Awausee

This climb ascends a nice wide flow that offers 3 options on both pitch 1 and pitch 2 to have lines ranging +3 to +4. As soon as you cross the bridge look up to the right along the escarpment and the upper pillars can easily be seen from the road.

Pitch 1 starts off with a long rampy section with several ice steps that eventually rise to more vertical on the right if you like a spicier line and bush top out. A middle option offers an airy but also tighter squeeze ice chimney (Very fun!). And for an easier more relax line to the left ramping ice steps continue to the top of p1 where you hang a hard right to the large tree to belay.

Pitch 2 is easily the money pitch with fat ice everywhere you look and right in the very middle of the wide flow often forms a hanging dagger that if touched touched down and well formed would provide an amazing but spicy -5 pillar. The general more often formed lines are just the opposite of pitch 1 where to the right is a continuous rampy section of ice steps that go at 3 to +3. The middle line offers a very fun and engaging ice dihedral with very fun stemming and a great rest before sending off in the vert. Lastly for those feeling burly and a bit of a challenge, a beautiful blue green ice wall of +4 to -5 sustained climbing.

Descent by tapping from the trees as the top down to the large tree the was belay from at the top of p1. Then rap off the tree at the top of p1.

This route comes in early and goes out early as it south facing and can get baked by the sun.

The approach is about 30 minutes from parking in low snow volume or 50-60minutes of wading in waist to chest deep snow. Bring snow shoes or you’ll regret it!

Park at the awausee hiking trail pull out along Hwy 17. Follow the trail back until you see the upper pillars of the climb. Turn up left and head toward the snow gullys to access the base of the climb before the hiking trail starts heading down.

Parking (47.3623678, -84.6483087)

Ice screws