Category: southcentral

Old Chub

Rating: WI4
Length:

From Crag Alaska–

This stout little pillar Image is located in the Skookum valley area. The drainage that the pillar sits in is very hard to see unless you’re really close to it. Basically you’re going to head up into the valley and look for some difficult looking pillars of ice on the right side of the valley. From this formation, Old Chub is the 4th formation of ice that you can’t see from the valley floor. It’s the next drainage right of the 3rd formation of ice that also sits in a very obvious drainage, that you’re able to see. Just start heading towards that drainage but cut right before getting to it, go up uphill for about 400 yards and keep your eyes open… We continued on to the summit ridge when the ice ran out, it’s a great view and a good day out.

Descent: Rap the route.

FA: Eddie Phay & John Schlder, 2010.

Trail Lake

Rating: WI4
Length: 30 meters (Pitch 1)
Pitches: 2-3

Up high in this drainage lies a couple of ice steps. The first step (not a full pitch) is like an oversized Mad Dog up to WI4 in difficulty. Meander up the gully over some other steps and choke points to find more ice awaiting above. This route is best early season before snow fall that threatens to rip loose and bury the whole route. Timing is key.

FA: Unknown

Descent: V-thread.

Posted by: Admin.

King Arthur

Rating: M7 WI5
Length: 70 meters
Pitches: 2-3

This route is 20-30ft right of Sword in the Sword in the Stone Room. Climb through 2 shelves of steep ice blobs to a skinny pillar that ends on a horizontal mossy seam. Continue up and slightly right through 4 bolts and 2 pins to a dagger. Above the dagger is a 2 bolt anchor (slightly left) on the rock face below the next curtain. Belay here or continue up thin ice out right to gain the upper ice (steep for about 15m).

Ice anchor at the top of the steeps. Long wi3 pitch trending left takes you to the top. There’s a 2 bolt anchor at right of the base of the final wi3 bulge.

FA: Travis McAlpine, Benjamin Lieber, Elliot Gaddy; January 21, 2023.

Descent: Rap the route.

Posted by: Ben Lieber; March 18, 2023

Bengal Spice

Rating: WI5
Length: 110+ meters
Pitches: 3-4

This is the right most pure ice line on the Coffee Break Wall. For pitch one, pick your line on a wide curtain pouring into a slot canyon (WI3-4), continuing on moderate snow to below the pillar for a belay. From here it is probably best to climb a 30 meter pitch of WI3 to a safe belay spot at the base of the pillar to avoid rope drag, there can be a sheltered cave here. Now tackle the pillar for 20-25 meters of WI5. The first ascent was done after a period of rain that left the pillar in fairly unprotectable ice conditions. Continue on above the pillar on moderate ice to a comfortable belay. Rappel from here, or depending on conditions there could be a little more moderate ice above.

According to Nate, “Cody drinks Bengal spice tea, and the route was very spicy, hence the name.”

Descent: V Thread, From above the pillar two 70 meter rappels should get you down.

FA: Cody Klingman, Nate Bannish, & Joe Nyholm; February 4, 2023

Posted By: Joe Nyholm, February 25, 2023.

Espresso Direct

Rating: WI4+
Length: 50 meters
Pitches: 1

On the left hand side of the Coffee Break Wall. Take the obvious sustained ice prow for about 40m and then continue on moderate ice/snow for another 10m to find a bulge of ice to belay from or traverse over to join the routes to the right for more ice.

Descent: Rap (v-thread) the route.

FA: Joe Nyholm, Nate Bannish, & Cody Klingman; February 4, 2023

Posted By: Joe Nyholm, February 25, 2023.

Papa Bear

Rating: WI4
Length: 150 meters

Pitch 1 – Climb a short vertical step of ice that leads to a left leaning ramp to set a belay at the next vertical section of ice.
Pitch 2 – Climb through a short vertical section of ice to a ramp to set a belay at the main headwall of the climb.
Pitch 3 – Climb a long section of ice (50-60 meters) through varying terrain to find mushrooms of ice that lead to the top of the canyon rim.

FA: Chris Roach, Bruce Harris, & Scott Mignery, 1991.

Descent: Rap birch trees at the top to the belay at Pitch 3. V-thread on 60 meters to the base of the climb.

Plan B (BYOG)

Rating: WI4+
Length: 80 meters
Pitches: 2

Climb a first short step into a shallow bowl to the base of the proper climbing or lead through to a belay before the exit. The route exists in a narrow theatre and protection against ice fall is a must. Varying terrain allows for challenging conditions from WI4 to WI5. After the main pillar, several smaller steps of ice exist above that help with gaining a good view of the local scenery.

On the first ascent, the group bailed on a first main objective deciding to tackle Plan B. The pilot had to scramble and fly to get a loaner harness at the Caribou Creek pullout. Fortunately for him, he was able to join the team on the ascent.

Descent: Rap (v-thread) the route.

FA: Paul Guzenski, Chris Lindsey, & Mark Fleenor, February 9, 2023

War Horse

Rating: WI3
Length: 140 meters
Pitches: 3

To the left of emerald city lies two large routes. The right one is a route that rarely forms all the way down.

Descent: Rap the route. On the first ascent, the party rapped to the snow shelf on 70 meter ropes and a second rap was required to descend the first short step.

FA: Benny Lieber/Shawnee Whitehorse/Travis McAlpine, December 29, 2022

Posted by:Travis McAlpine, February 1, 2023.

Big Spoon

Rating: WI3/4
Length: 50 meters
Pitches: 1

Set far back in an alpine canyon lays a 20m wide curtain ice that has potential for multiple options up to WI5 but a WI3 weakness can be the easy option of desired. Higher up it stays in until late season and can be a worthy climb if in the Spoon creek area.

Descent: Rap the route.

FA: Mark Fleenor, Kelsey Shanklin, Brett Winterbottom; April 5, 2022.

Posted by: April 7, 2022.