Bird Brain Boulevard

BBB is a 1200' route up a prominent chimney, 200 yards right of The Ribbon. The best view of the route can be had by walking 50 yards west of the Skylight area parking. From this vantage point, you can look straight into the chimney/slot. The route is a bit of classic alpine groveling, a little rock, a little ice, and frozen moss when you can get it. From the top of the route, head east for 40 yards to the first of many trees with slings. About 7 rappels with double ropes to the base.

Pitch one: 70m, S3, WI3. Snowy rock gully, finally some ice. A #3 Friend in the left wall of the chimney for the belay, 30' below huge chockstone. A touch of easy simu-climbing will get you there.

Pitch two: 55m, WI4+. Steep, somewhat rotten, ice step behind huge chockstone. If the ice went to the top of the steep bit it would be straightforward. Since the ice stops a body length shy, it's chimney mode on rock to pull through, a great indicator for what's to come. Climb cruiser ice to the belay on the left side of the cave/alcove.

Pitch three: 55m, WI4, M5. Step down and right from belay, then up slender pillar. Snowy rock, ice, and chimneying leads over three chockstone/roofs. #3.5 Friend and a medium/large stopper in final roof before belay. There are two fixed pins at the top of this pitch on the left wall for the belay.

Pitch four: 45m, WI4+/5. Steep, easier-than-it-looks ice in the left-facing corner (fixed standard angle in right wall), then easy ice with occasional steep sections-all good. Belay off screws below iced up chimney.

Pitch five: 35m, WI4. Move up the iced cleft, then cruiser (this is the stuff you came for) ice to the belay below rotten rock roof.

Including our descent in the dark, from a timing perspective, this was the halfway point of our day.

Pitch six: 40?m, WI5, M6. A circuitous pitch, it might be better to break this up after the right traverse. Go up steep, easy ice, then walk right across ledge. Continue up vertical, broken corner with frozen moss and frozen rocks, with a smattering of ice here and there - the real deal. You can get some gear in questionable rock before traversing back left to chimney. We fixed a pin near the end of the traverse. Think happy thoughts when you clip it. Belay in chimney.

Pitch seven: 60m, 5.8. There is just enough ice to warrant keeping your crampons on and tools available. Chimney up past a steep chockstone (with your back against right wall) to cruiser snow. Where chimney closes down again, there was a fixed angle in roof. Step left, then back right into offwidth, then more chimneying until standing on two chockstones. Turn so your back is on left wall, and exit out and right into daylight (in our case, not much).

This is a very cool route, the sixth pitch is far and away more necky than anything else on the route.

#2-#8 wallnuts, yellow and red alien, friends 1.5 through 4, long kb, bugaboo, baby angle, 8-Qd's, 4 runners, webbing or perlon for raps. 3-10cm, 3-13cm, 2-17cm screws.