI 4 when we did it) than continuing up the North Face. From the top of the Hidden Couloir we climbed 3, 60 meter pitches of difficult rock climbing (5.7 in summer was our guess). The North Face bowl was compact rock slabs with 1/4" of snice and zero opportunities for pro until the exit pitches which were more rock climbing (again about 5.7 in summer). I know an accomplished climber who had the same opinion and rated this version at M4 (Darin Berdinka or Jens Klubberud, can't remember who said it).

 

Conditions are everything. It was on par with Colchuck NEB when I did it.

[mzvarner]

I would love to get up to Banff, only problem is school. I will be taking two lab classes and not usre that i will have enough time to take the required days to get up to Canada. And that is a good poitn made about the high amounts of snow forecasted. I didnt consider that things would not be climbable.

 

So where are other decent ice climbing locations that are semi local?

[genepires]

two words....winter break.

 

use your winter break and go up there. Amazing what 3 or 4 days ice climbing will do for mtn skill set.

 

Waterton park is just across the border from glacier park. Literally an extension of glacier park north. that can't be more than 3 hours from spokane. Well within a weekend jaunt.

 

there should be some local ice but I am not an expert by any means on washington ice. especially far east side. I am under the idea that there is no ice south of the border that is worth while or reliable in strength or even existence on my approaches. I usually strike out and find crap. but I always strike gold north of the border.

 

even in normal snow years, whatever that means, most things are unclimbable to unexperienced climbers. Winter is the real deal in many regards. The avi potential alone is a major concern most of the winter. Difficulty getting to wherever. (short of tatoosh and snoq pass) Snow over 4th or 5th class ground is difficult.

 

the key is to wait for that extended spell of good weather. Seems like we need a week to make things settle down enough to make travel reasonable. High elevation rain with clear nights after is a gift from the gods. Even better is 2 weeks because you will have a bootpack going in from the first good weekend crowds. If and when these things happen, chair NE buttress is a good reliable line. (more so than the n face)

 

Colchuck n buttress coulior is a good spring route, especially when the road melts out far enough to make the approach reasonable.

 

Winter climbing is much about withstanding the suffering. Maybe you could wallow around snow local to spokane to gain some valuable winter knowledge. there is much to learn from just being out in winter, wether steep or not. If you can't climb due to conditions, try to snowshoe for 6 miles and feel the burn.

[pup_on_the_mountain]

where are other decent ice climbing locations that are semi local?

Roadcut ice near Libby should be ~2.5 hrs drive from Spokane. 2-minute approach!! Plenty of mixed options nearby too.

 

These pictures are from 2-3 seasons back. Not sure if things got cold enough last season. This season should hopefully be good!

 

 

[mzvarner]

Over the first couple of days of winter break i will be in Bozeman for the ice fest. What are some good mellow routes to look at there (preferabley a little off the beaten path so we can run laps on it and get supper comfortable)?

 

And how how about some more beta on wateron park? sounds cool.

[genepires]

you can take out another student loan to buy the "waterfall ice, climbs in the canadian rockies" by Joe Josephson. (also goes by Jo Jo) It has a chapter on waterton park. I went there once a long time ago so my estimate on time to get there may be inaccurate. Hopefully someone who is more familar will chime in. But we were wankers and got up stuff so I am sure you can find stuff there to do. It has a shorter season than banff but it is also 100 times longer than ours.

 

looking through my copy has 6 wi2 and about 10 wi3 there. And low snowpack so low worries of the white death. We stayed in a free enclosed picnic shelter with a wood stove and free wood. The rangers were super friendly and surprised that people come to their park. Never met a nicer bunch of rangers anywhere.

 

directions from the book: from spokane take hwy 95 to cranbook and get on 93/95 go south to hwy 3 then south on hwy6 to waterton. might be a faster way by staying in the states then go north in montana. Maybe not an easy weekend trip but a possible weekend trip. Definately a winter break trip.

[genepires]

I guess it is 7 hours for spokane to pincher creek. damn!

[mzvarner]

I know! That makes for a long weekend. But Libby os pretty close so hopefully the ice comes in soon there so I can play on teh road cuts.

 

Any ideas when it may be in?