After a long winter of skiing I've finally had enough. I put the misery sticks away and sharpened the ice tools. Raphael Slawinski and I made plans to go check out an alpine ice line that had caught his eye. He had scoped the line while climbing the classic mixed route Rocket Man. It is located just to the right of the iconic route Riptide in the spectacular cirque below Mt. Patterson .
At first glance it looks like it is threatened by seracs but up close they seem fairly benign. We climbed the route in 6 pitches. To access the ice we climbed 3 very alpine like pitches with thin ice and scrappy mixed climbing. Once we were established on the ice, three sustained pitches brought us to the top of the seracs.
An amazing day out and a classic alpine ice route!
Photo: Raphael Slawinski
Climbing the Riptide approach gully with the climb to the right
Photo: Raphael Slawinski
Traversing out on the second pitch
Raph couldn't resist the temptation of the chose. Like a bee to honey.
Photo: Raphael Slawinski
Starting the fourth pitch with some thin ice to spice things up
Raph taking the lead on the final 2 ice pitches. They call him the professor but he bossed up these ice pitches.
Photo: Raphael Slawinski
Raph getting creative with the lens. The rope cut through a snow mushroom and I'm trying to squeeze through it.
Photo: Raphael Slawinski
Enjoying a moment in the sun after topping out on the seracs.