On our last day in Ouray we went looking for a mountain route rather than go into the Ice Park which James seemed to despise a little. :-) It was windy and plumes of powder snow in the air warned us off Gravity's Rainbow, whilst Cascade Falls at the back of town was incomplete. James wanted to look at Bride's Veil, WI 5. As best we could see it looked complete and we waded up the gully to the foot.
Knowing that I would not be capable of leading the upper pitch, I led the first pitch and made a V thread stance backed up with a blade peg.............
....James led off up the upper pitch and crux. The ice was actually quite good, but the main pillar was heinously steep and neither of us could avoid taking rests on screws. Unbeknown to us both, the finishing ice was missing and James had a bit of a time frigging his way up the final 20 feet to the tree belay over some dicey ice and rock. In the end he made the final belay and I joined him to rap back down. He seemed very spooked by the experience and is not keen to climb again this week. :-(
On our last day in Ouray we went looking for a mountain route rather than go into the Ice Park which James seemed to despise a little. :-) It was windy and plumes of powder snow in the air warned us off Gravity's Rainbow, whilst Cascade Falls at the back of town was incomplete. James wanted to look at Bride's Veil, WI 5. As best we could see it looked complete and we waded up the gully to the foot.
Knowing that I would not be capable of leading the upper pitch, I led the first pitch and made a V thread stance backed up with a blade peg.............
....James led off up the upper pitch and crux. The ice was actually quite good, but the main pillar was heinously steep and neither of us could avoid taking rests on screws. Unbeknown to us both, the finishing ice was missing and James had a bit of a time frigging his way up the final 20 feet to the tree belay over some dicey ice and rock. In the end he made the final belay and I joined him to rap back down. He seemed very spooked by the experience and is not keen to climb again this week. :-(
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