January 31, 2016

On Sunday Joe M. and I climbed Odell’s Gully on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. The route is close to 1200 ft. long and contains three full pitches of WI 3. After the 2 ½  hour hike to the base of the route Joe and I roped up and set the first anchor of the first pitch of WI3 (water ice of sustained 70 degrees with some steeper bulges). The second pitch was the crux with 200 feet of sustained climbing. After the third pitch of ice we entered the upper gully which provided moderate snow climbing on a mix of deep snow up to our knees alternating with firm snow that provided great cramponing. When we got to the top of the route we were hit by Mt. Washington’s famous winds which only increased as we approached Lion’s Head, our descent route. On the descent down Lion’s Head we ran into several parties that climbed the hiking route to the summit and were hesitant to down climb a 20 ft. steep section of Lion’s Head route. I pulled out the rope and set up a hand line to aid everyone as they descended this section. Joe rappelled it and I down climbed. Forty minutes later we were at the parking lot and said our good byes….but only for two weeks when he returns to the Mt. Washington Valley to take on the steep ice of Champney Falls and Mt. Willard.

Craig John