Ice Nine - sorta

Darwin and Mendel from Lamarck Col. Taken a year earlier on Mendel Right couloir climb.

August 2006

Ice Nine, the almost mythical ice couloir on the north face of Mt. Mendel. Having previously easily soloed the neighboring Right Mendel Couloir I was itching to tackle the harder left couloir known as Ice Nine. I recruited Jeff and we made the arduous trek over Lamarck Col. The climb up to the crux pitch was 'in'. The crux pitch was bare rock. Jeff made an attempt to lead the overhanging pitch (dry) but eventually we climbed out the east wall and completed the climb on rock. From the upper rock we could see the upper pitches of the couloir held ice but the exit pitch looked again dry, so we elected not to transition back to ice climbing mode. With the exception of the attempt on the crux pitch, we ended up soloing the entire climb. Sadly with the continuing drought and warming, we may not see this climb again as an ice climb.

Conditions 2005

Conditions 2006

Lamarck Col

climbing the apron

Jeff passing the awkwardly difficult first chockstone.

Escaping the couloir up the east wall

Ice in the upper couloir

Norman Clyde Peak via Twilight Pillar

July 2006

Dredging up another from the good 'ol days. We hiked into Finger Lake. The next morning we climbed Twilight Pillar.  After pitching out the first two pitches, we then simul-climbed the last two. The descent was via the NE ridge/N face, which in my opinion is probably one of the most taxing and complex descents in the Sierra and where I made a nearly fatal descent in a snow storm in the mid 80's. No weather issues this time as we enjoyed blue bird weather after some thunderstorms on the hike in.

Starting the first pitch

Pavel approaching the belay

Pavel starting Pitch 2

The start of simul-climbing

The summit from starting our descent

North Palisade and Sill

The one rappel we made on descent

Pavel on rappel