2017-18 Utah Ice Conditions Thread

Allen Sanderson wrote:

So in other words you read the route description but failed to comprehend said description. Cause if you did you would have found that in the ascent description there are approximate lengths to each pitch. To whit: After approximately 160 feet there is a bolted belay on the left side.

Perhaps you just skipped to directly to the descent description. Which in that case, no you did not read the route description before posting the obvious question that is super obvious.

Now a person with basic math skills would know that if a pitch is 120 feet in length to go up that to descend it with a single rope that doubled it would need to be 240 feet long. Ah but yer used to climbing in Europe where everything is in meters so undoubtably you are Imperial impaired. For your edification 1 meter is 3.3 feet. So 240 feet is 72.7272727272727272727272727272727273 meters.  Now last time I checked 72.7272727272727272727272727272727273 is greater than 60. As such, the recommendation would be you need two ropes.  Now be forewarned reaching the lower belay above the bulge can be tricky and is not recommended for the newbie ice climber.

How about instead of being a condescending ass-hat you just let the matter alone? 

The route description did provide pitch lengths, but as I said before it mentions nothing about the rappel route. Rapping from the ledge atop the second pitch doesn't follow the route so the pitch length is useless here, but thanks for the math lesson, I am sure it made you feel very smart.

As for your assumption of my being a novice, I was asking a simple question about the current state of an ice climbing route in Utah. Bolts, anchors, and rappel routes often change on trade routes such as the GWI, and I posted a question to the relevant thread, not much different from the people asking about protecting the third pitch.  

Not that it is important, but I have soloed the GWI dozens of times, climbed M14, and spent the last 4 years competing in the Ice Climbing World Cup. But go ahead and use your big words and fancy math, somebody might be impressed.

I dunno Ian, I thought it was pretty funny.  Stop taking things so seriously.  A little jab here and there is healthy.  Merry Christmas. 

Ian you do not get it. You admit to asking the obvious question that is super obvious. However, you initially gave no indiction that you had done the obvious that is super obvious, read the route description, I.e. done some homework. Which is completely adequate for the vast majority of climbers. When it suggested that you do read the route description you get yer knickers in bunches cause all you want is the answer to yer obvious question that is super obvious. So yes yer gonna get a condescending ass-hat reply with simple words using basic math skills

BTW this you?

https://youtu.be/gfIEqYTSSv0

I think unless you built and leave a couple of v-thread type anchors...no, a 60m rope won't work, especially on the last two pitches (which both can be rope stretchers for a single 60m rope on lead).  And, if you top out the route...no one should be rappelling.  Easy walk off to the west and down the gully.

Note, if you top out the second pitch, there's a rappel anchor in the little notch gully to the north accessed by a short down climb.  Kinda hard to see/find if you aren't shown where it is, but, for a single 60m rope, puts you below the rap from the balcony ledge point.  Also avoids rappelling down onto climbing parties.

Is or wasn't there a fixed anchor besides the chained rings on the boulder in the creek flow, for anchoring the first pitch?  On the slab at the top of the ice to the climber's left?  I cleared some snow away on Thursday afternoon (and noted at 4:35pm that there wasn't a single party on the ice) and didn't find an anchor but thought there was one somewhere?

Allen Sanderson wrote:

BTW this you?

Dude, come on, he's climbed M14 for cryin' out loud.  Please, use some simple words.

Here:  Single 60m rope for rappel? 

 "No."

I've always thought that this should be at the bottom of the route.

Here is the laugh olympics guide on how to C*%#&^F@%K the GWI by rappelling with a single 60 using existing anchors.

1. From the top choose small tree of your liking, rap to old station, climbers right, below final curtain. (piss climbers off)
2. Rap down and left to 2 bolt anchor climbers left of main flow. (piss climbers off)
3. Rap down and right to old anchor under overhang climbers right of main flow. (piss climbers off)
4. Rap straight down to tree with slings. (piss climbers off)
5. Rap down/traverse to the left to anchors at the 'balcony" (piss climbers off)
6. Walk down due north then a little west to 2 bolt anchor at top of small chimney. (get a pass, no climbers impacted)
7. Rap to base of "ramp" (get a pass, no climbers impacted)
8. Walk to top of pitch 1. (get a pass, no climbers impacted)
9. Rap or down climb to bottom. (possibly piss climbers off)

Sounds like fun huh? Just because we can doesn't mean we should!

Also I'd like to add that asking a question about how to accomplish a task that violates the local ethic and then being upset by the response of the local community gave me a chuckle.
Instead of listening to the locals and some of the areas most prominent members we were treated to the age old show stopper, "how hard I climb". 

Play nice kids!

zoso wrote:

I dunno Ian, I thought it was pretty funny.  Stop taking things so seriously.  A little jab here and there is healthy.  Merry Christmas. 

I took your advice to heart and decided to climb the first pitch with minimal equipment to keep things light. 

Brian, Allen, and Cdec, you all make great points and I am all for a one way sign. By the way,  we only saw one other party this morning and we didn't rap off. I think cdec's rap description should be added to the route description, letting people know that it IS possible, but that you will piss everybody off.

And yes, that was me in Rabenstein... obviously I wasn't climbing m14 then... Maaaaaybe m8/9. I just barely sent m14 after A LOT of projecting.  I was just saying that you shouldn't assume someone is a newb just because they ask a stupid f*<#ing question. 

Anyway,  Merry Christmas boys!  Enjoy the ice! 

Yep, no bunches in them knickers! 

Happy Holidays all!

Well...that'll teach us!

Awesome...good show!

Derek DeBruin wrote:

Climbed Willard Falls this morning. First pitch is still in pretty thick and the upper portions are generally good. The second pitch is thin, candy shell with running water, and about 12 feet of bare rock (it's low flow though, so you're not mixed climbing in a shower). Third pitch is thin and thickens back up as you get higher. If I were leading it I'd bring short screws and a rock rack.

Temperature was mid-40s F when I got out of the car. Depending on how much snow Ogden gets out of this storm, that could leave the bare section of P2 as snow-covered rock for quite a while if there's enough snow to insulate it well. If there's not too much snow then the cold temps this weekend should help things along.

Any thoughts on what its looking like now? (12/28/17)

Klimbien wrote:

Any thoughts on what its looking like now? (12/28/17)

Hard sayin'. Probably under a decent bit of snow, though I'd bet avalanche hazard isn't too high (though certainly still pay attention!). Probably still climbable, but that bare spot is still likely there. 

Has anyone been to Provo or Santaquin recently? Also, I know its probably a long shot but, anyone try Frozen Assets in the last day or two?

Thanks, John

Derek DeBruin wrote:

Hard sayin'. Probably under a decent bit of snow, though I'd bet avalanche hazard isn't too high (though certainly still pay attention!). Probably still climbable, but that bare spot is still likely there. 

Went up this morning for a quick lap. Was definitely getting thin but still climbable. The bare bit after pitch two had grown quite a bit. The snow on the decent was fine. 

Left my rack of slings and two ice screws at the bottom of stairway to heaven! Yes, I am an idiot.  PLEASE CALL IF YOU FOUND THEM. 385-251-4993

Is anyone free this Wednesday and Thursday (Jan 3-4)? Looking for partners that are free to climb on weekdays. 

Thanks, John 

And idea how Santaquin is looking?

solitudeclimber wrote:

And idea how Santaquin is looking?

I was on Squashhead a couple days ago. It was fat and not wet. Got pretty warm during the hike back to the car. 

^^ Same for Backoff.  The other gully climbs are in, Candlestick had ice falling off of it a few days ago with the warm weather, ACT has some time to touch down and Angel of Fear almost certainly won't this year.  

I would like to go ice climbing tomorrow somewhere in the Wasatch, based out of SLC. I am bringing out a first-time ice climber. I am new to the area and I would like to climb some easily accessible ice, up to WI4. Is there anything "in" that fits that description?

Provo canyon has tons that fit your need.