The West Boulder

Submitted by Snarg on Sat, 01/24/2009 - 12:45

Has anyone ever done any climbs up the West Boulder or any of its side drainages? Big friggin country back there. These are up in Falls Creek on the north facing (right) side. Snowpack was pretty thin and not too much wind loading. Its only a modest 10 miles in. A highly recommended 2 day outing if you want some punishment and a little ice to climb.

Amy Barwick and I climbed these last Wednesday.

(picture isn't working hopefully the link will)

We started with the one on the left, 60m; a 15m ramp of WI3 and another blob up at the top of a snowslope above. Then we traversed over and down to the start of the other one which was a full pitch of WI2/3 and then a short pitch of 3 to top out. They're fun alpine climbs with the full range of ice conditions, good flow underneath, not a melt freeze. 

If it was previously unrecorded, we would like to call these climbs (Left)Starlight and (Right)Starbright. The views of the night sky were pretty incedible up there, even with a first light start from camp we didn't get back to the car till midnight-thirty.

-Olin