Pack Raft Assisted Ice Climbing: Hillside Pillars

I have to admit that I felt pretty funny when I called Bill and told him that the pillars were in but there was no way that I was going to cross the river on foot...but I suggested a packraft....seeing how Bill crosses the mat river by packraft to get to his house, I knew he wouldn't laugh at me....he just said Ok....The river is really deep right now because the channel is narrowing from the shelf ice forming and the rocks becoming surrounded by ice....instead of blowing up both boats we just used Bills and he made two trips, one for the packs and one for me.

Bill the Ferry Man

 

I thought both of the pillars looked a little dodgy, so when Bill asked me if I had a preference, I said that we should just let the rosh decide....I won the left, Bill the right. The left was thickish at the bottom, thin in the middle, and no ice at the top...I placed my first specter!! There is no way it would of held a fall, but it was still good mental pro.

Me on the Left Pillar

 

The right pillar where Bill climbed up was kind of a hollow bell, it was so pretty to see the water running behind just a few inches of ice....

Ninja Bill, Can You Spot Him?

 

I think it probably snowed 6 inches in the 3-4 hours we were up there....it was NUKING!! So after we did the routes we bailed quickly....feels funny to be in a huge avalanche gully during a snow storm...

Slide Show!