The Upper West Side

Grade Update: Doug and I agreed to upgrade the route from WI4+ M4, to WI5- M5 when submitting to the AAJ. This decision was made to align more closely with the grades of the Canadian Rockies. Keep in mind that this route is immensely condition dependent.

Start by slogging several hundred feet up up the major left gully, P2 ice should be visible above. In good conditions this should be steep firm snow with a couple easy low angle ice constrictions. About 300' up, the gully forks. Right is more direct but steeper and unprotectable. Left is gentler and would typically have better snow coverage. Left also offers rock pro approximately every 20 meters, so it makes sense to rope up and simul-climb it. If you go left, look for a V-shaped notch on the right at 5,750', it connects with the upper part of the right gully. Go through the notch and the start of P1 will be within 30 meters of easy snow climbing.

P1: Climb the series of left facing corners working your way right for ~20m. Belay off screws or rock gear.

P2: Dance up the steep ice curtains to your right. This pitch seems like it is also climbable in lean conditions with a mix of rock gear and screws. Belay on a very well placed tree. 30m.

P3: Scramble up a mix of snow, Ice and rock for 65m up to the headwall above. After some research this is where our route connects with the previously established NW ridge on the left. 

P4: Choose to either go right, left or straight up the headwall. They all seem to work. Right might be the easiest. This is a short pitch that likely can be linked with P3 by a competent party and some simul climbing. Belay off whatever solid rock you can find on the false summit.

P5: Au-cheval your way across the aesthetic alpine ridge with minimal pro to the low point below the true summit.

P6: A short easy snow/mixed pitch up to the summit. Can also be linked with P5 via some simul climbing. Belay off rock gear.

Descent:

1.) If booting, carryover and descend via the standard Chair peak descent gully to the East. This is ideal but requires perfect booting conditions. 

2.) If you left skis at the base. Descend back to the west via the standard rappel anchor, but use it to rap down the other side of the ridge. There is a piton & nut anchor 60 meters down, a tree anchor an additional 130m down, this requires easy but exposed down climbing. Finally one more rap off the sturdiest bush you can find 60 more meters down. If there are no viable bushes, you could possibly counterbalance rappel off either side of a tombstone feature below.  

Ski back over Bryant col, or for extra points ski the remainder of the Circumnav in the dark.

Pitch 1 starts at the head of the major left gully on the West face of Chair peak. 

Approach up and over Bryant/Chair col then up the Melakwa valley to the base of the wall.