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[TR] Alpental Valley Ice


Doug_Hutchinson

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Trip: Alpental Valley Ice -

 

Date: 12/7/2013

 

Trip Report:

Ice in the Alpy environs is really nice now. All the Alpental Falls (below Phantom Slide) look great, Chockstone is really fat, Kiddie Falls is in, and Wayne, Daniel and I found great ice on Flow Reversal.

 

It is been too dry, too cold and the meager snow pack has been problematic for many climbs but most waterfall ice type routes are probably where it is at now. Temps never got out of the single digits today but no wind and the sun climbing above the ridges for a short period made for some nice conditions. The Valley was almost empty because there is not even enough snow for the slow shoe people to trample about the place - almost eerie . Do not bring skis or floatation, walk right up.

 

Flow Reversal:

 

Flow_Reversal1.jpg

 

P1 STOKE!

 

Flow_Reveral_p1.jpg

 

P2 sounded like Wayne was playing a pipe organ with all the candlesticks being tapped and trundled but no pics since we had to hide.

 

Daniel on P3 (fat!)

 

Daniel_p3.jpg

 

Cold play:

 

Wayne_P3.jpg

Edited by Doug_Hutchinson
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I hope that line to the right of Flow Reversal has a good name, because it is so good! It is about 110 meters of super sweet ice:

 

OverviewR.jpg

 

The first two pitches (about 90M total) were anything from WI3- to 3+ super fun, choose-your-own-line rambles. Wayne at the P1 belay, note P3 daggers and pillars far above:

 

Wayne_at_P1_belayR.jpg

 

We climbed quickly and were in the sun the whole climb. It is a designer climb with each belay in a sheltered cave with nice views of scenic Alpy valley. Wayne getting to P2 belay with lots of relief below:

 

WayneP2-1R.jpg

 

P3 was the crux, short at about 20M but really techy WI5. Starts by stemming between two pillars and then a pumpy bulge. Finishes with some nice WI4. Wayne styled it but had to work hard to smash enough chandeliers to get good sticks. Nice lead Wayne! Wayne starting P3:

 

Wayne_P3-1R.jpg

 

The climb had the feel of a mini Goats Beard with the hanging daggers above but the cold temps kept everything nice and solid. We left a sling on a tree up and left of the last pitch to rap to a lower tree. A second rap got us down to our packs. This is a stellar climb!

 

A fast party could link this and Flow Reversal for 200M of the finest ice in Western WA.

 

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Tim Matsui and I did Flow Reversal today, and that must have been you who shouted up at us as we were getting going! We only had one rope so we put in some V-threads for the intermediate stations, but we didn't see where you did your second rap from? A tree?

Dan, how the heck did you know Flow Reversal was in?

 

We had two 60Ms so rapped from the tree you belayed at the base of P3 to the base of the climb. Way to blow out a tire in Mt Vernon in the wee hours, limp home on your spare and still get on the climb nice and early, Yes, not a bad consolation prize!

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Dan, how the heck did you know Flow Reversal was in?

 

We had two 60Ms so rapped from the tree you belayed at the base of P3 to the base of the climb. Way to blow out a tire in Mt Vernon in the wee hours, limp home on your spare and still get on the climb nice and early, Yes, not a bad consolation prize!

 

Tim had seen your trip report (this one) earlier, but I hadn't. He only mentioned Wayne's name when he was telling me about it, so that's why I was surprised to see it was you who had posted! I guess Tim doesn't know you. :-)

 

Ah, did you just loop the rope around the tree then? We didn't see a sling there.

 

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

I took a long walk around the alpental valley and snow lake on xmas eve. Flow reversal looked quite similar to earlier conditions but perhaps a wee bit scrappier ;) The same for Resistance is Futile but that seemed less appealing with more snow covering it. The Source Lake Line (around the corner to the climbers right) had ice from top to bottom but from my vantage point (not very close) looked sporty thin, could use some fattening up for us mere mortals. And for anyone considering the first complete ascent of Slot Machine down on snow lake you might want wait... the 30m crux curtain is only halfway formed and dam thin. Sorry, no photographs this time... I'm getting lazy.

 

 

Edited by jstreet
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I'm interested in doing the Flow Reversal this week if it's still stable, but I'm having trouble locating where exactly it is, I've climbed a few ice features around the Snoqualmie area, but everything I scouted as of last week at lower elevation has melted considerably.

Edited by maplelettuce
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  • 1 month later...

Just climbed the Flow Reversal today and it's in. Much fatter then 3 weeks ago and good to go.

 

 

Ps. I have found climbing helmet on the way back and would be glad to return it to the

rightful owner.

edit: great news - owner found

Edited by Techdiver
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