Somehow this gem has gone untrodden until now. This fine wall is 500' long and 100' tall and lies in an area named "Glacier Knobs" on the National Geographic - Trails Illustrated map. You can see the top 40' of it when viewed from the Fire Trail. When standing on the flat open rock platform about mid way up this trail, look to the left of Chaos Canyon ravine. The area is capped by a very round dome top. To date (1/15/07) there are 8 routes on the wall with many options for more.
There is no real way to TR this wall by walking to the top. Naturally, you can by leading any route first.
Approach time is about one hour, unless you get lost or bogged down in deep snow.
Due to the rounded nature of this hill, snow slough is pretty bad after a storm. no major avalanche danger, just lots of spind drift.
Getting There
Get yourself to Glacier Gorge Junction trail intersection area. Look west toward the Loch trail, BUT turn right and take the Lake Haiyaha Trail for 100' (N) and then turn hard left. Ascend very steep snow ramps and a gully, up and along the left side of a tiered wall.
This wall may be best in November-December. With all this snow, much of the bottom moves are now missing (Jan 6, 2007).
This is the prominent water ice line on this wall. It is located about 300' north of the central slab, Ice Slab ??.Climb a plumb, ice line right off the deck, followed by a WI3 mid section. Continue on WI4 to a ledge. Make a choice: the original route went straight up to a small roof. Jam the crack thru the roof, and into thin lay-away seams above, delicately move right 10', then 15' up (M6 crux), and traverse 20' right to a tree for a sling r...[more]
It's my guess that this wall will form up every year. However, it does appear its best season may well be November and December. As of early January 2007, many of the initial moves are missing. Edward was able to boulder up and stick the ice on 'Roof of the World' because the snow is so high now.
This crag is a bit tiny and underwhelming to say the least...good for a visit if you've been everywhere else. Short, blocky routes with big ledges and not much exposure.
I could find some agreement with Randy Slavin's asssessment; the routes are short, not dramatic. But I disagree with the assertion in the description that they cannot be TR'ed. They certainly can be, if someone leads up at least one route (I think the author meant there's no way to walk down from, or up to, the top.) There are 11 mm red rope slings at the locations shown in the photo (thanks first ascendtionists!), and many can be TR'ed with a single 70m, certainly with two. We had fun TR'ing the thin ice in 'World According To Bush' gully yesterday.
I'd add that the ice is not too thick here, so the climbing condition of these walls will be highly variable.
Finally, I agree with the general directions to get there, but the optimum trail has yet to be tracked in. We wandered around on the way up, going far too right, then took a much more direct route down, which I'd describe as mildly heinous, even on MSR snowshoes!
By Leo Paik Administrator From: Westminster, Colorado Jan 5, 2008
No ice. Snowshoes probably useful if you check this crag without others' tracks.
World Cup Wall
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