Summer alpine ice conditions in the High Sierra

MP.com lists a WI3 route on Mt. Mendel and an AI3 route on North Peak.

Has anyone done them this year? I'm hoping they're both fat from El Nino.

Give it another month or two -- has to start getting colder, days shorter, colder temps at night, lower sun angle, etc.

Colin Simon wrote:MP.com lists a WI3 route on Mt. Mendel and an AI3 route on North Peak. Has anyone done them this year? I'm hoping they're both fat from El Nino.

For the most part, nobody has probably been up there this year because its too early for there to be good ice. Sierra Mtn Guides have not updated their report yet this year, but keep checking in:

sierramtnguides.com/adminis…

Mendel couloir/ Ice Nine is not in. Looks pretty haggard actually- I thought with such a large snow year it would have looked better. Nort Face of Darwin looks ok, still neve, several sections of ice forming up though. Give it another month maybe?

Damn. Do any of you recommend other ice routes around the same difficulty? I've got to go back to Boulder within a week, maybe something roughly on the way?

North Peak ice is in

North Peak gully, Labor Day 2010

Perfect snice to reach the ice and good AI to the top.
Do the top scramble to the summit in your boots, it's a lot of fun and a beautiful top out.

We didn't start climbing until probably 10:30 and nothing besides the ice the leaders knocked off came down.

That is sexy.

okay, here's another, from near the top.
was a really fun romp, especially in this state with very little ice climbing.

North Peak ice gully.

Ice 9 as of last weekend