4th pitch of Mean Green
…is not necessarily a better brownie, especially when it comes to dirty ice.
The Southfork is not is stellar shape this year. Climbs like Moratorium haven’t seen enough water to form up properly, while South-facing routes like Ovisight haven’t seen enough cold.
Mr. Mulkey has pulled off ascents of Pillars of the Community and the mixed start to Joy After Pain (the latter with help from a friend, see video and photos at coldfear.com) but even those climbs are beginning to sublimate away.
We squeaked by the third pitch of Broken Hearts.
On the return trip, it was gone.
6th pitch of Broken Hearts
Carotid Artery wasn’t even close enough for me to agonize over.
Mean Green looked to be missing the fourth pitch, but it turned out that the ice was just so full of dirt, you could barely distinguish it from the rock.
The Valley from the top of pitch 5, Mean Green
It feels like the season has never gotten started this year; thoughts of Canada are already popping into my head unbidden.
Ten Sleep
We’ll give it a couple of more weeks.
Dedicated to the Game 