"March comes in like a lion, and goes out like a lamb" goes the adage - usually with some modicum of reality attached. This week has been on the very-chilly side, so to speak, with the nights staying generally well below zero. While cold nights aren't at all out of the ordinary for March, the cold days and extremely cold nights we've been experiencing simply aren't the norm. Some of my friends just across the boarder in Maine have beed seeing a series of -20 nights! Now that's crazy cold IMO. The days are thankfully getting longer and the sun is stronger, however with the jet-stream continuing to dip down our way we locals haven't noticed it all that much.
Can you get a pair of good quality leather gloves that you can climb ice in for less than the cost of 2 sixes of good beer? It's hard to imagine that this would be the case. Read on and see....
Cauliflower Gully -
WI 2 II
2 pitches of nice gully climbing, providing a reasonable finish to any of the main climbs Mt. Willard. It tops out right at the top of the cliff, very near the overlook. While usually a Grade 2, it sometimes provides a nice Grade 3 bulge.
You put up with the grind of work or school as long as you can or is required. But then, one day, the phone rings one too many times, or the line at the gas pumps seems unending. The air smells bad. The food foul. 'Enough of this' you cry. You grab your ice tools and are gone.
—Duane Raleigh
A rare shot of Jim Ewing not on the sharp end of a climb!
Repentance, Cathedral Ledge
Selected Ice Conditions effective March 6, 2014
While the ice is going through a bit of a change, what with the weather being so cold, it's still very good in most places. With the longer days and more intense sunlight we should start to see some refreshing going on, as soon as the temps moderate. Most climbs in the direct sun are starting to see a little water during the day, in spite of the cold. The stuff in the shade that's looking a bit beat up and that in the direct sun is a little pinky. That said, it looks as if this weekend things are going to moderate, so it should be a good one.
BTW I am aware that some of today's pix are of a decidedly poorer quality than we all are used to. This is because my main camera's battery pack died and I had to use my cell phone camera - sorry about that.
Huntington Ravine
many options
Repentance
still hanging in, beat up tho
Standard Route
Good
Dracula
good, steps & picks!
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
Latest Article: Making A V-Thread
V-thread ice anchors are an easy, secure and inexpensive rappel anchor for ice climbing. In this article I will describe how to make the anchor, how to use it, what kind of gear is needed, and how to make your own tool. Everything about v-threading is easy and they have become popular at ice crags all over the world.
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