Sphinx in Big Sky this weekend or next?

Looking for a partner for the Lowe or Lowe direct route. Let me know if you're interested.

I could be down.where are you?

I'm in Bozeman. The Big Sky area got a lot of snow this past week, so it's best to let it settle out. The ice is in though, so just waiting for the right window. I also hiked up into Hyalite yesterday, and some routes are coming in nicely...a few already in. There should be a few option by next week. I'm down to climb most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

What was in in Hyalite? And ya, the traverse to the routes on the Sphinx is on a huge windslab over a cliff.

Know anyone heading to bozeman from Jackson.

CCChanceR wrote:And ya, the traverse to the routes on the Sphinx is on a huge windslab over a cliff.

G2, a couple mixed routes on the unnamed wall, and maybe the right falls at twin falls looked to be coming together. I didn't go into twin falls, so I'm not too sure...just looked from across the valley. The left side was running water. I don't know of anyone headed up from Jackson.

How is the approach to the Lowe direct route on the Sphinx affected by snow load? I haven't been in there to see it myself. My understanding is that you avoid the whole wind loaded area by dropping lower to the base.

You still climb thru some snow fields between pitches. And the exit after the money WI3 pitch after the pillar is a funnel loaded with snow. Just depends on what the wind, etc is doing. After the reactive wind slab we saw when we were down there plus the new snow, it is out of my comfort zone (plus the fact i have to drive that far). However, I did see on the ol' instagram someone posted some pictures from the lowe direct claiming they climbed it.

Ya some of my friends climbed the Lowe route a week or so ago. We got scared by the windslab and instead headed up some M4-ish chimney (FA?). It'll probably be out of comish after tuesday's storm...

Twin wasn't really in when I checked it last Thursday, probably soon though. Someone did that sketchy thin WI6 line right of Cleos already! Anyone checked out flanders or anything in east fork?

Those Instagram photos were probably mine. I attempted the direct last thursday Nov. 5th. we didn't finish because the post holing took too long on the approach, the lower pitches are sort of in but pretty scrappy we ended up having to bypass them with some crappy mixed stuff. On Sunday nov 8 we went back up to climb the upper pitches but the windslabs on the traverse scared us off so instead we went up the wind scoured ridge to the plateau on top of the sphinx. we descended into the gully which was heavily wind loaded. We belayed off of some large boulders for that part. then we rapped down on V-threads and climbed the upper pitches of the Lowe.

Probably also worth mentioning that while we were on the route a local guide was actually putting in a boot pack on the scary traverse we decided not to do. He said he thought the snow was actually pretty okay. He did not finish putting the boot pack traverse in though because of the deep snow and heinous post-holing.

Not that I doubted my decision back a couple weeks ago, but I agree. I have two friends who have lost friends on that face...early season ice is good, but not worth that.