Glacier Mountaineering Society

Sat, May 20 2006 - Vertical Tune-Up (View Original Event Details)

Coordinator(s):		Jer Lundgren
Participants:		Jer Lundgren

Write Up:
For the second year I offered an early-season opportunity to learn more vertical skills or to just come out and climb if you already were a rock climber. Early season outings are always a risk in NW Montana, and on this trip to Stone Hill the weather did not entirely cooperate. Basically, we had typical spring weather: sun, rain and wind. We set up half a dozen top ropes on the Hold Up Bluffs in the morning, but mostly climbed in the corner where "Cripple Crack" and "Fear and Smear" kept us out of the weather at least a little bit. Most folks could probably climb "Cripple Crack" no matter what the weather. Just about the time that the sun would dry off the rock, another rain shower would arrive. This was discouraging enough to about half the folks and they left pretty early in the day. The other half decided that they were there to climb, so we climbed anyway, slippery rock or not — the luxury of top ropes. Toward the end of the day the weather gradually got better and we had a pretty good late afternoon. The GMS crew that came out this year included Guy Bateman, Alice Ford, Dennis Bonawitz, Michael Barragan, Rhonda White, Bruce White, Mike Hahn, Jim Foster, Ronnie Laudati, Warren Lane, Colter Lane, Trevor Helwig and Ken McDermott.

I again encourage GMS members to come out for this event. Even if you do not want to be a rock climber and want to stick with mountaineering and scrambling, there is good transference, and doing a little rock climbing can put some of Glacier's peaks into a different perspective.

Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Tim Anderson at twamontana@gmail.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.