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Local Ice Ethic

Original Post
atrau · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2007 · Points: 0

Hey guys down in the Utah Valley area;

I went and played around on Cascade yesterday and took a look at the ice around the area: The Fang, Bridalviel, etc. and consider relatively young and and didn't want to climb it and beat it out. It my experience that beating out early season ice tends to screw it up a little for others as it matures. I have climbed in the winter in Provo Canyon for a few years, I did sharpen my teeth in Rock Canyon, Cascade, Timp, and Af; I want to know what the local ethic is on climbing early ice?

Thanks guys,

Rob

Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711
atrau wrote:I want to know what the local ethic is on climbing early ice?
The "local" ethic is to gang siege it on TR with a party of 30.

Cheers!
Rob Man · · SLC UT · Joined Oct 2005 · Points: 40

Did somebody say party!

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203

I love it when the ice is all picked out with steps up the routes. That way I can claim to climb at least two grades harder and in half the time.

paintrain · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 75

The local ethic is first come first serve.

The earlier and thinner you climb it, the more props from the Bros. Also, it is that much sooner you can start internet spragging.

This is then the green light for the TR frat party.

PT

Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711
Allen Sanderson wrote:I love it when the ice is all picked out with steps up the routes. That way I can claim to climb at least two grades harder and in half the time.


Community service!
Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

You have to get on it while it is there. Was out today and stuff in Provo is falling down or melting it was so warm. Don't bother hiking to millers or the finger...
Dallen

Aaron M · · Westminster, CO · Joined Oct 2007 · Points: 140

Its funny 'cause it true!!

atrau · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jun 2007 · Points: 0

Well, I guess I will start destroying the ice when it comes in.

Rob

paintrain · · Unknown Hometown · Joined Jan 2007 · Points: 75

I like it when I don't even have to use my ice tools. Get out the Dachstein mits and paw up it.

What was great about the day that pict was taken, I was even drafting off of ice screw holes. That's Luxury Ice.

PT

jtwalter · · Orem, UT · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 806

To Sunny-D's point

Soft 'n Juicy 2010-12-03 RIP

England · · Colorado Springs · Joined Aug 2008 · Points: 270
Brian in SLC wrote: The "local" ethic is to gang siege it on TR with a party of 30. Cheers!
Hey, that's how we roll here in CO too.
Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711
jtwalter wrote:To Sunny-D's point
That's the warm side of the road, though.

Show us Stairway/Bridelveil!
Scott McMahon · · Boulder, CO · Joined Feb 2006 · Points: 1,425
England wrote: Hey, that's how we roll here in CO too.
Of course making sure NOT to give a leader preference by throwing down a rope on them and ALWAYS use the walk up.
jtwalter · · Orem, UT · Joined Jun 2006 · Points: 806
Brian in SLC wrote:Show us Stairway/Bridelveil!
Sorry, no can do. Didn't take any pics on that side. Water was running pretty well on that side and the ice was rather soft, but climbable. Check with Clay Bourne about how the conditions were on Stairway.
Sunny-D · · SLC, Utah · Joined Aug 2006 · Points: 700

Brian,
This morning you could climb up through pitch three on the stairway without any problem. Pitch four had a nice big transition from small pillar to over the lip- would have been really tricky- if it stays warm I bet the small pillar on pitch four falls down in the next couple of days. Pitch five looked really anemic and had a ton of rock showing at the top-think really, really spicy( you will be climbing tools on rock). I bet it falls over and takes care of the gang/siege top ropers on the apron tomorrow. Hopfully we get some colder conditions before the pillars fall, to recement them to the rock up high so we don't have to wait for them to form again.
The best ice in the canyon right now is in the Bridal Veil area, all the climbs there are in and are holding their form well. If I were going down in the next couple of days I would climb white nightmare bridal veil right and left. Maybe upper bridal veil as well.
Dallen

Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711

'Preciate the head's up!

Allen Sanderson · · On the road to perdition · Joined Jul 2007 · Points: 1,203
paintrain wrote:I like it when I don't even have to use my ice tools. Get out the Dachstein mits and paw up it. What was great about the day that pict was taken, I was even drafting off of ice screw holes. That's Luxury Ice. PT
More than once I have climbed the bottom 2 pitches of the GWIC sans tools. Never tried the upper pitches sans tools mostly cause I was soloing. For some reason it really disturbs folks - of course bum sliding down those same pitches seems to equally disturb them as well.
Brian in SLC · · Sandy, Utah · Joined Oct 2003 · Points: 21,711

GWI has been done sans tools (Tom A., I seem to recall). Too funny.

Yeah, its a sloppy mess right now. Too warm. We sussed out the first pitch at dark tonight. Open water on every pitch visible. Holes, thin, warm ice. Too too warm out.

The most reasonable trail in seem to be to park on the side of the road, well to the right of the white line to avoid a ticket, and, just down canyon from the currently still closed parking lot. Just downstream from the snow covered tree laying across the creek, is a nice, beatout path. Works no problem.

Let's hope it gets a bit colder!

Take care if you go. Not sure the ice is good enough to hold a hard fall onto a screw.

Guideline #1: Don't be a jerk.

Northern Utah & Idaho
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