Will starting the slog up the avalanche gully after hiking up the forested path for 1 hour.
Will starting the slog up the avalanche gully after 1 hour of hiking up the forested path.
Me coming up the avy gully (photo courtesy Will)
If you really wanted to make the day longer, you could climb a few pitches of rock up the avalanche gully instead of following the path around them.
This is a shot of the start of the route that so many people have trouble finding - it's the trough in the middle of the photo. We reached it after about 1 hour of going up the avalanche gully or a total of 2 hours from the car. Next shot is a closer view.
Me at the base where we roped up. (photo courtesy Will)
Getting ready to rope up! (photo courtesy Will)
A close view of the start of the climbing route - straight up the squarish trough in the middle of the photo.
Starting up the trough on pitch 2.
Will at the top of pitch 2.
Looking down from the top of pitch 3 as Will prepares to come up. Quite a large crack for good foot jams - almost too good as I took about 3 minutes to free one of my foot jams.
Belaying Will up pitch 3 (photo courtesy Will)
Looking upwards to pitch 4.
Topping out on the ridge after six pitches in the trough, there is a section of scrambling which we short-roped.
After the short scrambling section comes the crux - looking pretty juicy I must say. We took the crack that is about the second one from the left and is just in the shade.
Flap faster, dude! Flap faster!
OK, just stand there and try to look cool.
On the summit!
Will downclimbing the crux of the descent route.
Will downclimbing the “hole” feature on the descent route.
Beautiful, or what!?
