New Route and Other Route Info

John Frieh, Brian Schmitz, Pete Tapley and I spent a couple of chilly days working on some routes up and right of Hangover. Both Pete and Brian ended up sending a new Hyalite classic they called Home Field Advantage (M7, 25 meters). Quite simply, this route is a must do. The start provides an instant pump, dry tooling on cobbles up the overhanging groove is spectacular, getting onto the rest is tenuous, and the steep ice moves above are memorable.

This alcove bakes as much as any in Hyalite so we needed the sun due to the cold temps but as it warms up you'll probably want to get on it before the sun. The sun is hitting the top right now at 12:30. I bet this route goes away before too long. I doubt the freeze will keep up with the melt. Maybe I'm wrong and it'll become a big fat pillar. We'll see.

As an update, there is now a great, safe donkey trail leading to Hangover. It goes around the left side of the G1 cliff. Just past Lower Greensleeves you can keep going out left on a trail toward Upper Greensleeves (I put in on New Years Day). To get to Hangover, cut back right above the cliff and go up to through the trees to the base of the Hangover cliff and then left to the climb. This avoids the deep, loaded snow on the traverse from Genesis 2.

Also, Through Four More is in fine shape and is waiting first tracks of the season. This is the left hand of the two ice blobs easily seen from the parking lot. It doesn't look formed from the road but it is. See my photo attached. It's a bit thin at the bottom but will go easily. The pin anchor on top is visible but in unknown condition. Be prepared to leave a V-thread. This is another great moderate route to add to the Genesis area quiver.

Despite the very cold temps, there was a fair amount of climbing going on up Hyalite this weekend. I heard or saw groups all over the Unnamed Wall, on Cleo's, Scepter and Airborne Ranger (in mixed conditions). There should be some good trails getting around so good luck and have fun. Watch out for loaded pockets!

Home Field Advantage

As you walk up below the cliff toward Through 4 More, there is a hidden alcove that contains Home Field Advantage. It's only partially visible from the top of G2 and completely invisible from the parking lot. In 10 years of looking at this, I have never seen it so fat. There was a very old sling on tree at the top and I have some memory from when I was putting together "Winter Dance" that some folks had tried top roping this back in the day. Otherwise I don't think it had been climbed before despite being so close to the most popular ice routes in Montana. If anyone knows differently, please let me know.

Partial because of the cold, partially because of the fragile nature of the lower dangler, partially because we wanted it to be accessible to more people (and perhaps climbable also when it is not so fat), we decided to put a few bolts in. Four good bolts protect the lower half (they are a little close but so is the ground) and one bolt (tested) protects coming off the rest onto the steep ice pillar.

We wanted to work on the cobble mixed/rock routes to the right but didn't have the time nor the battery power to get on them. John did try to clean the obvious projecting cobble but couldn't get it to do anything more than wiggle. We established a good, chain anchor so they are there ready for top roping/projecting. Although the cobbles are amazing, the rock is iffy so it's unsure if they'll take quality bolts or not. If not, they could be fun top rope climbs. You can climb the mixed, groove corner on the right to reach the anchor.

Brian attempted, ground up, the obvious overhanging crack on the right side of the big groove. Due to petrified ash farming, poor gear and unacceptable dirt eye boogers he bailed. It's quite a line and still there, waiting, for someone with the gumption for such things.

On another note, I have some video I shot with my digital camera. I shot it vertical however and do not know what software to use to rotate it for proper viewing. If anyone knows how to do this drop me a line. I'd like to post some of the video. Thanks! I will be posting some more shots of the climb on my Facebook page as well: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/First-Ascent-Press/9069416142?r…