This was a very sought after line that many tried before it went down in February 1976... To think that it was climbed with the equipment that was available then is quite impressive to me... When I look at the state of the art gear I'm climbing with and look at intimidating routes like this that were climbed before I was born on gear that would send me back a few grades it just amazes me...
Pitch 1: Start below the painfully obvious perfect drip on the wall above... Climb the normally very thin slab which is more scary than difficult due to the lack of protection... Really it's maybe grade 3 climbing but the higher up you get the harder it seems... As you get toward the top you can get a couple screws in but by that point you are through the worst of the first pitch... As you get to the base of the main icicle step to the left to a sheltered belay stance... When i did it we belayed from a few medium sized cams...
Pitch 2: Well if you are leading this pitch take a deep breath and commit yourself... You are looking at a long and pretty much straight up icicle that is usually only a few feet thick when it's in good... The bottom can be hollow but as a whole it is solid... Fight the pump is the name of the game and if you are well conditioned to steep pumpy climb it might be just a nice way to spend a day... To many it represents an ultimate goal... Hoe ever you look at this climb you will no doubt agree that it is a classic... Top out the Cliff and hit the trees for a nice view while you belay...
Location
The very obvious Yellow icicle between Standard Route and Dracula... Start beneath the icicle on slabs that are often thin...
Protection
Enough screws to make you feel happy... A few cams are nice for the belay...
Dropline Area
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