Manning Park Ice

[Dru]

Fern, Steve and I went to Maning Park yesterday. Sumallo Bluffs not in unless you are a sick hard mixed climber (lots of exposed rock and discontinuous ice and hanging curtains not touching down) who likes cold showers (visible running water)

 

HOWEVER: Gibson Pass ski area routes are in. We climbed Nepopekum Falls. Its leaner & harder this year than it was last year (see last years photo )more like solid 4+ than 4. I was forced to lead it when Steve declined in favor of shooting pictures, and I would say it was my hardest ice lead ever, I nearly pitched twice.

 

The WI2+ & mixed chimney line left of the falls is in but the rock is snow covered, looks like more of a wallow than a climb right now. The big blue flow downstream of Nepopekum that was climbed at WI5 last year is in, the bottom, crux vertical section looks like it has a choice of two thin pillars to start then a long sheet of WI4 above.

 

We weere not the first to climb Nepopekum this year there were some old tracks (last week maybe) leading to the base (Jesse M was that you?). It could stand to see more traffic. This is only about 70km from Hope so it's a lot closer than Lillooet for most of us.