Alpental Ice Climbing
with Alex M, Jan 14, 2005
We missed the exit, which was backed up for a good half a mile with skiers, and so we took the next exit and circled back. I was surprised at how many people were up there with small kids, but Alex opined that the snow was so crummy now that the good skiers didn't want to ski it.
We planned to start off on the area "Washington Ice" calls the practice gully, which is the major gully between Guye and Snoqualmie peak. Access is pretty easy, you just go on the Snow Lake trail until where it turns to the left, then take off to the right, across the stream, for about 1/4 mile, and you're there.
The snow was hellacious! The least consolidated snow I've ever slogged through -- not even powder, a sugar snow that seemed to drain from beneath our feet. I brought my snowshoes, and I was glad I did; there was no way we could have gotten to the ice without them.
The gully is about six moderately steep (WI3 and 4) steps, 15-30 feet high, with longish flat spots in between. The flat sections were pretty deep in snow. The top step was only about 15-20 feet high but the best ice of the day.
This was my first real try with ice climbing, aside from our adventure on Mt. Baker last summer. The ice was really variable: sometimes really hard, sometimes really rotten where it was exposed, but where it had a few inches of snow over it, it was almost slushy. So, getting onto the ice was the hardest part -- finding someplace that would take crampons.
I had my good old Stubai ice tool, and a small Grivel third tool that Alex lent me, the same as the one that Michael left behind on our Liberty Ridge climb. The Grivel tool wasn't much good; it was too small. Too short a shaft, too short a pick, and too light. Alex had two real Grivel wing ice tools, all curved and everything, and I used one of them on the top waterfall. It's a different feel, and it certainly takes some getting used to.
The odd bit is that there were a few spots where there was open water flowing, further up, not at all consistant with the cold of the day.
It was a bit challenging placing ice screws -- it was hard to find ice that wasn't rotten, adn then I'd screw one in until it bottomed out against the rock, and then back it off a bit. At one point, I managed to get a longer screw deep into really hard ice, and saw with some concern that it cracked the ice. Alex assured me that it'd hold okay, and further up, the Grivel tool popped out, and I fell, right down onto that screw. Which held, to my surprise. A good lesson.
As we got higher, the snow started, and by the time we were at the top, it was snowing pretty hard. It was too bad, since that top waterfall was by far the best, and very well protected, and it would have been fun to do a couple of laps on it. But it was too cold to just hang out and wait for my forearms to de-pump, so we descended.
On the descent, we were able to rappel off trees and branches what we couldn't downclimb.
Me, getting to the top of the first flow. (Alex's photo)
Me, climbing the second flow, makin' it look hard. (Alex's photo)
Alex wading through the snow to the actual ice climb.
Turns out we should have worn gaiters.
Alex getting ready to place a screw.
The final waterfall, the best ice of the day.
Alex rappelling down from the top waterfall. The first of a number of rapels in the increasingly heavy snow.
Equipment notes: I am happier with my Stubai tool now than I was. Clearly this sort of climbing needs two good tools.
Years ago, I bought some really old aluminum ice screws from the Army surplus store in Bend, Oregon for 99 cents each ("hundreds of uses," the sign said) and I've never tried to use them. So I brought a couple along today and gave one a try, just to see what it was like. It was impossible to place; I hammered it partway in and tried to screw it, but it would just drill a hole, not thread in at all. Maybe in glacier ice it might sort of work, but not water ice. Oh, well. I'm only out six bucks.
Technique notes: Like rock climbing, ice climbing is all about using your feet, and only using your hands (or tools) for balance and stability. And, like rock climbing, the typical beginner (which I was) uses his hands way too much, and gets pumped and nearly helpless too quickly. But, that's what practice is for.