V Notch Couloir III+ AI 4 5.5-5.8

Crispy with the rock and I made a trek up to the v-notch couloir in the palisades to get a day on alpine ice before the storm hit. Finding limited beta on the conditions, we just went for it.

Itinerary:
Friday night: Hike into Sam Mack Meadows
Saturday: Finish approach to V-notch, ascend and descend back to Sam Mack. To make it spicy, we decided to catch a sunset and descend 75% of it by headlamp
Sunday: Sleep in, bask in glorious sun, hike out and express to IPA395 and Double Nut Brown

Conditions:
 2/3's of V-notch was stellar blue ice, remaining 1/3 was hard neve and the entire route accepted tools and screw placements without issue.
 Finished Route in 5.5 pitches, all fully extending the 60m rope
 To avoid ice anchors and to place belayer out of the way of falling ice from the lead climber, rock anchors were possible on nearly all pitches
 Palisade Glacier had a few open crevasses, but nothing you couldn't see and step over.
 The Bergschrund at the base of the notch was quite deep, but instead of using the snow steps on the looker's left of the 'schrund, we went right up the gut by stepping across a narrow gap for a cruxy overhanging/vertical section = cash $$$
 Descent off of Sill required down climbing the hard neve L-shaped snowfield (BARF!)

Recommendations:
 Bring two ropes and rap off the U-notch, which I understand has rap stations
 When approaching the top of the v-notch: STAY RIGHT - much better conditions over there than the left side leading to the palisade crest.
 The most recent storm 13 Oct may return the route to winter conditions with many feet of snow expected up high.

Personal Notes:
 Throwing your tools into ice makes you feel alive
 The Palisades are breathtaking...in more ways than one
 Getting back to the parking lot at Glacier Lodge: "Ocean in view! Oh the joy!"
 "I'm a damn fortunate man"
 Aaron Burr shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a Dual

Pics:
Ze Glacier:

Approach:

Route:

Playa:

Schrund:

Pitch 1:

Pitch 2:

Pitch 3:

Anchor: bomber

Pitch 4:

Pitch 5:

Oh yeah:

Sunset: