Looking for Ice Cliff Glacier Beta

[Devin27]

Thinking of climbing the Ice Cliff Glacier on Mt Stuart mid week this week and was wondering if anyone went up this weekend. With the fresh snow on Friday and the warming temps all week the ice fall hazard might be a bit high, but id like to get some recent observations if anyone was up.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

 

My friend climbed NBC on Colchuck and said the conditions were perfect. Go for it!

[SmilingWhiteKnuckles]

My friend climbed NBC on Colchuck and said the conditions were perfect. Go for it!

 

@KaskadskyjKozak Did your friend use snowshoes or skis or anything or did they just walk in? Colchuck Lake still frozen?

[mthorman]

A friend of mine climbed TC on Dragontail this weekend. Sounds like they just walked in. Look in the approach notes at the bottom. http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1123949/TR_Dragontail_Triple_Couloirs_#Post1123949

[Lukas]

I climbed the ICG Sunday. The cornice was no joke. Slushy snow covering rock up to it with no pro but some bail anchors half way. Soon it may be better to top out the cornice w/o crampons on.

 

There was nothing falling down on us but there were avalanches and ice fall to climbers right above the ice cliff, no danger to anyone on the ICG. Shin deep snow most of the way.

[Devin27]

@Lukas- Any issues with the bergshrund? Did you climb the icefall on the left side, and if so how much actual ice is on the route right now? Any other useful info?

[Lukas]

We climbed the right side: http://m.imgur.com/P1Xzdul 4 screws was enough. The ice cliff and the cornice are the only sections we pitched out. It took us 1.5 hours to find the best option to get through the cornice, which was still terrifying!

 

The bergshrund was not an issue, barely noticed it.

 

 

[Devin27]

Any shots of the cornice or advice on how you got over it?

[Lukas]

here's us approaching the cornices: http://imgur.com/J9SBtyW we belayed from the large rock in the center.

 

and climbed up around its right side: http://imgur.com/iSzxpDb. there was an anchor (bail anchor possibly?) made from a couple pins, webbing and lockers halfway up - that was the only pro.

 

good luck! my partner is working on the TR

 

 

Edited May 14, 2014 by Lukas

[Devin27]

An Update for anyone considering this route over the weekend. My partner and I did successfully climb the route on Thursday. That being said, I would not recommend this route until the temps drop and the cornices stabilize. There was significant snow and ice fall throughout from all sides of the route and the cornices are extremely unstable. We managed to avoid long term exposure to the cornice by following a snowy terrace to a open book rock pitch (5.8?) on the rocks right in between the two sets of cornices on the cliffs to the left side of the normal ascent gully. This pitch was difficult in boots and poorly protected, so I would not recommend it for a standard climbing route. While we were on the rock pitch a 25 ft section of the cornice; just to the left of the spot on the far right recent TRs have indicated were climbed to complete the route; collapsed and washed down the thankfully empty ascent gully. An hour later a 100 ft section of cornice released from high above the route on the right side which also hit the full route. The impact left a crater in the snow and shook the rocks where we were on the other side of the gully. The snow is highly unstable and the cornices have not yet all fallen, so be cautious out there.

[JasonG]

Glad you made it out safe, that was way too close for comfort.