Tag Archive for: vt

Solo's First Trip to "The Lake"

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We have been waiting for winter and it is here! The ice is building and with very cold weather coming things are going to go OFF! Next weekend should bring great conditions to most climbing areas.

This was Solo’s first trip to “The Lake” and everything went well. He was not intimated by the size of the ice climbs and can’t wait to return.

Here are a few photos from our flights.

Solo flying high on his first trip to "The Lake"

Solo flying high on his first trip to “The Lake”

Solo flying high at "The Lake"

Solo flying high at “The Lake”

Solo checking out the unfrozen lake from the North

Solo checking out the unfrozen lake from the North

Solo checking out the big wall section

Solo checking out the big wall section

Astro Turf

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Astro Turf (IV M9, WI 4+ R)

Lake Willoughby Vermont

FA: Matt McCormick and Josh Hurst

Josh Hurst at the roof of “Astro Turf” – Photo by Matt McCormic – +click to enlarge

On Saturday Jan 7, 2005, Josh Hurst and I climbed a new route in the central section of Mt. Pisgah. “Astro Turf” start as for Aurora about 150’ right of Super-Nova in the right facing ice/turf gully on the left side of the Star man buttress. The first 2 pitches follow Aurora.

1. Climb the 40’ right facing ice/turf gully to the big snow ledge and belay below the left facing turf and rock corner capped by a chockstone.

2. M5 – Dry tool into and up the left facing groove past one fixed pin and tunnel under the chockstone capping the groove. Belay immediately after the chockstone at the fixed nut/pin anchor.

3. M6/WI 4+R – Standing on the chockstone, dry tool left until established on the ice. There is a fixed angle and nut that can be found at the stance at the end of the traverse. The pin is reachable after stepping up immediately after the traverse. This pin may be covered in ice depending on the conditions but can be dug out against the main black wall. Once across the traverse, climb 80-90 degree thin ice for a 30-40 ft run out on to thicker ice. Climb thicker ice to the top of the ice smear and belay

4. M9 – Dry tool up into the shallow groove past 2 bolts and small cam placements. At the end of the groove, reach up and clip the bolt in the 6’ roof then pull strenuously out the roof past 2 more bolts and up the 90 degree thin ice to the ledge above.

5-6. WI 5 – Climb the center of three flows to the top as for (Starman?).

Standard rack needed plus ice screws.

Topo map of the climb

– Matt McCormick

New M8 at “The Lake”

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Tiny Dancer

Lake Willoughby, VT

FA: 01-21-11 Ryan Brooks and Josh Hurst

“Tiny Dancer, It’s between Plug and Chug and Call of the Wild.  It’s a modern mixed route that deserves to see a lot of traffic due to it’s accessibility, reliability and rock quality” -Josh Hurst

tiny-dancer-3a

tiny-dancer-1aP1: M7  Climb 20′ of Plug and Chug than diagnal right on ice blobs to the center of the overhanging rock.  Take the weakness up and right to more ice blobs on the mid-cliff ledge.  Belay on left in the ice.  It is possible to take ice blobs directly up to the rock in some years.

tiny-dancer-2aP2: M8  Start up the flake system to a small roof.  Trend right, crux, to a shallow corner system.  Once behind the icicles take the line of least resistance to the top.

Rack: 5-8 ice screws, standard rack to 2″, no pins needed, 12 quickdraws

Photo’s by Ryan Brooks.

Smuggs Ice Bash 2010

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The 4th annual Smuggs Ice Bash. A local ice climbing festival at the foot of Smuggler Notch VT.

Big news? Alpinist magazine has made Jeffersonville its new home and is helping with sponsorship of the Ice Bash this year.

Come Join the Bash!

# Socialize at the Brewski on Friday the 29th, 6pm

# Demos, clinics & slide show on Saturday the  30th

# Demos and clinics on Sunday the 31st

Northern Revival

Matt McCormick will present “Northern Revival” at the Brewski, Saturday Jan 30th – 6:00pm, a multi-media look at the next generation of Vermont climbs and climbers, including ice, rock, and mixed – all local. Free, AND, it coincides with the Ice Bash raffle, arguably the most booty filled, cheapest raffle in the festival circuit (proceeds go directly to Crag-VT, our local Access Fund partner – Bolton Quarry, Upper West Bolton, etc.) – Bert Severin

Ice Bash Going Green!

For more details see the links below

Source:  Smuggsicebash.com / NEice.com/forum

Huge Transition Underway

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Real Winter Pattern Coming!

All indications point to Major Cold and very stormy weather over the next 15 days

ted_odellsdec-6-09Ted Hammond enjoying the start of this weather change.  Odell’s Gully – Huntington Ravine, Mt. Washington NH  12/06/09
Photo by Alfonzo

All long term and short term indicators (NAO, EPO, EL Nino etc…) have been pointing to cold and stormy (For weeks). Well that is now coming to full realization for Dec to Jan. The last two storms were the beginning of the pattern change. We have one last one (Dec 7/8) to complete the transition and lock the NE into below to well below average temps and a very active storm track as well. Blind fate-Smuggs

What Ice if any survives this weeks storm should rapidly start building by the end of this week into the weekend. (Even in the southern sections to some extent) Next week should only continue to reinforce the ice building.

Blue ice Buldge-smuggsSnow Cover:

Check out the massive and rapid snow cover buildup over the US in just over the last 6 days ( Today –  December 1).  This is why the cold push will be so much stronger over the next 10 days, as the fresh snowpack will help in keeping the arctic air from moderating.

Source: Smike – NEice Weather Outlook

Photos by Rockytop
Blind Fate and Blue Ice Buldge Smugglers Notch VT 12/07/09

Moody Aunt Ruby

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Lake Willoughby, VT

Moody Aunt Ruby (WI 6 R/X, 110M) – Will Mayo, Joe Szot & Ian Boyer
MoodyAuntRuby

Photo by Doug Millen

Across the Lake on Mt. Hor, Joe Szot, Ian Boyer and I climbed the ethereal yellow icicles that hang from those compact limestone cliffs today, 12/13/2005, naming the route. Arriving at the base of the cliff with the temperature not much above zero and racking up above the southward rolling fog along the surface of the open waters below after having traversed the entire south end of the Lake, I realized that I had left the rock rack in the Flying Brick (my van).  I asked the boys with a straight face, “Okay, who’s got the rock rack?”  But, they knew the mistake was mine.  My punishment was to lead the thing with only ice gear, which made things rather run-out. The first 60M pitch was the crux and involves a hollow vertical column of ice to a ramp to attain the golden double-tiered free-hanging icicles that hang above.  These daggers of ice were the cruxes and required launching up gymnastically onto the hangers with gear well below.  Joe Szot climbed the 50M WI 5 second pitch up mushroomed ice to a tier of free-standing columns and reached the trees.   Moody Aunt Ruby was climbed on-sight in “ground up” style and was yet another in a string of phenomenally exciting days of ice climbing with close friends.  Moody Aunt Ruby is definitely one of the most exciting ice climbs I have ever done.

-Will Mayo

NOTE: This Route is Reportedly to have been climbed before by either Barry Blanchard or Kurt Winkler. The information is unclear and no details are available at this time.