Total Abandon 

LOST: Petzl Helmet on this climb. Was at the top of the third pitch. Took it off and my partner accidentally knocked it. This was on 5/5/13.

Conditions: Epic climb. Still a lot of ice. There is the crazy vertical ice/snow cave you must climb through. Crux is amazing and a blast to pull which is halfway up the second pitch.

This route does not often come into shape and definitely does not hang around all year. The first section below the steep crux is low-angle rock that often gets covered with a few inches of ice, rendering stubbies pretty much useless, and not offering too much for rock pro. The climbing here is not bad but a little awkward. I have never finished the route. My best attempt ended abruptly when the snow just below the steep section unexpectedly detached from the rock and sent my partner sailing. Pretty scary.

The main reason I'm writing right now -- I was on the Peak today, and Total Abadnon is in! Ice looks great, still thin, but definitely climbable. Hero Traverse is dry. Blind Assumption also looks likes it's in, though much skinnier than when I've climbed it before.

Also, watch for these routes in May, especially if we get a big, late season dump. Have fun!

Phil Wortman and I climbed this route yesterday. We completed it but without much ICE. I'd say the first pitch had about half of an inch of sketchy ice on it. The second pitch had NO ice on it. Just about a foot or so of snow that had to be cleared to get to the rock below it. This was a sketchy lead. It was crumbly up to about the third pitch when finally we found some ice (just above the overhanging crux...and Thank GOD it was there because it was a struggle to clear that bulge and just when we needed it... ICE!). The ice on the third pitch was several inches thick in spots...thick enough for stubbies. The third pitch ended above another (much easier) overhanging boulder and a snow field to the top. I'd say that because there was little or no ice on most of the route, that it was about M6. With ice, it would have been very enjoyable WI4+. I can't wait til next year when hopefully it will be in completely. Great route!

Anyone been up here lately? Anybody have any idea what the conditions are like? Anybody want to go climb this?

Climbed this on June 2, '12 and found great (albeit wet) conditions. The road access via Rock Hero Traverse rules, but the "rangers" are a real travesty with the road. Climbing routes like this in the Spring require early starts, but the staff is clueless about climbing...and in general. We learned to be prepared for sitting in the car for an indeterminant amount of time and/or be prepared for multiple attempts. Getting up to the parking spot on the road was definitely the crux for us.

Having never been there before, the Traverse took us 22 minutes and was 85% dry with a few sections of isothermal, sloppy snow. We did a pitch on snow to gain the steeper stuff and then completed the route in 4 more pitches. There's a piton anchor above a large chockstone (on the right) on the first pitch; we stopped here for convenience and safety as it's relatively sheltered from falling ice. The pins are ok but can be backed up with cams above and right...not the most comfy belay. There are two fixed "anchors" on pitch two; the first one, well, I don't even know what it was comprised of, just looked like a bunch of tat culminating in some sort of master-point and the second was directly above the other (a purple cordelette connecting a nut with other components I couldn't see). These anchors could be useful if you needed to bail for some reason.

The crux pitch was burly for us, dripping like a shower and super chandeliered (we were there hours later than we'd hoped thanks to the "rangers"). We pulled it off by skirting up the better ice around right of the main pillar in an awkward chimney-thing that was icy on both sides and exciting in soft boots. The final pitches were easier, could've been combined easily, but we did a quick pitch above the crux to get out from under some objective hazard looming above the belay (lots of ice in the sun). Then it was just slamming up soft snow towards the summit. Awesome climbing, great temps, great stone...can't wait to go back and explore some more.

Great early season conditions 9/23/2012:

Top out P1, Carl Pluim belaying. Submitted By: Kevin Gillest on Sep 24, 2012

Right after leaving 1st belay, P2 crux. Submitted By: Kevin Gillest on Sep 24, 2012

P2 top out, awesome conditions! Submitted By: Kevin Gillest on Sep 24, 2012

What you should know about the Pike Peak Highway (toll road):

Hours of operation for winter hours (Oct. 1-Memorial day) 9am, gate closes at 5pm. You need to be heading down by 4pm. If you don't get your work done by 5pm, the rangers will close and lock the gate for the night. If you want the gate opened after hours, they charge $500 to come and open it. Otherwise your car stays on the uphill side of the gate overnight. We are not allowed to intentionally park overnight and may be fined.

Fee for the road is $12 per person ($10 after Dec. 1st.) in vehicle, if you pay for fishing ($4) drive up to the approach for these climbs the Rangers will send you back down to pay the full $12. Don't make climbers look bad on the highway or they could restrict parking for us.

The highway (pro's and con's) is the price we pay for a 20 minute approach (and descent) on an early season multi-pitch ice climbs. Let's keep a good relationship going with the Rangers and fellow climbers on it.

Does anybody have any beta on this route for early early spring? Any info on current conditions would be great. I'm not sure how much ice would be on it right now, but if there is a bit and mainly a mixed climb, I think the route would still be interesting.