NW Face: Above The Sleeping City

This wall, when viewed from the canyon floor, reveals many options. We climbed quite a direct line to the top as viewed from below. Connecting couloirs and snow ramps and passing over rotten rock bands, we slowly made our way to the summit. It felt much more challenging and alpine (read poor rock!) than the East Face. We began in the early morning darkness and we descended in the dark! Maybe we were just slow, it felt steep, though! We both really enjoyed having completed this alpine climb, as I recall...we shuddered at the thought of setting up rappels and retreating. It was great day in the mountains. But many stout trees can be found which provide ample stances.

We descended the West ridge to a low angle couloir and the thrash back to the the Big Cottonwood Canyon Road.

We used pitons, snow pickets, and some nuts and cams. Take a lot of slings. Crampons were worn the entire climb and we both used two tools.