Trip Descriptions

“Figured we needed a thread to post descriptions of the route by others.

Here's one from http://www.summitpost.com/show/mread.pl?f_id=24&t_id=498

Depends on conditions. Generally it is not considered a hard winter climb or even a classic ice climb but it is quite popular and the longest of its type in the Daks at some 600m.

In big snow years it can be far easer than summer as the waterfall is filled with snow and there is no ice to climb.

In really big snow years there is a considerable avalanche danger. Last year for example it was "closed" by park rangers a number of times due to avalanche conditions.

In lean years there can be about a 50 foot section of WI 2 and a great deal of varglassed rock which can be tricky.

If you are a WI4~5 Ice climber it will disappoint, if you are a classic “North Face” climber is will also disappoint. If you are typical joe-hiker with no snow mountaineering or ice climbing experience you will be scared #&%!$less and end up climbing up it through the trees.”

“Check out

http://www.summitpost.com/show/route_link.pl/route_id/336/object_id/434”

“One from http://www.viewsfromthetop.com -- I searched the forums for Trap Dike.


If it isn't filled with snow, it will be a NEI 2 ice climb, which is steep, off vertical ice that requires screws, a rope, etc. I wandered up into the mouth of it last January and it was pretty impressive; it was a blustery day, and the wind was howling through it with so much force that it was impossible to face into it without goggles and a balaclava.

I would really like to climb it this winter, but I'm not certain about how safe the slabs above the dyke are. I saw an awful lot of small avalanches up high, so summitting via the Trap Dike might be dangerous. I think most parties climb the crux and then rap back down.”