"Icecapades" Part 3

With the initial scare over the group assembled near the base of the ice with very little acknowledgement of what had just happened we began construction of three ledges to be our home for the next several hours (One for packs and gear one for sitting and one for traveling between positions.). After more coffee and a little liquid courage, normally cheap whiskey but can be anything hard of the cheap persuasion. We began up the vertical ice face lovingly dubbed “Icecapades” I exchanged the lead spot for a position belaying, the person assigned in securing the rope of the leading climber during the climb. After another hour the leader signaled that he has made it safely to an anchor, a theoretically fail-safe attachment point for protection and was prepared to belay the rest of us two by two up the climb. Little incident followed the actual climb itself, there were several tenuous moments when large sections of the face we were climbing slid off and crashed down the gully below our base ledges. Needless to say once everyone had gotten their climb in and had rappelled down the choice to descend was a quick and unanimous one. At this point I felt relieved and happy that I hadn’t turned back and that I had come out period. That was until the method of descent was displayed.

The glissade that I was so worried about before became the fastest and safest way down the mountain. So one by one ice axes in hand began the three thousand foot slide down the couloir. This turned out to be one of the most exhilarating things I have ever been involved in. A wonderful and seemingly endless snow slide, with only an ice axe for a brake and somewhat of a rudder, the hike up the couloir had taken us almost 3 hours and the descent less than 45 minutes. The hike back to the snowmobile was similarly arduous to the approach the sounds of rock and ice fall becoming more constant with the slightly raised temperatures of the afternoon.
After we made it back to the trucks I with no real idea why I began plying the others for the time of our next climb into the snow covered hills of Lamoille. With second instantaneous and unanimous agreement of the day we quickly made our way to O’Carroll’s and with beers in had allowed a bit of pride into our voices. The experiences I had that day changed my perspective on ice climbing and those who take enjoyment from it as I was now one of them. None the less the whole day was one of the most intimidating, mentally, and physically exhausting days of my life. The respect I gained for this aspect of a sport I have loved for many years has opened my horizons. Never again will I say that people are crazy for doing what they love just when I myself don’t fully understand it. I now have the experience of my climbing partners, a bit of personal stamina, concentration, sheer luck, and the grace of the mountain gods to thank for that.