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| The Spiral Staircase (WI-3/4) |
On Sunday I got up to Vail for the first time. Turns out the reputation for outstanding ice climbing is warranted! My partner, Brad, has been climbing in the area for 20+ years, and he knew how to beat the ski traffic. We made it an early day, leaving the Golden park & ride at 05:00, and departing Vail by 14:00. Home before dark.
My nostrils froze together intermittently on the short approach up to the climbs. The ice made a sharp *clack*, *clack*, as we dug into it, and screeched like fingernails on a chalkboard when someone wrenched a tool free. Very brittle. Getting screws in was a battle.
I led Spiral Staircase to start off with, and it turns out that when your toes are numb it's easy to kick to hard and beat them bloody. Lots of time spent shaking out the hands!
Above, we top-roped the Pencil and the Eraser. Both seemed hard. The Pencil was really fun and technical, with wild bloby features. Running water down the lower half, despite the cold. The Eraser was straight up vertical and sustained.
Things had turned into a zoo by the time we descended back to the base around 13:00. It seems that noon is the fashionable hour to show up for these climbs. It's hard to blame them. The 25 F high felt downright balmy. All in all a very satisfying day!
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