Thin Ice

This is a short TR because Kenway is busy these days (sorry Louise).

Last Sunday I picked up Kenway at the bus station and we headed for Stony Clove. The parking lot was half full, but we did not meet anyone on our way to the west side of the clove, suggesting everyone was on the east side. Maybe the ice was thicker there.

Our original plan was for Kenway to lead Little Black Dike first followed by the two pitches of the Curtain for me to get my revenge on the second pitch. Once we reached the base of Little Black Dike however, we quickly realized we had to change plans as there was not a single icicle on that thing: rock, rock, and more rock.

We headed toward the curtain. It looked thin (in fact there was no free hanging curtain to speak off), but it looked potentially feasible; although definitely not easy. Kenway lead it in style. After the first two early screws, he went super long before sinking in the third; I was definitely nervous as a fall would have guaranteed that he hit the ground. He took a short rest and proceeded to a split stance right before the traverse left. He put it two screws (one to the right and one to the left, and slung the right one long. The traverse was much harder than it usually is, because the lack of ice meant you needed to take your feet much higher and basically throw your left foot on the ledge; but Kenway made it look easy. He stood on the ledge for a little while, resting, he also put in two screws. He later told me he was nervous because the ice on the ledge was so thin, he thought the entire sheet would slide off the rock. He then topped out with no problem, putting a screw along the way. I seconded in what might have been the ugliest climb of my short career, but I made it up nonetheless.

Lean conditions on the Curtain



Plenty of ice across the road


From there I went to the base of the second pitch to see it was not possible. The first 30 feet had ice about 1/2 an inch thick, completely delaminated; you could see the water seeping between the ice and the rock. So I came back down and we rapped.

We headed for what I think is the Gurgler. My first few screws were placed at reasonable distances, but I quickly started sewing it up. About midway I had ice fracture as I put a screw in which made me nervous about the ice quality. The top out was sketchy, with very little ice and a strange position where you axes are in shallow angled part, but your feet are on a vertical part and you can't see them. This was followed by climbing in frozen mud, and installing anchors on a tree. Kenway followed and then we both did it on TR once more using a more vertical line.



Sketchy topout ahead...


We headed down to the road using a better line than usual, packed the car, grabbed the cat at home and headed back down to NYC.

I definitely think Monkey Medal for ice lead of the year should go to Kenway for his thin curtain lead: never sat on the gear, found good stances, managed to relax when it got sketchy, and did nice axe and crampon work to top out this harder than usual version of the climb.

I on the other hand have some work to do...

Three, two, one...

Three and two are straightforward: last Sunday, the trio of us (Brian, Guillaume, and I) headed back to the Catskills for our second foray onto the ice in as many weeks. As for one, Guillaume took his first big whipper on lead ice; haven't seen that big a fall in quite a while, and certainly not on anything as sketchy as a screw - it was quite impressive, more on it below.

With a four day cold snap this week and warmer temps forecast for the weekend, we decided to get an early start on the ice this weekend, hoping to beat the crowds and jump on relatively unhacked ice. Left the city Friday night and convened for some preparatory shenanigans in G's cabin in the Catskills: examining G's pipe collection, squeezing on a swami belt, and trying to stay warm. We bunked down later than intended, but still set the alarm for the relatively leisurely wakeup time of 6 am.

The Man in Black


Rolled in to the end of the road above Devil's Kitchen around 8, and dropped down into the gully to find it completely empty. First up was a relatively short, stepped vertical line right near the top of the gully - Stairway to Heaven (WI3-3+). Colder temps than forecast, the ice was brittle and hard and coated with a shiny sheen. Vertical climbing to a comfy ledge and small ice cave a little more than halfway, not quite big enough for me to stand in (but I kneeled for a rest).  Two more short vertical sections to the typically uncomfortable Catskills topout - snow, a little frozen grass, and rock. Felt comfortable on the start of the lead, spacing screws out well, but as I got tired I slammed in more screws, which subsequently got me more tired - need to get more endurance, and a more solid lead head. B and G ran up the line quickly, and we headed down-gully to find more ice.








G spotted a great looking line: Snotsicle (WI4), a big vertical column spilling down from a overhang. It sits at the top of a steep slope, which was littered with the remains of the neighboring free-hanging column where Point and Shoot (WI5) lives. Looked intimidating, but G roped up and headed out from the right side (a steeper start than the left). Putting in a few screws, he moved up the steep start and out left to the front of the column, angling right again for a ledge in the column. A good four feet above his last screw, he popped a foot highstepping onto the ledge. I can see the details in slow-motion: the plummet sideways and down, the rope coming taught, tools flying out and down the approach slope. Afterwards, G was a foot off the ground and totally unscathed. Whew! Big fall, probably due to multiple factors, including distance above pro, rope stretch on a double line, Brian getting pulled forward, as well as a deployed screamer (nice trophy!). G was eager to head back up for revenge, but wiser heads prevailed and we headed up to downlead and pull the screws.







What was a quiet morning had turned into a zoo by this point, with multiple individual parties as well as a big guided group on TRs in lower Devil's Kitchen. We decided to head down for the two moderate pitches of Bridal Veil Falls. Easy hike down the gully, with a small rap on the kill at the base of Lower Bridal Veil - probably downclimbable, but we threw a rope. Lower Bridal Veil is short and straightforward though not overly protectable, WI2-2+ depending on conditions with a snowy topout on the frozen creek - G quickly led up to a tree, stopping to only place one screw. Upper Bridal Veil is taller, with multiple lines, easier and ledgey on the right to steeper and vertical on the left. We picked a line up the middle left (WI3?), vertical enough to get the heart rate up but stepped enough to provide good stances for sinking screws. The line we climbed headed up rightwards before trending back left to topout, with a sketchy section in the middle where cascading water ran behind a few-inch thin layer of clear, hard ice.

Dropping in to Lower Bridal Veil

The stealth belay






Good day out, especially with everyone coming out in one piece. And real good to know that the gear works as advertised (never heard the screamer deploy, despite its name). I realize we still don't have enough miles under our belts to be consistent judges of our limits, climbs that are easily within our reaches on TR and still hard on lead (we noticed that many parties stick to TR in Devil's Kitchen). Dialed it down, likely wisely, midway through the day, retreating on Snotsicle as well as saving a nice looking line by Upper Bridal Veil (Tiers of Joy WI4) for another day. Finished everything off with G's excellent mussels and fries.

More pics here and here.

Sambas and snowcones

Excellent day at a rapidly melting Asbestos Wall on Sunday with our itinerant Brazilian friend. Since JK was tired of all the unbearable surf and sunshine in Rio, we headed up with Eric and Brian to get in a little ice climbing. Despite a disaster-in-the-making spill the previous night and a hematoma the size of a grapefruit on her thigh, she made it up in the AM and we were all piled into Eric's ride and out of the city at the gentlemanly hour of 7.


We stopped by New Paltz to outfit Joana and Eric at Rock and Snow, picking up a pair of rental axes in the process. Nomics were out due to the ongoing Catskills Icefest, but we managed to score a pair of BD Reactors to play with. Not that we really needed a second pair of tools since we were planning on easy approach ice cragging, but you never know when some idiot will leave his axes planted up by the TR anchor. After picking up some excellent coffee and breakfast around the corner, we were back on the road and headed north.


After passing through Palenville and heading into Catskills Park, we drove past Moore's Bridge, which looked in and solid, with several WI4-ish lines fat up to the trees. No clear place to park for Moore's, looked like a good hike along the road in either direction from the nearest pullout. We soon reached the pullout for Asbestos (which also serves some of the icefalls across Kaaterskill Creek) and set about gearing up. Conditions were toasty, low to mid 40s with very little wind.

Can you say short approach? Asbestos Wall through the trees

Asbestos is long and low, with lots of short sections of climbable ice running up and to the right after you cross 23A; it's literally a ten minute approach. Several parties were toproping further to the east, so we settled on one of the first formations we hit on our way up from the road. The line went up the right side of the front of a large ice cave, and I started up the column that seemed the least detached from the underlying rock. The snow was soft, aerated, and taking placements really well, to the point that removing your axes was considerable work. Put in a few screws heading up the 30-40 ft wall, but with the conditions of the slush I was glad that it was solo material: easy climbing, clear drop zone, short pitch. Probably about WI2-2+, though when the ice is solid there would be multiple ways to get to the top. Joana followed with some stylish frontpointing to claw her way to the top, showing no ill effects from her gimpy leg. And on his first ice pitch ever, Eric looked really strong and got to the top quickly. Brian was nice enough to run the pitch easily and bring me back my axes, which I for some reason (read: senior moment) left by the TR anchor. It was a relatively easy walkaround (to climber's left) to get back to the ground after breaking down the anchor.

Ice cave, with leadable lines to the far right

Brian racked up for the next climb, a two-tiered fall punctuated by a level flat. Tough lead, as the day was getting warmer and the snow was aerated and really thin at the top, with picks and crampons hitting rock at every swing and kick. Unfeatured rock guarding both topouts too. B relied on all sorts of righteous protection chicanery at the top, including slinging a screamer on a stubby and girth-hitching a wee sapling. Fun climb to second, with a contrived mixed start to the right and some stemming possibilities up top (which I missed). JK was looking more comfortable with each swing, and Eric managed to not gore himself despite highstepping a crampon point into his thigh.

B leads up: if you squint, you can see all the rock beneath the ice
The classic game of "which pro is dicier?"
A manly swing
Horsing around with a totally unnecessary mixed start

By mid-afternoon blocks were bombing off the upper slopes, and our thoughts of dropping a TR further to the east were replaced by warm fuzzy notions of brews at the Otter. Good looking line next to us, but it'll have to wait until things are a little colder and stable. Nothing like narrowly avoiding getting squashed to keep you on your toes! Great leisurely day out, followed by a fantastic meal at Chloe's (thanks C and M!). Props to Eric on his first ice climbing, and to JK for some serious ninja recovery skills.

What, me worry? (yes)
"This is how you scare the crap out of yourself..."