Contributed Comments |
| |
|---|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Loch Vale & vicinity : Loch Vale & uphill : Taylor Glacier
By: Andy Leach When: Aug 4, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: Conditions could not have been more perfect 8/3/08. It was great to beat the heat of the Front Range and play in the snow. Here are some photos: http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip/110/Taylor_Peak_Taylor_>>>>>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Mount Sneffels : Snake (Dogleg) Couloir (Steep Snow)
By: Andy Leach When: Jun 16, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was with jfox. You can see some photos and a video at http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip/107/Mount_Sneffels_Snak>>>>>
Regarding the direct finish that Roach calls 5.6 - it seems to me that you would have to do something pretty contrived and really go out of your way to find much 5.6. The way we went (which seemed like the logical direct finish from the top of the couloir) was no more than 4th class. What we did looks like what is pictured in Julian Smith's photo above http://www.... more >>
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Long's Peak/Mt. Meeker Cirq... : Martha (5.6 WI2+ M2-3)
By: Andy Leach When: May 19, 2008 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was up it May 17, 2008. The snow was kind of crappy, but the ice in the pitch 4 crux was fat. I got two solid screws in it. I don't know how long these conditions will last though given the extremely warm temps forecasted this week.
I shot a video of the climb that you can see here: http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip/105/Mount_Lady_Washingt>>>>>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Maroon Bells : Maroon Ridge (5.4)
By: Andy Leach When: Nov 21, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I've done this twice - both times south-to-north. The first time I ascended the standard route on South Maroon, the second time we came up Bell Cord Couloir. The Cord is definitely the way to go - soooooo much more enjoyable. The second time I shot a video of the climb which I think captures the cruxes nicely: http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip/66/Maroon_Peak_Bell_Cor>>>>>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Ypsilon Mountain : Blitzen Ridge (5.4)
By: Andy Leach When: Nov 3, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I received this note from Charles Ehlert regarding a trip report I had posted on my website. I thought some here might enjoy:
Found your site http://www.andyintherockies.com while Googling Blitzen Ridge on Ypsilon Peak. Many years ago (about Sept 1958) Phil Ritterbush, Clint Brooks, Jim Walker, Dave Fedson and I (students at Yale at the time) did the first ascent of the Blitzen Ridge. We were slow, got to the summit just before dark. Spent a cold night out, wrapped up in a climbing rope - ... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Quandary Peak : Inwood Arete (5.4 R)
By: Andy Leach When: Aug 21, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Normally I don't give much heed to people that badmouth alpine routes as loose and dirty etc. I figure they're just sport climbers not used to the alpine environs. However, in this case I agree - Inwood Arete is a pretty nasty route. I won't be back. We did the direct 5.7+ start. It was wet and dirty. We also found what could be the dihedral/chimney people are talking about. The dihedral we found was easy but the roof at the top was a bit challenging - 5.7 maybe? It was also wet and dirt... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Ypsilon Mountain : Blitzen Ridge (5.4)
By: Andy Leach When: Aug 15, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed Blitzen Ridge August 12, 2007. Find some photos, a video, and a trip report at http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip/90/Ypsilon_Mountain_Bli>>>>>.
We passed the first three aces on the south and the 4th ace on the north. We ended up downclimbing the third ace on belay which I think was probably faster than rappelling. The most difficult moves I did all day was the last bit of the headwall, but my partner informed me that if I had stepped to the right a meter I would have fo... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Maroon Bells : Bell Cord Couloir
By: Andy Leach When: Jun 25, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed Bell Cord and did the traverse June 23, 2007. Conditions were ideal - the Cord was in nicely but the rest was dry. You can watch my video at http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip/66/Maroon_Peak_Bell_Cor>>>>>.
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Long's Peak : Upper East Face : The Notch Couloir (Mod. Snow)
By: Andy Leach When: Jun 18, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: My buddy Michael and I shot a video of an ascent of Notch Couloir June 16, 2007. Watch the video and see some photos at http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip.php?trip_id=65
The snow was pretty soft in places, but mostly it was okay. There were two icy sections - one above the first dogleg, and one about 100' below the notch. Both were pretty rotten. I put a screw in the top one but wasn't sure if it would really hold a fall. All four of us climbed with one axe and one tool which was definit... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : Indian Peaks : Arapahoe Peaks : Skywalker Couloir
By: Andy Leach When: Jun 12, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I was up it June 10, 2007. The conditions were great - no moats or bridges and good snow all the way up the Princes Leia finish. The snow at the top was pretty hard - definitely doable with one axe but I was happy to have a second tool along.
I shot this video: http://www.andyintherockies.com/trip.php?trip_id=63
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Long's Peak/Mt. Meeker Cirq... : The Flying Dutchman (5.4 WI2-3)
By: Andy Leach When: May 20, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I shot this video of an ascent of Flying Dutchman on May 19, 2007: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=34
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Odessa Gorge : Flattop Mountain - N side : West Couloir (WI2-3 M2)
By: Andy Leach When: Apr 24, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed it April 22, 2007. I shot this video: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=32
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Chaos Canyon : Hallett South Side : Chaos Couloir (Mod. Snow)
By: Andy Leach When: Apr 17, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed Chaos Couloir 4/15/07 and shot this video: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=31
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Emerald Lake / Tyndall Gorg... : Flattop Mountain - S side : Dragon's Tooth (M2 Mod. Snow)
By: Andy Leach When: Apr 9, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed it April 7, 2007. It was pretty much continuous snow with the crux at the rock step with the elk carcass. We passed through it on the left by thrashing through some very steep snow. I shot a video of our ascent: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=30
|
Location: CO : Boulder : Eldorado Canyon SP : Redgarden Wall : Redgarden - Lumpe to the to... : ... : Photo
By: Andy Leach When: Jan 24, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Are we scared yet?!? Hell yeah! What a great photo - I hope to gather my nerve to give this one a try this coming season. Wow!
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Long's Peak/Mt. Meeker Cirq... : Dreamweaver (M2-3)
By: Andy Leach When: Jan 24, 2007 | view comment >> |
Comments: Thanks Luis. I just use iMovie which came with my Mac. It's pretty basic, but it does everything I need it to do.
|
Location: WY : Grand Teton National Park : Teewinot : East Face (4th Easy Snow)
By: Andy Leach When: Sep 12, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: This is a big vert day and a fun scramble (I did it when there was no snow). You can find a bunch of photos of the route on my web site: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/subcategory.php?subcatego>>>>>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Long's Peak : North Face/Ridge : Keyhole Ridge (5.6)
By: Andy Leach When: Sep 8, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed Keyhole Ridge September 2, 2006. We mostly relied on beta gleaned from summitpost.org and ended up passing the second tower on the west side. This way we avoided most of the class-5 climbing :-( We only roped up for one pitch to pass the third tower and even that was only about 20' of 5.5. If I had it to do over again, I would have made a bigger effort to follow the route outlined here (in the photo by Pete Fox) to pass the second tower on the east side. Live and learn. It was st... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Hallett Peak : Great Dihedral (5.7)
By: Andy Leach When: Aug 14, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: We climbed it 8/12/06 and I agree that this is a really nice route. This was my first 5.7 lead, and I had a blast! We walked off after the Great Dihedral due to sketchy weather.
Trip Report: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1story.php?subcategoryid=>>>>>
Movie: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=21&cat>>>>>
Also, we found some gear on the route that looked like it had been dropped (i.e. it wasn't part of an anchor or anything... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Spearhead : North Ridge (5.6)
By: Andy Leach When: Jul 31, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: On 7/30/06 our apparently very unatheletic team did it in about 15 hours car-to-car but included at least an hour of dorking around on the summit. We also missed the correct descent and floundered down the most miserable talus slope I've ever encountered. We were able to follow Roach's description to the letter (though we combined is first three pitches into two and divided his last pitch into two).
Photos: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/subcategory.php?subcatego>>>>>
Movie: http://ww... more >>
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Glacier Gorge : Spearhead : ... : Photo
By: Andy Leach When: Jul 31, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: This looks like the route described by Rossiter. It's not the route described by Roach or Gillett.
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Sharkstooth : Northeast Ridge (5.6)
By: Andy Leach When: Jul 6, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed The Sharkstooth's Northeast Ridge on July 3, 2006.
Trip Report: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1story.php?storyid=53
Photos: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/subcategory.php?subcatego>>>>>
Movie: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=19
|
Location: CO : CO Ice & Mixed : RMNP - Mixed/Ice : Odessa Gorge : Flattop Mountain - N side : Photo
By: Andy Leach When: Jul 2, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed this couloir May 20, 2006. I'm pretty sure it's called Flattop Gully. According to Gillett, Flattop Gully saw its first ascent by Topher Donahue in 1999. Here's a movie I shot of our climb: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?movieid=15. In 2006 it was totally melted out by June 25th.
|
Location: CO : Alpine Rock : RMNP - Rock : Notchtop : Spiral Route (5.4)
By: Andy Leach When: Jun 27, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: I climbed Notchtop's Spiral Route on 6/25/06. I thought it was a fun climb in spectacular setting. But it's true that the technical climbing is quite short - still fun though for us relative newbies.
Trip Report: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1story.php?subcategoryid=>>>>>
Photos: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/subcategory.php?subcatego>>>>>
Video: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/1movie.php?subcategoryid=>>>>>
|
Location: WY : Grand Teton National Park : Mount Moran : CMC Route (5.5)
By: Andy Leach When: May 30, 2006 | view comment >> |
Comments: This was my first big alpine route - I had a blast! You can read a detailed trip report, view lots of photos, and watch a movie my buddy Alan shot on my web site: http://www.leachfam.com/securearea/subcategory.php?subcatego>>>>>
|
RSS Feed
