North Gully
MVP:
Connor Chilcott—Again, without Connor, there was no way I would have completed this climb. He was confident in me and that confidence helped me the entire time.
Climb Review:
This route is rated a WI 2+ in Mountain Project, but at the time I climbed this, Connor rated this a WI 3. I think he rated it this way because the ice wasn’t as thick as it probably usually is (the last snow that fell was in December, more than a month before this climb).
There was flowing water right below the ice in multiple places and I even pierced through the ice with my axe once. The clarity of the sound of the water flow after I removed the axe was entrancing and terrifying.
On the second pitch, there was a stretch of really flaky ice. Connor (who led) warned me about it though, so I was able to traverse across the waterfall with only a few holds that I had to chop down (to get to the good ice).
What I Learned:
My mental game got thrown off by the previous day’s foot hold issues, and it meant that I axed twice as much as I should have. Which also meant that I went twice as slow. My feet didn’t slip, I didn’t drop anything, and I cleaned a few ice screws without any drama. I need to trust my feet placement and crampons—keep the heel down!
Connor explained to us that ice doesn’t just break off. So, even though there were parts where the water was flowing, as long as we didn’t climb right on top of it, we were safe. He stated that the big downside was that if we were to kick too hard where the ice was thin, our shoes would get wet.
Sitting at the top of the first pitch was terrifying. The slope was steep and I didn’t stomp out a clean sitting area, so I made sure to keep my feet anchored into the snow. Thank god for crampons.
Sitting at the top of the second pitch was so fun and relaxing. Someone had already stomped out a great seat, so I felt super stable.
I lead-belayed Connor as he went up (I was tied into the middle of the rope) and I got pretty good at it. I had done this once the day before, and definitely got comfortable at it.
This was my first multi-pitch climb and it was an awesome experience. Still, I’m so glad I had a guide as the exposure was a bit much for me (in places), and I felt super secure being led and belayed by Connor.
Friends Made:
Alba Beller—She was as charming as she was the day before. I couldn’t have asked for a better classmate. :)
Fears Overcome:
Exposure—The gully didn’t look that tall or steep, but especially at the top of the first pitch, it was scary. I focused on climbing and photography, and that got me over it, but I actually don’t remember most of the climb due to how scared I was (due to the exposure, not the ice)!
What Happened?
Due to some cancellations, only Alba and I was present for this guided trip. With a small class, it gave us the opportunity to do a multi-pitch climb.
We hiked to North Gully and got ready for the climb. Connor led, I was in the middle, and Alba was at the end. This meant that Connor would place the anchors and ice screws on top of belaying me and Alba; I would lead-belay Connor, clean the screws, and Alba would clean the anchors.
The North Gully didn’t seem so scary from far away, but from the about 100 feet away, it sure did look menacing. Then, when I was right on it, it didn’t look too bad.
After the first pitch, I turned and saw how steep the slope was and high we were, and that’s when my fear of heights kicked in. I mean, I didn’t experience vertigo or anything, but my palms definitely got a little sweaty. It didn’t help that I made the mistake of not stomping out a comfortable seat for myself.
The second pitch was the longest and most demanding. It had the flowing water right at the start, and it also had a patch of pretty crappy ice. Still, I did my job of removing the screws and made it to the top, where a comfy seat and Connor awaited me.
The last pitch had a technical start (due to flowing water under thin ice to the left and rock to the right) so I had to focus on good placement of tools and ice. It also didn’t help that we couldn’t communicate with Connor as we couldn’t hear him at all. Still, we were used to the rhythm of the climb (and he had instructed us on how to tell he was ready to belay even without words), so I wasn’t too nervous about the belaying part when I started the climb. Maybe it’s because I had regained more trust in my feet (or because I was telling myself to trust my feet over and over again), but I did my best climbing on the last pitch. Once I got to the top, I was over joyed at the fact that I had finished the climb, and that the top of the mountain was so secure. I took a bunch of pictures of Connor and Alba; Connor cleaned up the rope and equipment; Alba tried to warm her cold hands as best as she could.
We then headed down the mountain.