Jason Todd wrote: “proceed up 12 pitches of 5th class climbing to a large ledge. Bivy. Follow ridge to headwall and climb final aid pitch to summit. Descend opposite ridge.”
I am guilty of this sort of thing. In the late 80's I was involved in some route development in the Bitteroots. We simply could care less about publishing... We told our friends, they told their friends and our routes eventually were climbed. My friends and I also used this practice for as long as possible in the magnificent Southfork Valley in NW Wyoming. A Rock and Ice editor finally caught wind of our playground and talked me into writing an article and a guide. It was inevitable.
I am a proud member of The Dirty Sox Club and now reside in Montana again. I am in full support of this tradition. Drop me a line and come share a beer on my back deck.
As a Montana climber, I find it both rewarding and frustrating that many climbs or areas have little to no information available. On almost every outing, (rock, ice, alpine) I come across a route I didn't know existed, and I can find no information on...even after asking longtime, local climbers. The bottom line is either get out and climb, or sit around looking at books and websites for beta. I've been shut down on routes that look easy from the ground and crushed routes that looked like something I would have to project. That process has helped me become a better climber. As far as crowds in Montana...Hyalite Canyon has some of the best ice climbing around, and you can still get on a route without waiting if you're willing to hike a little...even during ice fest. Montana climbing will never be crowded in our lifetimes. I encourage everyone to climb beyond the guidebook...wherever you climb.
ryanb
·
Sep 2, 2016
·
Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2008
· Points: 85
Ryan Marsters wrote:Somewhat timely thread as I'm giving serious consideration to a job offer in Bozeman. As a lover of obscure year round alpine climbing and scrambling with a weekend warrior schedule, will I find that lacking within a few hours of Bozeman? I know the crags are well documented but I don't know much else. I do know Colorado and Utah have amazing diversity and year round options, if crowded.
If you enjoy endless exploratory peak bagging in running shoes or on ski touring gear with occasional technical opportunities thrown in you'll be in heaven year round.
If you're more of a tick list with nothing under 5.11 on it person you'll be frustrated by the weather and time spent wandering around the wilderness.
As someone working a more-than-full-time job, parenting a young kid the "infos out there but only for friends thing" thing is really frustrating. I mean i'd love to befriend every person who's ever done an FA in the bitterroot but I barely have free time to climb let alone socialize and It would be nice if I could occasionally find cool climbs without scouting trips etc.
(Though if any bitterroot locals want to discuss beta over a session at Lost Horse or on my tiny garage wall hit me up...I'm near Hamilton)
My favorite anecdotal montana route description:
"In the Mid 1980's Alex and Jennifer Lowe pioneered what was said to be an excellent route with a memorable crux crack pitch through the good rock of the headwall between the Antonilli and north face direct routes. Alex pointed the route out to Gray Thompson one bitterly cold day as the pair did what was probably the first winter ascent of the Antonilli route. Little else is known. The Lowe route IV. 5.11"
Old school here. Been climbing in Montana late 70'. Did an early climb on the north face of North Trapper around 1980. My partner put in one bolt (for 1200 feet of climbing). Put up some of the routes at Mill Creek (8 of then trad) and have worked with the climbing group with the current bolt issues.
I can talked about the "little" info part. Worked on the last 2 editions of the Butte guide. I gave my opinion to Dwight that the guide just need to get the new (or visiting) climbers out to the climbs. After that we thought they could just plug into talking to the locals (easy to do - at the end it was just the 2 of us putting up the routes). This came from my distrust of land managers (I'm Forest Service retired). What the LM don't know they can't managers. I believe this will serve us well dealing with the issues in Mill Creek and the rest of the Bitterroots.
The guidebook is just a tool. In the Humbugs we just put in the Wedge. There are about 50 spires in the order of 50 feet plus. Didn't see much current use of the others spires (like the use that happened in the 60's and 70's). So for a leaning tool I added one spire (Friends Rock) to the guide for an example of what else was out there.
Kurt has a point considering the current land management practices in the Bitterroot but that point of view seems to preclude development of any area that could gain significant user traffic (e.g. tick farm / mill creek crag) because eventually the land managers will find out. This is pretty specific to heavy traffic crags though.
I kinda think that land managers won't manage what they don't care about. I would assume that includes pretty much any multipitch or trad lines in canyons other than Blodgett or Mill Creek. Routes that have history and should be repeated but will soon be lost to obscurity. The Bitterroot undeniably has a large role in the history of Montana climbing. If only that history was available.
If there were more info on climbing in the other drainages (ranges, towns, areas etc.) it seems to me that would serve only to spread out the few climbers out here anyway, further minimizing impact and increasing the adventure experience for everyone.