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Heel-Toe, Ramp Start

WI4 M6, Mixed, Ice, 250 ft (76 m), 2 pitches,  Avg: 3.8 from 6 votes
FA: unknown
California > Eastern Sierra > Lee Vining Cany… > Lee Vining Ice… > Heel-Toe Wall

Location

This route follow the iced up, right-facing ramps/corners in the center of the wall, trending left for a mixed finish. Start at the small ice flow just down and left from the litter at The Chouinard Wall and finish just right of Cave Man on The Main Wall.

Description

P1: Climb the initial ice flow, then move left and up across broken ground to the iced up, right-facing ramps/corners. Follow these to the big snowy ledge 2/3 of the way up. Build an anchor here. There are several old rap stations.

P2: Move left and climb up to the small detached ice pillar under the prominent "diving board" rock feature. Climb up the pillar and onto a ledge. From here you have two options. The easier one is to move left across a ledge and dry tool up to and over a roof at the end of the ledge, passing a fixed pin. A short section of mixed climbing takes you to the top from here. For the more proud finish move right and climb up onto the next diving board. There is an alternate belay on the ledge above the ice pillar that some use for this finish.

Protection

Screws (including a few stubbies) and rock gear to a #2 C4.

Photos [Hide ALL Photos]

doug n. working his way to the top of the P2 belay on 'heel and toe' - the overhanging hand traverse and heel hook follows the rock above out to the right. the pillar in the upper right is the rarely formed 'april fools'
[Hide Photo] doug n. working his way to the top of the P2 belay on 'heel and toe' - the overhanging hand traverse and heel hook follows the rock above out to the right. the pillar in the upper right is the rar…
pretty cool watching that move yesterday, never thought of it as that dynamic - this is the original/FA finish
[Hide Photo] pretty cool watching that move yesterday, never thought of it as that dynamic - this is the original/FA finish
Climbing the pillar on the second pitch. Jediah Porter photo.
[Hide Photo] Climbing the pillar on the second pitch. Jediah Porter photo.
Heel Toe, Ramp Start.
[Hide Photo] Heel Toe, Ramp Start.

Comments [Hide ALL Comments]

Brian Treanor
 
[Hide Comment] I've always been confused by this description (here, and by others in person). My take has been that the actual "Heel Toe" finishes up to the right, by throwing a heel hook and then manteling onto the "diving board" feature. In my opinion, this is the defining move of the Heel Toe route; it's full value to do that move with boots, crampons, and tools, especially when you find the top of the top of the "diving board" covered in snow (either ice or dry rock being preferable).

The left finish is fun as well, but it's much easier and, just in my opinion, an alternative, variation to the proper route.

Of course, any number of folks may chime in at this point and tell me that the original line goes left or something similar; but, whatever the point, you should really do the right finish, which is harder, more dramatic, and just a better finish to one of the best mixed lines in LVC. Feb 10, 2013
old5ten
Sunny Slopes + Berkeley, CA
[Hide Comment] @brian - you're right, the original heel toe finish goes out the hand traverse/heel hook on the diving board (according to doug n., one of the FAs ;-) Mar 21, 2021