wbw
climber
'cross the great divide
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Jan 10, 2011 - 09:44am PT
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A couple of you guys from Cali better get it together and climb that thing, else I'm gonna buy some airline tickets, bring a posse of CO greenies out and turn the Widows Tears into a peg board.
Just dreaming. I would love to do it, but Cody is calling for MLK Day.
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jan 10, 2011 - 09:44am PT
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What's the approach like ????
From where do you leave the road ...
Elevation of start/finish ????
If you have to ask it's out of your league.
Mine too of course.
leaves me drooling though.
It'll likely be gone by MLK day.
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nutjob
Trad climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jan 10, 2011 - 10:30am PT
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I don't have a deep reservoir of experience, but I've never seen more snow plastered on Middle Cathedral than yesterday. I was imagining mixed lines up that thing, with a continuous ribbon of ice from Katwalk to the summit. It was an awesome climbing day at El Cap Base. Hopefully will get together some pretty pics to post in the next few days.
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The Warbler
climber
the edge of America
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Jan 10, 2011 - 10:55am PT
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Widows Tears approach - park a bit uphill from a point directly below the thing on a long graded shoulder. Cross the road, and wallow uphill for about a thousand vertical feet. Solo up the fall line into the bowl below the business on 45 degree ice slabs, posthole another hundred or two vertical feet higher and you're there.
Vertical rise from base of pitch 1 to top is about 1000 ft, most parties do 11 pitches or thereabouts.
After topout walk west along rim and descend gully to Inspiration Point.
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Jan 10, 2011 - 11:43am PT
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Storm coming, but temps are rising after that....it will be a nice show when it all falls down...
...but when will that be!
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pvalchev
Social climber
Mountain View, CA / Calgary, AB
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Jan 10, 2011 - 02:24pm PT
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Attempted it on Sunday, but bailed, it was warmer up there than the valley. Detailed report and a few pics @ http://sightly.net/peter/trips/widowstears2010/
For approach, we found none of the pullouts were plowed, so the best thing seems to be to park at Tunnel View - it is about 1/2 mile walk down the road from there until you reach the drainage. Curious if anybody else gets on it!
Peter
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eKat
climber
http://www.ecokath.com/
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Jan 10, 2011 - 02:26pm PT
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pvalchev. . .
TPFU!
Nice write up!
eKat
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fattrad
Mountain climber
GOP Convention
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Jan 10, 2011 - 02:30pm PT
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Pavel,
Nice try, I'm sure Misha would want in on this.
The evil one
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em kn0t
Trad climber
isle of wyde
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Jan 10, 2011 - 02:47pm PT
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It looks good from far! But ended up far from good...
Pavel, the above has to be the best quote of the day.
Thanks for the awesome writeup and photos--sure puts a dousing of ice-cold reality check on this armchair fantasizer.
Hats (& helmets) off to you and Karen! Glad you played it safe.
Em
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hoipolloi
climber
A friends backyard with the neighbors wifi
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Jan 10, 2011 - 02:47pm PT
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Nice try! Looks like it needs some even colder temps to really freeze up and then the window is probably going to be small to get it done!
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Flanders!
Trad climber
June Lake, CA
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Jan 10, 2011 - 03:05pm PT
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Peter, thanks for posting your experience !
Doug
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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Jan 10, 2011 - 03:42pm PT
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good on ya going up there.
Thanks for the TR
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The Warbler
climber
the edge of America
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Jan 10, 2011 - 05:16pm PT
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That "plowed path" all the way to the base is a bit disconcerting, and so's the rubble in the forest below. The water running under the ice on the first pitch adds to the drama, for sure. Every day ice fell from the amphitheater's rim and found its way to the fall line below. All those things were part of the picture when we went for it.
But the climb goes thru cycles, you have to get to know it, and you have to move when things are good enough. It has gotten really good ice on it top to bottom in the past, but it's real rare.
I could see all the detail of the rock and lichen on it behind the thin layer of ice I climbed on a lot of that first pitch. The steepest pitch in the middle of the route was near vertical snow. I was sinking my axe handles horizontally to the picks and kicking steps to get up it. So it was with the second to last last pitch too, less steep, but no protection.
Above the last traverse ledge on pitch 9 lots of water was moving underneath as we climbed it.
Three days after we topped out pitch 5 was in pieces in the forest, and the plowed path was a little deeper.
It's a dicey route, no doubt about it.
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pc
climber
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Jan 10, 2011 - 05:28pm PT
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Great write-up and photos Peter. Fun adventure and I'm glad you played it safe too.
Cheers,
pc
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RDB
Social climber
wa
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Jan 10, 2011 - 06:59pm PT
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Great stuff guys. Thanks for posting your experiences. Obviously the route is a real challenge in many ways. Hopefully we'll get another cold snap.
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Jan 10, 2011 - 09:55pm PT
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Wow Thanks! I hope it shapes up and you get on it this year (and tell us about it!)
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Clint Cummins
Trad climber
SF Bay area, CA
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Jan 10, 2011 - 10:01pm PT
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Thanks for sharing, Peter.
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Ed Hartouni
Trad climber
Livermore, CA
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Jan 10, 2011 - 10:06pm PT
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thanks Peter, it makes me feel better not grabbing my ice tools on Saturday night and returning Sunday morning (not that that was going to happen anyway...)
good on you guys going up there and getting to it! even if discretion turned out to be the choice
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BMcC
Trad climber
Livermore
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Jan 10, 2011 - 10:07pm PT
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Quite the ephemeral piece of ice (sure looked promising and fat in the pic CF posted)- I hope you can get on it in climbable conditions someday.
Thanks for giving it a go and for posting your pics and story.
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WBraun
climber
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Jan 10, 2011 - 10:09pm PT
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Think all you people could do it.
Two LEO valley rangers did it, and they just drive around and sit in cars all day.
You just stick those things in the ice and walk up .....
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SuperTopo on the Web
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Let us know!