Smear and Loathing

Attracting your eye, this line calls strongly to your icy heart. This steep 85-degree-plus ice is probably 45m of fairly sustained climbing with a thin, crux section about 3/4 of the way up. The route features ice dripping over a fairly smooth rock face. Little direct sunlight touches this ice after mid-November.

Find this line up a drainage on Mt Craig nearly directly above the Gray Jay group campsite. The amphitheatre in which it lies is hidden. Expect 45 minutes for the approach from the Gray Jay group campsite. The ice is not visible until you are in the amphitheatre (with 4 climbs) about 200 yards from the ice.

Dance upward on good, steep ice for the first half. Save something for the upper half as the ice gets funky, thin, and hollow. Moving right on the last stretch allows you to swing at the ice. After the steeps, the ice eases up for about 15 feet and then peters out onto a snow covered rock slab. About 190 feet up, there is a bush with a hearty 5-6 inch trunk with 2 long slings & 2 biners.

Rap with 2 60m ropes.

8-10 screws, include a number of 13 cms, screamers.

There is a bush about 190 feet up with a 5-6 in trunk with slings, 2 biners. You can back it up with 13-17 cm screws about 35 feet lower. Rock anchors were hard to find. A TR may be more sane for mortals.