A strictly going up question....

[scornflake]

Hey,
I'll be arriving in the bowl sometime soon for the first time, and was wondering if anyone has any knowledge about difficulty ratings (or advice) of the gullies...(Right, RoR, left, etc.)

are these simply walkups, or more technical requiring ropes and protection?

any advice would be greatly appreciated.
scornflake@yahoo.com

[RR]

Originally Posted by scornflake

are these (gullies) simply walkups, or more technical requiring ropes and protection?scornflake@yahoo.com

Walkups with attitude. Ropes etc not required for the regular gullies and even though I am "completely nuts", there is no way I'm skiing down something that requires climbing protection for me to hike up it!

There is some excellent WI2-3 showing on LOL (Left Of Left). It's a full pitch and then some as of my trip a few weeks back. Usually it's mostly covered by snow. Not to worry it's not on a skiing descent this year...not yet anyway. Best looking Blue Ice I've seen in the Ravine since '68....that's a bad thing....snow levels are a bit depressing this year...NOT TO WORRY, the real Left Gully is in good shape.

[scornflake]

Thanks much, I'm really stoked to get up and do some climbing...I wsa debating wether or not it would be worth my while to pack in my vertical WI gear, in addition to the mountaineering stuff, and had very much planned on not humping the additional 20lb...but now you've got me thinking...
on another note, now that you've got me thinking about it, as I'm not packing skis up, is the lions head route the best descent route back to hermit lake (I think we;ll be spending a nite or two there)?

Thanks again..

Originally Posted by RR

Walkups with attitude. Ropes etc not required for the regular gullies and even though I am "completely nuts", there is no way I'm skiing down something that requires climbing protection for me to hike up it!

There is some excellent WI2-3 showing on LOL (Left Of Left). It's a full pitch and then some as of my trip a few weeks back. Usually it's mostly covered by snow. Not to worry it's not on a skiing descent this year...not yet anyway. Best looking Blue Ice I've seen in the Ravine since '68....that's a bad thing....snow levels are a bit depressing this year...NOT TO WORRY, the real Left Gully is in good shape.

[RR]

Originally Posted by scornflake

...as I'm not packing skis up, is the lions head route the best descent route back to hermit lake (I think we;ll be spending a nite or two there)?..

Unless you like longish walks, the ice in LOL is a totally Tuckerman deal. Two ways to deal. (** climbing beta below)

One, top out on LOL and scramble 30M over to Left Gully and plunge step or glissade down that and hike back out on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.

Two, top out, thread an new abolakov and rap down. If you are solo on one rope you'll need to make another anchor and rap again. Then out on the TRT.

**Assuming you've got AT bindings or tele bindings on a pair of skis, why on earth would you leave the skis and do all that hoofin? Even if you are climbing in leathers, the Sherburne Ski Trail would be no problem for AT skis. If you can climb in tele boots, so much the better (quite a few technical pons come with multiple front bail positions, making tele boots no problem on WI 1-4).

***(continued) I think your rack will be light for LOL. 8 screws (two for the bottom anchors if solo, one if not; two for the top anchors; and 4 inter route because it's not steep), 4 draws, two cordelettes or four slings, 4 free biners and two lockers will cover the ice pro. Self belay device if solo or belay device if not, belay locker, some slingage for a couple of abbos, an abbo-threading tool, a light rope (9.3mm - 10mm), tools and pons will finish the load. Carry the skis (not new, right!) to HoJo's, hike to the Ravine and have a go at LOL. Back to HoJo's, snap in and ski down to Pinkham.

btw, saw a guy soloing LOL earlier...not my cup of tea, but it was a quick run up.

[scornflake]

The deal is, I'm coming up with a guy who's never ice climbed before...I'm trying to ease him into it, and I figured the best intro to axe handling and crampon usage would be a nice, easy, nonroped climb up (and glissade or lions head trail back down) to hermit lake... from my reading, I got the impression Right gully, or ROR would be doable without ropes and screws without being foolhardy? if this sounds liek a bad idea, Id appreciate it if someone in the know would let me know...or if it's ok, but I should still think about bringing screws and a rope, I'd like to hear about that too...
in short, I've got all the grar, but if I can avoid carrying it, that'd be great.

thanks to all.

Originally Posted by RR

Unless you like longish walks, the ice in LOL is a totally Tuckerman deal. Two ways to deal. (** climbing beta below)
One, top out on LOL and scramble 30M over to Left Gully and plunge step or glissade down that and hike back out on the Tuckerman Ravine Trail.

Two, top out, thread an new abolakov and rap down. If you are solo on one rope you'll need to make another anchor and rap again. Then out on the TRT.

**Assuming you've got AT bindings or tele bindings on a pair of skis, why on earth would you leave the skis and do all that hoofin? Even if you are climbing in leathers, the Sherburne Ski Trail would be no problem for AT skis. If you can climb in tele boots, so much the better (quite a few technical pons come with multiple front bail positions, making tele boots no problem on WI 1-4).

***(continued) I think your rack will be light for LOL. 8 screws (two for the bottom anchors if solo, one if not; two for the top anchors; and 4 inter route because it's not steep), 4 draws, two cordelettes or four slings, 4 free biners and two lockers will cover the ice pro. Self belay device if solo or belay device if not, belay locker, some slingage for a couple of abbos, an abbo-threading tool, a light rope (9.3mm - 10mm), tools and pons will finish the load. Carry the skis (not new, right!) to HoJo's, hike to the Ravine and have a go at LOL. Back to HoJo's, snap in and ski down to Pinkham.

btw, saw a guy soloing LOL earlier...not my cup of tea, but it was a quick run up.

[M@]

Last year I went up over the lip, and there was a group of guys there teaching one of their group how to descend with an ice axe. Like 6 guys, and only 4 had skiis. The other 2 only had ice axes, and they were practicing the way to go down with an ice axe. Dunno what that's called, but it's probably a good place to do it. If you loose it, your falling into the bowl which is gonna be mostly just snow based on the time of year. No rocks or trees below the lip. If you go too late there might be a crevasse which is pretty nasty, but that day it was just a soft corn snow tumble to the base of the bowl. Not that you couldn't hurt yourself on that fall, but chances are lower than other spots.

M@

[RR]

M@ is right about the safety factor at the Lip. Check the avvy forcast!

LH Winter Trail is narrow and lined with trees and roots in a few places below treeline. Right Gully is a really popular winter ascent route for summiting...it's a bunch faster than LHWT.

There is a steep and tight little gully between the Chute and Left Gully that sees little skier traffic when the snowpack is as low as it is now. I have fooled around with a mtn axe and pons in there.

Trying a few moves on the ice at LOL, but staying low might be an option if your companion is up for it...it sure is nice and PHAT over there!

[scornflake]

Excellent..I'm totally excited now...I think it'll be a right gully climb and some self arrest practice below the lip, as long as the avlanche forecast permits....I'll be sure to send pics!
Thanks to all.