Sphinx Is A Go

Submitted by bmartin on Thu, 10/17/2013 - 12:37
The Sphinx is ready for action folks. Do to our inability to route find we wound up at the base of the face and did the Lowe Direct yesterday and it was a swell outing. It was my first time up there but things look fat. All of the routes in the Winter Dance book are in as well as others. Go get it!

The winds picked up created an 8 inch wind slab that's sitting on weak facets. I was spooked to cross the small slope leading onto the north face since there were cliffs below me and this was near the spot that killed two climbers in 2004. I didn't want a repeat performance. Tracks from a few days ago were gone in these loaded gullies, but visible on the other side. Here's a link to a YouTube I made about the conditions. If you go, be careful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwbuhiNi9l8

Eye candy from last weekend, 10.4.14. Everything was in, down to the base. We havnt seen the cold temps this week like we did last week so I imagine things have changed. Hopefully going back on Sunday and will update conditions if I do.

Looking good up there! I might have to break my "only go back once every ten years" rule for the Sphinx! I recall someone did the beautiful looking route between "The Lowe Route" and the "Earl Trimble". Does anyone have a name or any info? thanks! joewjosephson@gmail.com

The warm weather just about wiped it out. I was hoping Wednesday night's cold front would help but alas, just another long walk. Atleast we got to see a grizzly bear mulling around the base of the route when we rounded the corner. Direct is mostly gone (except for the low angle stuff), crux pillar is definitely not in and the pitch above is pretty much not in (not giant hole in the middle). There is ice, but its very thin. First photo is from the base of the direct.
Madison, Gallatin, Absaroka Mountain Ranges