Year Old Trip Report - Early Season Ice In Montana

This is a trip report I wrote for a local company's website last year. They never used it so I figured I would share it here. Date of ascent: Oct., 16th 2013
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Sphinx Mountain, know locally as The Sphinx stands tall in the Madison Range southwest of Bozeman. The routes on the north face are known by climbers to be some of the earliest appearing ice of the season.

I have been working many hours cooking at the restaurant lately and was starting to get a little stir crazy, especially with all the hints of winter in the air. The trips up to Hyalite Canyon to dry tool on sport bolted mixed climbs weren’t cutting it anymore. I had one day off of work in an 18 day period and it was time to go to the mountains. Being that it was short notice and a weekday, finding a partner was getting grim. My buddy Charley suggested I go with his friend Ben Venter, who I had met before but never climbed with. But who am I to argue with Charley’s judgment. So after some communication we got the logistics together and planned to launch from Bozeman at 0500.

I somehow managed to find all of my ice gear and packed it up after work, I even remembered my ice clippers and more than one pair of gloves. Big success for me as I have been known to be a little forgetful on the first day of the year. So we made the hour and a bit drive chatting away while I double fisted coffee and caffeinated tea for some liquid stoke. Ben got us to the trailhead as the sky was just beginning to illuminate the sky. Luckily the guidebook hints at using tennis shoes on the 4-mile approach which was a great idea, thanks JoJo! It took us a few hours to get from the trailhead to the col between the Sphinx and the Helmet, which is where we switched into our mountain boots.



I tried not to get too much beta for the route since I wanted it to be an adventure for Ben and I. However, chatting with a friend at work the night before he told me to not cut too high on the traverse into the face. This traverse is typically used to put you in the middle of the face, which is where the upper part of the Lowe route starts as the lower half known as the Lowe Direct does not usually form. So from the saddle Ben and I cut down and around to the north face. When we rounded the corner we realized two things: 1. We had traversed way too low and were at the base of the face. 2. The entirety of the Lowe route was in and fat! I immediately became giddy like a child and Ben began to break trail (as he does) to the base of the route.



We got to the base, geared up, got stoked, and I set off on the first pitch. The first few pitches were mostly mellow with a short steep step here and there. The ice was thin lower on the face but very climbable and enjoyable.



After swapping leads and simul climbing for 5 or so pitches we ended up at the base of the crux pillar which is rarely “in”. This also marks the point where the traverse intersects the upper part of the Lowe route.



I took off up the pillar and thoroughly enjoyed the slightly overhanging mushrooms in the middle of the pitch, moved on up the right side of the pillar and as I rounded the bulge at the top of the pitch I swung and cleared all the ice on the bulge away leaving only rock. Shit. I downclimbed a move and rested on my tool, regained my composure and finished the pitch. From there we did the absolutely stellar next pitch. Did I mention it was stellar? From there Ben lead the simul climbing to a point on the summit plateau where we unroped. From there we cruised down the descent gully and back to the car where beer was waiting.

Looks like good time of the Sphinx!

That climb is real fun, Looked like it was in good condition this year as well.