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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Best ice climbing in CA is when you load your pack with weight and do dead hangs and lock offs on your tools in the gym. :( Unless some crazy stuff forms once in a blue moon! :)
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Flanders!
Trad climber
June Lake, CA
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WBraun "Ice climbing would be dangerous with deep heavy snow approaches and avalanche danger from above .... "
Do you think you are going to live forever ?
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Flanders, on my first day of ice climbing, I saw you in Lee Vining canyon guiding someone over the new years weekend (winter of 2010-11), I think. It was a miserable cold day to ice climb. We bivied in a tent out in lee vining that night and it was like -20 at night. The following day was even worse weather wise. As I remember my friend and I totally forgot it was the New Year's eve when we went to Mammoth for food, till we saw all the happy people partying. We ate and went back to the tent. Later, I learned about the hotels. :) Sometime following that you had the health issue and the recovery process. Seeing you move over ice at LV and later reading the article about the ascent of WTs you guys did was inspiring. Not sure if I will see you in person, but thanks for all that. :) We certainly will not live forever and Werner has lived with that understanding through most of his youth, from what I have seen. Wish you both health and balance in the new year. Ok, done with the hippie talk for the day...
I heard of a few people who will try the tears on Sunday. One is climbing the SS Saturday supposedly. Hopefully with a wetsuit.. Told them IMO it is risky, not a good idea and to be mega careful if they do get on it, with a super duper early start. For those in the valley, you may have something interesting to witness. To me, looks like a weekend to ski. :)
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Well done Vitaly! Bold, very.
'nuff said.
suggesting that they make a trip to Yo. Does anyone know when it will warm up and melt?
To answer all the questions on this thread about when will the ice be good?
It changes.
Daily
Hourly
If the clouds come over the ice gets warmer and softer......unless it was in the sun and then it gets harder.
That's one of the most interesting things about ice climbing. Your follower might have completely different ice. I mean besides having your holes to tool on.
You drag yourself out of the tent in the morning and it's 2 deg C and you figure fuggedaboud ice today.
Then a cold front comes in about noon and you are really sorry you went skiing.
The ice I've found in the Sierras is highly variable. Much more so than in the Presidential Range although it can change quickly even there.
The weirdest change I've found was on a nice day trudging through deep fresh Sierra Cement to Horsetail Falls (June Lake), I swept the snow off and found very soft ice spurting water with every pick placement. After leading about 15 feet we backed off, had a council of war and went tele skiing. Ya gotta have a backup plan.
Hi "Flanders"
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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One of the best parts about being a terrible ice climber is I am not limited by my strength, only my terribleness, so no need to train yet!
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Stewart Johnson
Mountain climber
lake forest
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D2R2- i put the boards aboot 16 inches apart,seems to be about right
Vitals- i dont climb inside so i need this Canadian Plice at my place,
but not with a pack and no cowbells at the top.
Google: Will Gadd, Plice.
Seems kinda warm down in Yosemite? Its always warming up there..
hi Brian
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ElGreco
Mountain climber
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So long is a typical window for the Tears then? With the exception of Jan2013 when the window was a week or so (and even then, it seems to have separated but then reformed within a week), it seems that it's good for a couple of days.
How long does it take for it to form?
Yeah, ice changes by the hour and you have to use good judgment, but I am trying to see how long it takes for this particular baby to set up and what kind of conditions would merit packing the bags and being ready to drive to the Valley. This recent 2015 cold spell only seems to have been 2-3 days long. In 2013 it was way longer, if I recall. Should we get excited by a couple of days, or does it need a week or more?
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 10, 2016 - 04:19pm PT
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 10, 2016 - 04:22pm PT
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 10, 2016 - 04:32pm PT
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two of them, late start. there about half way up.
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 10, 2016 - 05:54pm PT
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Thats exactly what i was thinking!
they had to break trail to get up there to the start, and they will have to break thick trail off the top for a couple/few hours
big day
way to go after it guys!
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 10, 2016 - 07:40pm PT
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George, with the photos posted here frequently, you can see how well formed the route is. Than you check the temperatures in the valley and decide if you want to climb a giant waterfall in those temps. At the moment, I'd be cautious. Very early start maybe? But still, higher chance of ice fall. Every person gets to choose their acceptable level of risk...
Breaking trail to the base is no big deal..but finding a way off that thing in the dark will be a real adventure. I wonder if they work tomorrow...go Aivaras and Travis!
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2016 - 08:04pm PT
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The temps are above freezing right now.
It's warm outside ...
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mike m
Trad climber
black hills
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Jan 10, 2016 - 08:17pm PT
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That sh#t looks so awesome.
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Dan McDevitt
Trad climber
yosemite
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Jan 10, 2016 - 11:07pm PT
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Thanks Burch
yes Werner it is to warm to be ice climbing here! (don't go up there!)
i was surprised to see the routes intact, then to see guys up there!
it is one of the biggest adventures on the planet!
good luck to you guys! and may your headlamps be bright!
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 11, 2016 - 01:25pm PT
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I just saw this as I've been real busy all morning.
I'll go down and look right now.
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GDavis
Social climber
SOL CAL
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Jan 11, 2016 - 01:47pm PT
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Great shots, thanks for sharing.
Crazy to think that we get liveblogging ascents of Widows Tears. My my my technology has come a long way.
I'm hoping (assuming?) those bad asses are on their way off for a brew.
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 11, 2016 - 02:05pm PT
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YES. ALL GOOD.
they got lost in the dark hiking down..
Conditions update "Really bad ice except the last two pitches."
I guess nothing really changed since a week ago! :)
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 11, 2016 - 04:05pm PT
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I went, I saw and returned to find everything resolved ......
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Vitaliy M.
Mountain climber
San Francisco
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Jan 11, 2016 - 05:39pm PT
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Thank you so much for the attention! Was happy to hear from them. Kind of late though...2pm.
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