RMNP Excursion and Philosophical Ramblings

I met up with a new climbing partner on Saturday to climb Martha, a moderate snow/mixed gully that splits the S. face of Mt. Lady Washington. I have been wanting to climb this route for quite a while and though it was in thin shape, it didn’t disappoint. We simul-soloed the lower portion of the route, which started off with some fun thin mixed moves to gain access to a lower-angled snow ramp that leads up to a thin couloir, interspersed with a few interesting rock/ice steps, which we belayed in three long pitches. Good styrofoam mixed in with snice, ice, rotten rock, and deep unconsolidated snow made for a fun all-around outing… we even got to place a couple of stubby screws! [Read More]

Happy New Year

The past couple of weeks have afforded me some incredible ski-tours in the Never Summers. I’ve been touring here since I was old enough to drive and I’m always psyched on the place. Lately I’ve gotten really excited about pushing longer trips into some of the more remote drainages along the Divide. While the usual Diamond Peaks, Montgomery Pass, Seven Utes, Lake Agnes area, etc… are all great destinations that offer good skiing, studying the RMNP border area on the map has me amped on longer, more committing tours. Snow-caves and heavy packs anyone? [Read More]