After hearing about breakable crust in the Sea to Sky and experiencing it in person in Manning yesterday, G and I did some high level math and calculated that the Shore was the place to be for alpine. Shaun hurt his knee, Steve wanted to go flying and the old master (Beckey) was reportedly off to Harvey.

Met Graham at Lot D at 7:15. I sucked. G was faster. Nontheless in the lodge having americano/cookie by 8:30. Below Goat at 10. Snow bulletproof, no need for slowshoes. Met some guys coming back from having just done Crown Couloir. They started hiking at 5 and summited at 9. That's fast! However they also claimed it was "starting to fall apart" and that we were way too late to get up it. Oh hm?

Put on crampons, descended to Crown Pass then down Hanes Valley. Oof. Very windy. Lotsa crazy ice forming up in Hanes but "Royal Flush" not yet in shape.

Grunted up the couloir. Great conditions, even a 20m step of WI2 ice. Graham was fast, I was slow. Got cramps in both legs at once. Ate sardines. No more cramps. [^] Snow was too hard to kick steps so front or sidepointing all the way. Mostly easier than NF ramp of Harvey (not as steep) but crux icestep was harder than normal conditions on Harvey.

Got to top. One of best moderate winter conditions alpine lines existing around these parts IMHO. G went to summit while I ate more. Ran into a party of 4 up Crown by normal route. Sunny, out of wind, still cold, good times.

Back down to Crown pass, OK. Hill out of Crown Pass, I hate it, same same. over dam, back to lodge 330ish. Beer, soup in lodge. Spendy, but good.

Paid 5 bones to download. Home by 6. Hot bath, epsom salts.

Great alpine climbing conditions. Harvey, lions, NF Brunswick, stuff like that. Take advantage while it lasts. Windchill's a bitch though! I got windburn. I was so cold I was shivering in the lodge drinking my hot soup. Moving too fast to wear warmer clothes but not fast enough to stay warm. Hmm.

Pics:


Funky cold routes in Hanes Valley. Needs more climbers.


Crown Couloir, made in the shade.


Crown, Pyramid, Camel, pretty views


Waiting to download.

Good tr.Is that Fred Beckey you are referring to? What was he doing up Mt.Harvey?

I TRIED TO GIVE HIM DIRECTIONS TO THE RAMP OVER THE PHONE! HE HEARD SOME OF THEM! MAYBE HE WENT SKIING IN WHISTLER INSTEAD! WHAT? HUH?

Looks in really good shape, nice day out!
Oh, and thanks for this too

Good call [8D] Amazing how bare the walls are. Given the snowpack, I would have thought they'd be plastered.

Oh, well done!

Sweet day. Hurray for sardine power!

That was exactly my experience for most of the couple days while I've been skinning and skiing. Lots of wind, very cold. I was very, very cold which is quite rare for me actually. Temps in the valley here are forecast to -17 tonight. Good times!

ugh - it doesn't look like terribly good skiing conditions there right now. Thx for the beckey laughs

Cool trip report, I've never seen what it looks like in winter time over on that side.

I tried to get into Hanes Valley a couple days ago with Stacey but the log over Lynn creek had 1 inch of crystal clear ice over top of it to put an end to that trip.

At least your pictures are one way for me to catch a glimpse for now.

I was one of the "some guys".

This was a great route that was even more exciting then climbing NF of Harvey. Approach and descent required much more attention then Harvey as well. Great outing with a good friend on a beautiful day.

Started at 520am and were back at the cars for 1130am. If this route comes in during the Olympics get on it because you'll have the luxury of the Tram 24hours which is much better than the extra 3000ft of ascent the grind leaves you with. Total cumlutive ascent with Grind, approach, route and retrace of approach = 7245ft.

Dru,

"Met some guys coming back from having just done Crown Couloir. They started hiking at 5 and summited at 9. That's fast! However they also claimed it was "starting to fall apart" and that we were way too late to get up it. Oh hm?"

Glad to hear that you guys had a safe adventure. As to "starting to fall apart" was not my words to Graham but whatever. Even with us getting to the base of the couloir at 730am the sun was already on those upper slopes that overlook the whole couloir. Evidence of all the debris would indicate that a lot of shit funnels into this couloir from that aspect. Once you climbed higher and saw all the hanging slabs of snow that had fractured in the previous warm spell it would leave most skeptical that any day time warming might lead to more shit coming down on you. Hence my comment to Graham, because you were minutes behind him, that "we were glad to be done early after seeing those upper hanging slopes so fractured up."

East facing = goes into shade in the afternoon = less shit coming down at you.
Not the greatest line to be super early on, therefore. At least that was our plan.
Also we wanted to minimize the headlamping.

Peter, was that a Quark Ergo you guys had? I was thinking about that while shaft plunging. Must have been tricky without a spike? Or was it just supplementing a more standard second tool?

I would agree about East facing slopes but south easting slopes are in the sun early and its not till the late afternoon for them to freeze again. Our plans were either for the early am start or take the tram up and go for an evening ramble, at least that was our thoughts.

That was a Quark Ergo! and yes it was just a second tool to go with a straight shafted alpine tool. Although the poles really seemed to be the ticket to easy travel on the day.

Looks like a fun climb in the winter.It's a fun scramble in the summer.I like when people tell you it's too late to do something, that just makes you want to go harder.

A good tough slog, Dru. Those photos really make this place look like the frozen tundra... Sardines a good cure for Cramps? Unfortunately no good for me, I am allergic to these things.

K