Counting Coup  WI5+ M6+ PG13

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Type:  Trad, Mixed, Ice, 1 pitch, 140 feet Consensus:  WI5+ M6+ [details] FA:  Rob 'Griz' Ginieczki New Route:  Yes Season:  Jan-Mar Submitted By:  Rob Griz on Mar 1, 2010 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Counting Coup follows the crack, left of the ice/b...

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Description 

An incredible line in a great setting. I have looked at this line enroute to Cody in the winter of 2008. The lower 40' of ice was overhanging, ultra-thin verglas on the wall and given the right conditions, could (and I'm sure has based on the slings I saw atop) formed up as a pure ice line. I checked it out again on my 2010 trip to Cody and started dry tooling the killer crack to the left of the water streak. After a hard night of partying at Cassie's, I conned my good friend to use our Cody 'rest-day' to head down and give it a go.
A crack-of-noon start had me driving pins and placing thin cams, under bright sun, for the first 45' of pure rock on lunker tool placements. The ominous free-hanging curtain had me a bit concerned as the mid-day sun baked it. A high rock piece (#1 angle)allowed me to commit to mashed-potato crud, finally digging out some decent ice. Thin but good feet on wild mini-pockets made the traverse reasonable as I cleaned a ton of overhanging junk to pull up through and onto the main ice curtain. Dead-vert snow-cone lead up for 70'. The rock is a sharp but decent limestone, I cleaned @ 10lbs off the wall. Awesome!

Location 

Directly above the parking area. Hike up to gain a ridge just right of the route. Rap from a cedar tree on the right with slings.

Protection 

A set of cams (BD #000 to #3 Camalot), #1 baby angle, large knifeblade, mid-large nuts, a few 16-22 screws. There is a fixed pin (#2 Angle) about 30' up, in the crack.

Photos of Counting Coup Slideshow

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Headed up great mixed climbing	Committing to rotten ice	Working up sun-baked snow-cone
Cruizin' to the top, oh yeah!