Hollow Icicle

I think that there was something wrong with my thought process last night when I thought that it was a good idea to go climb something called Hollow Icicle. You get exactly what the name implies...an icicle that has a dull thudding sound even when you hit it gently with love in your heart....its hollow, it has no gushy ice inside, its like a twinkie without the filling.

Bill Rapping off half the upper pitch

 

Lucky for me I lost the rosh on the upper pitch! I wasn't even that excited to follow it after leading a hollow first pitch, that's not nearly as steep as the top pitch. I told Bill that I thought it looked terrible and if he really wanted to climb it I'd take one for the team and follow it. But just to the left of us was a pitch that looked way more fun, so we rapped down and moved over.

This variation was FUN! It was a super narrow slot in the rock, with a smear of ice that was no more than a foot wide in most places. If Bill didn't dress like a darn ninja, you could see him better in my pics. But as is he's the black stemming blob if you look real close.

Bill Leading the hollow icicle variation route (I have no idea what its really called or if it has a name of its own)

 

The Whole Route

 

I have to say that the picture does not do this climb justice at all. The top is STEEP!!! And way longer and harder than it looks. The dark spot on the lower pitch is where I stuck my leg through the ice on rappel. It was only about an inch thick, I was very gentle on the way up!

I was tired today. I had grand aspirations of finishing the day on Three Ring Circus, but was feeling highly unmotivated of bushwacking to it. Luckily Bill seemed to be in the same mind set, so we bailed. It felt kind of weird not returning in the dark, but we started in the dark, so I guess that's good enough!