BETA PHOTO: Head for the pillar, you can't go wrong.
Description
The most difficult part of this climb is finding it in perfect condition. As soon as the inversion even starts to lift, this climb begins to deteriorate. It will be gone within the week, due to it's southern exposure.
Location
South facing, just north of the storm mountain picnic area and east of psychobabble wall. Typical descent is up the pillar, over the top, down the gully just east of the ice. In poor conditions, rap the route (be prepared to V-thread).
Protection
screws. If you get there late on a warm day and want to tick it anyway, you'd better bring some stoppers too. I did :)
As I installed two higher bolted stations above Brian's and thereafter rapped the route, the first pitch is actually 30m (can be rapped with one 60m rope) not 62m as mentioned above. The upper raps down the route (from the top and from the base of the upper steep pillar) are double rope rappels from anchor to anchor so one needs two ropes anyway. I have heard this has already been repeated (the raps), but it is advisable to rap from fixed bolted anchor to fixed bolted anchor (very smooth) and so forth instead of from the 4th pitch tree belay to the #1 belay as stuck ropes may be the consequence.
We found the all of the new stations but one, the last one. After the last pillar (3rd pitch) you climb in the gully, surmount a chockstone and at the top of that are some trees w/ cord around them. You can single rope rap back to the start of the 3rd pitch. From there you can single rope rap down the 2nd pitch gully to the top of the actual ice, there was a fixed pin there that we backed up w/ a big bomber stopper. From there make a short rap to gain the very appreciated new anchor on top of the 1st pitch. All raps can be done w/ a single 60M rope.
Another pitch up some pretty cool mixed moves ascends to the final belay which is above the cord/tree belay. You didn't find the final fixed belay because it is higher than where you climbed, it seems.
That very well could be the case. We hit those trees and looked up at the last 25-30 feet. What was left of that gully didn't think it looked very worthwhile, in our opinions.
Edited: You can make the rap from the top chains back to the trees and back down the route w/ one 60M rope. 1-29-08
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