We have had a nice early season transition into winter here in Alaska. The snow is falling and the ice is in! As the snowpack has been slowly forming, ice climbing tends to take the forefront for early season activities. We are lucky enough to have many locations around Anchorage that give us climbing options no matter what the weather is.
My parters and I have been able to get out on a few different occasions. One of the best early season spots is the Portage Valley. Just south of Anchorage at the end of Turnagain Arm, this valley holds many excellent ice climbs. It’s always good to go out and swing the tools again. In the Middle Glacier area, I was able to climb Luckyman and Skin Game as a warmup. They are both consistent climbs that form every year. Here’s a shot of Joe on Luckyman a couple years ago.
Joe on Luckyman WI4 100m
Further east in the valley, my friend Josh and I were able to climb Dreams of Brown Moose. This route is a classic of the area. Situated in a avalanche path, it is necessary to pick days when the hazard is low. Early season low snow levels make for a much safer experience.
The perfect amount of snow to go climb Dreams. Not much to avalanche.
We climbed a bunch of great ice pitches on this classic route. Dreams is WI4 and 130 meters long. Nice to get back in the steeps again.
Josh on the first steep pitch
Another location that tends to come in early is Caribou Creek. Located Northwest of Anchorage in the Matanuska Valley, the colder temperatures there consistently form climbs earlier than other costal locations. The access crux is the creek, as it needs to be iced up before the majority of the climbs can be easily reached. We waited for the ice to form up this year, and then were able to use skis to get up the canyon. I have walked up there, taken fat bikes, and skied. This time we probably could have got away with ice skates.
The ice climbs are looking good in Caribou this year. Thag-O-Mizer is a climb that I have looked at for awhile hoping it would come in, and it was very exciting to come around the corner in the canyon to see it looking fat. The fickly nature of ice climbing drives us to explore, season changes present all sorts of exciting opportunities.
Thag-O-Mizer on the right, and an anemic Robopick on the left.
Pitch one of Thag-O-Mizer
Josh pulling over pitch two with the partially frozen Caribou Creek below.
Rappelling back over the crux WI4+ column of Thag-O-Mizer
Exploring mixed terrain below the partially formed Double Take column.
Even with the shorter daylight of early winter, the Caribou Creek approach is manageable. With the icy ski out we even had the luxury of finishing without headlamps on.
Ice climbing season is just beginning. There is plenty to do, and more climbs are forming. Call or email me today to get some ideas for your next ice climbing adventure.