SCW Ice

[telemarker]

Wonder if we'll ever see this again. TR from Pete H. and Dan C. 2007

[keenwesh]

curt told me about when he climbed it a couple weeks later. sounded like a really fun adventure.

 

I'm totally speaking hypothetically now, because I'll be in Bozeman for at least the next 3 winters, but if there isn't much (or any) ice up there how frowned upon would drytooling up the lesser done routes on that part of the wall? Thinking white slabs and other stuff further right. that granite could take a couple of ascents a year without too much damage from tools and crampons I think. They wouldn't get much traffic besides a couple people like me scratching my way up.

 

I wouldn't post a TR if I did, just asking on here (probably a dumb idea) to see if anyone would be pissed off.

 

[genepires]

being somewhat south facing doesn't help

[keenwesh]

so no reply mean go for it? How's the wall looking right now? I'll be in washington for most of next week.

[Kyle_Flick]

Last I looked the ice never formed up on SCW this winter.

[DPS]

To answer what I think you are asking, yeah, nobody will be happy seeing crampon marks and enhanced holds on Outter Space, but if the ice forms up you shouldn't be damaging the rock anyway.

 

Perhaps I lack imagination or fail to climb M at any reasonable level, but the smooth slabs and hand side cracks don't really invite full on dry too fests.

[keenwesh]

white slabs man, there are dirt filled cracks for a few pitches that might get a little ice with some freeze thaw action. I'm sure some stuff like that route man yoga could be done, steep runout scary slabs.

[keenwesh]

some of those routes could look kinda like this in the right conditions...

 

http://www.climbing.com/news/hotflashes/man_yoga_in_the_canadian_rockies/

[genepires]

except that stanley headwall is not granite which lacks the type of holds that picks like.

[JensHolsten]

I patiently await the day until SCW forms fat again...that would be really, really cool.

 

You can definetely scratch up routes on the right. With a close eye on conditions and a creative headspace, one can climb cool mixed routes in both the Tumwater and Icicle that folks never talk about.

[Pete_H]

Even regardless of novelty factor, that is still one of the funnest ice routes I've done. Definitly needs a few weeks of consistent cold with a pre-existing snow pack to form up.

[Buckaroo]

That is the second best ice route in WA state after Drury. The consensus is it forms every 20 years, maybe 15 or 10 if you're really lucky, so it will be 2017 minimum.

 

I'm not sure you would want to be dry tooling on Snow Creek wall. I wouldn't mind it and would do it if it was acceptable but it's probably not. Who knows, maybe on some of the less traveled routes. I really think WA needs some more dry tool routes being the ice is so sparse. It would be a good way to train.

[montypiton]

Besides the White Slabs - White Fright line that came in so well that year, I was aware of two parties that also climbed the North Chimney - that appeared to have some mixed passages, but enough ice to invite attention.

 

I doubt North Chimney gets enough traffic that anyone would notice if it got dry-tooled now and then. Those two teams that climbed it mixed that winter were the only two ascents I've heard talked about... not to say there haven't been climbs made, but folks don't talk it up.

[keenwesh]

I patiently await the day until SCW forms fat again...that would be really, really cool.

 

You can definetely scratch up routes on the right. With a close eye on conditions and a creative headspace, one can climb cool mixed routes in both the Tumwater and Icicle that folks never talk about.

 

my lips are sealed. if you want to get out mixed groveling send me a PM. secrecy is key bro. don't want to offend any purists...