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Madison Gulf (Mt. Adams) Climbing
| Elevation: | 4,213 ft |
| GPS: |
44.32199, -71.2823 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
| Page Views: | 3,815 total · 25/month |
| Shared By: | Adam Wilcox on Dec 20, 2010 |
| Admins: | Jay Knower, M Sprague, Lee Hansche, Jeffrey LeCours, Jonathan S, Robert Hall |
Description
Do you like peace and quiet? Do you like moderate multi-pitch ice that hasn't been turned into a pegboard? How about long approaches and heinous bushwhacks?
If you answered yes to all of these questions, Madison Gulf may be the place you! With a plethora of possibilities, Madison Gulf offers many options from WI2 to WI4-ish, up to three pitches in length. While just about everything here has been climbed and named, I found adventure in leaving the guidebook at home and just choosing my own way, which seemed fitting for a backcountry area.
While Huntington Ravine was busy, most of the Frankenstein routes were in rough shape, and few other ice options existed, my partner and I found all the fat plastic ice we could handle - well worth the approach. May you be as lucky.
If you answered yes to all of these questions, Madison Gulf may be the place you! With a plethora of possibilities, Madison Gulf offers many options from WI2 to WI4-ish, up to three pitches in length. While just about everything here has been climbed and named, I found adventure in leaving the guidebook at home and just choosing my own way, which seemed fitting for a backcountry area.
While Huntington Ravine was busy, most of the Frankenstein routes were in rough shape, and few other ice options existed, my partner and I found all the fat plastic ice we could handle - well worth the approach. May you be as lucky.
Getting There
Here, you have two basic options.
1. Hike a few hours up the Valley Way from Route 2 to Madison Hut and the Col between Mounts Madison and Adams. Find the Madison Gulf Trail and steeply descend roughly a half mile, the ice should be visible on your right. When you feel it's best, bushwhack a few hundred yards and you're there. Easy as pie!
2. Park at the Great Gulf Trailhead on Route 16. Take the Great Gulf Trail to the Madison Gulf Trail. Keep going until you see the ice on your left.
Option 1 is likely faster, with more heavily used (and broken out) trails, but also has more elevation gain and requires you to either bushwhack off the top of the climb to the Buttress Trail (heinous) or rap your route and hike back up the Madison Gulf Trail. Option 2 is longer, and you can count on breaking trail the whole way, along with route-finding fun.
In any case, this is an isolated area far from the road and makes for a very long day. Take care of yourself.
1. Hike a few hours up the Valley Way from Route 2 to Madison Hut and the Col between Mounts Madison and Adams. Find the Madison Gulf Trail and steeply descend roughly a half mile, the ice should be visible on your right. When you feel it's best, bushwhack a few hundred yards and you're there. Easy as pie!
2. Park at the Great Gulf Trailhead on Route 16. Take the Great Gulf Trail to the Madison Gulf Trail. Keep going until you see the ice on your left.
Option 1 is likely faster, with more heavily used (and broken out) trails, but also has more elevation gain and requires you to either bushwhack off the top of the climb to the Buttress Trail (heinous) or rap your route and hike back up the Madison Gulf Trail. Option 2 is longer, and you can count on breaking trail the whole way, along with route-finding fun.
In any case, this is an isolated area far from the road and makes for a very long day. Take care of yourself.
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