Gear!
Sunrise.
Predawn Mt Baldy Bowl. Visible are rockfalls, avalanches, and lots of snow.
The sun has still not crossed the ridge.
Working our way up to the self-arrest workshop.
Rock slide - up close and personal.
Avalanche - luckily just a surface instability, rather than a slab affair.
"I want you to throw yourselves headfirst down this hill!" Also a peculiar camera setting...
The last couple of climbers emerging from the chute - so steep it cannot be seen from where I'm standing - on a section that's so steep I'm nearly slipping anyway!
Looking back from the ridge.
Greater LA area.
At the peak - it was rather windy. I should have brought my kite.
Brrr...
I can breathe - just! Sticker is still on glasses...
Summit water melon.
Looking east towards distant free ways while we set up rappel and prussik practise.
The most fun of the day - these two were anchored by 'dead men'. The one on the right was anchored by a bollard excavated with our trusty axes.
Looking across towards the Mt Baldy skiing area, the notch, and the ridge.
Walking back home - every step down felt better!
Walking down on a hard snow surface.
What's this - glissade practise! The tents are basically at the edge of the snow in the distance. Slide on your arse using your ice axe for steering and brakes - dodging the rocks - to the bottom. This was a rather steep chute.
Looking back the way we came - those specks halfway up are people! I came down fast enough that not only was I pushing half the mountain of increasingly slushy snow between my legs and flying everywhere, my ears popped and control was semi-illusory. At the bottom I jumped around to encourage the accumulated snow to leave!
All packed up.
The sleeping area of Baldy ski hut.
View of the car park from the lower parts of the hut access trail.
