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Dexter Creek Slab

WI3-4, Trad, Ice, 350 ft (106 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 2.7 from 67 votes
FA: no idea?
Colorado > CO Ice & Mixed > Ouray (Ice/Mixed) > Dexter Creek Slabs

Description

The first pitch: 20 feet of WI3 followed by about 150 feet of easy scrambling on snow/ice.

The second/third pitches (depending upon how you do it): WI3-4.

The final pitch: WI4, an awesome pitch!

Protection

4-5 screws useful, especially on the last pitch. two to three pitches, screw belays on safe ledges except for last pitch, for which a tree anchor can be utilized. descent route - walkoff to the climbers left.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

Snow and ice on Dexter Creek Slabs, President's Day, 2011.
[Hide Photo] Snow and ice on Dexter Creek Slabs, President's Day, 2011.
On the way down, pitch 1 in background, Paul Padyk & Gordo Bro.
[Hide Photo] On the way down, pitch 1 in background, Paul Padyk & Gordo Bro.
Leading the first pitch.
[Hide Photo] Leading the first pitch.
Mustafa follows the steep part of the first pitch on Dexter Creek Slabs.
[Hide Photo] Mustafa follows the steep part of the first pitch on Dexter Creek Slabs.
A head on view of the climb...from a hike with da kids.
[Hide Photo] A head on view of the climb...from a hike with da kids.
The big picture...from da road.
[Hide Photo] The big picture...from da road.
2nd pitch...no whumps.
[Hide Photo] 2nd pitch...no whumps.
Jessica Carideo and David See on the Dexter Slab approach.
[Hide Photo] Jessica Carideo and David See on the Dexter Slab approach.
Condition on 1/10/15.
[Hide Photo] Condition on 1/10/15.
View from the top.
[Hide Photo] View from the top.
Start at the bottom, go to the top.
[Hide Photo] Start at the bottom, go to the top.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Leo Paik
Westminster, Colorado
[Hide Comment] 2/5/02 Dexter Creek Slab - decent. 2 minor steps of ice on the approach. 60m gets you to the base of the 2nd pitch. 55m get you to a decent tree to belay at the top. Sun hit about 1p. Brittle ice in spots makes climbing below other parties hazardous!

2nd pitch is steeper than 3rd pitch. 60m ropes very useful. 1st pitch includes 2 20ft bits of WI2 ice (can be bypassed R). Rappel 60m x 2 to right keeps you out of line of fire. Beware of following other parties. It funnels down to a fairly narrow exit. Sun hit about 1p. Don't drive up the last road branching before the private gate, you'll get stuck. Feb 8, 2002
TuFF GonG
gunnison Colorado
 
[Hide Comment] Despite not having a large bowl above it Dexter can still have unstable snow conditions. On 1/15/07 I watched many small (but large enough) avalanches come loose. Jan 16, 2007
Cory Harelson
Boise, ID
  WI3-4
[Hide Comment] Fun climb! We did it in two 60m rope stretchers. I think the initial low angle ice that was mentioned was covered in snow when we did this.

P1: Started at the first WI 3/4 section, and climbed about 90 or 100 feet of fat water ice to a steep snow slog. Belayed at the end of the rope at the base of the next steep ice section.

P2: Climbed 50 feet of lower angle (WI2/3) ice to a 20ft near vertical (WI4) section. After this, the angle relaxed significantly with WI2 and then snow slogging up to trees where I once again belayed at the end of the rope.

With regards to the descent, we started down the walkoff to climber's left, but it quickly put us on a steep exposed slope covered in very sketchy snow, so we ended up doing 2 60m raps off of trees from the top of the scary slope down a loose rock gully to climber's right which put us near the bottom of the climb. Mar 11, 2011
8egg.nu
[Hide Comment] Rap the route. The walk off is sketchy. DO NOT USE TREE ANCHORS AT THE TOP! The stances are awful and on loose rocky dirt and you will kick rocks onto parties below you. Thanks! Dec 31, 2012
ixf729 Rietz
Boulder, CO
[Hide Comment] Large rockfall on climber's right side of the slabs. We climbed to the left and were clear of debris. Jan 14, 2015