We got out this weekend (sunday) after seeing Kia's video and the ice was pretty killer. Thin in spots and nothing super thick, but it was a blast. We saw another team from the CalTech Alpine Club climbing the left side of the North Face and we climbed the right side. Everyone rapped off below the headwall, where the ice got real then and sketchy. We started pretty late in the day and finished the rap in the dark, but things couldn't have gone better! Oh, and it was my first time to ever ice climb, which made this all the more killer.
Tahquitz from the road
 |
 |
|
 Tahquitz (2010_02_07) from the road Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
 |
 |
|
|
|
 Suicide Rock from Tahquitz (2010_02_07) Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 The Trough area of Tahquitz (2010_02_07) Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
Ice!
|
|
|
 Ice on Tahquitz (2010_02_07) Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 Tim leading something on the North Face of Tahquitz Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 Tim leading - Photo by Hamik from the route next to us Credit: Hamik |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 simuling under tim - Photo by Hamik from the route next to us Credit: Hamik |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 Getting ready to rap off the North Face, Tahquitz 2010_02_07 Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
|
|
|
 rapping off the North Face of Tahquitz (2010_02_07) Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
Round 2! 2010_02_12 Bill Sherman, Hamik Mukelyan, Jordan Ramey
Great pics! Here are some more that I thought were pretty awesome too. Yesterday was a truly epic day of climbing in an amazing location!
This video of Hamik belaying Bill on the last pitch is hilarious. It was a constant snowstorm that Bill was unleashing as he ended the pitch wading through the deep loose snow covered in a thin layer of ice. I was 100% sheltered a few feet further left under a bulge, so I got to document the misery ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=364xygXzIHk
We soloed the right facing dihedral. This pic shows the steepness pretty well. It was incredibly solid, even the little bulge about halfway up.
|
|
|
 Showing how steep the first pitch was. We climbed the right facing dihedral in the right of the pic. Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
Hamik leading the 3rd pitch to put us at the base of the waterfall ice!
|
|
|
 Hamik leading the 3rd pitch. Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
Waterfall ICE!
|
|
|
 So much ICE! Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
What are the screaming barfies? Well, I can begin to describe them now. Apparently my "womens" gloves I had bought the night before coupled with my gumby bashing knuckle skills gave me a quick education in pain!
|
|
|
 What are the screaming barfies? Well, I got a taste. Apparently my "womens" gloves I had bought the night before coupled with my gumby bashing knuckle skills gave me a quick education Credit: Bill Sherman |
||
|
|
Bill leading the crux pitch. This was definitely a blast to follow!
|
|
|
 Bill looking gnarly leading the 4th (crux) pitch. The ice for the feet was THIN here on this first move, but the rest of the pitch was stellar! Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
We topped out near this tree then followed the ridge up to the summit to sign the register. Last signature was from November 2009!
|
|
|
 Bill's the serious one ;) Topping out the North Face (2010_02_12) Credit: Jordan Ramey |
||
|
|
