Mount Gilbert via the North Couloir

This little-known route has become our favorite fall ice climb over the past few years. The approach from South Lake is reasonably short and takes but half a day. They gully we ascend is about 1,500' long and up to 65º steep before it ends with either a pitch and a half of mid fifth class rock climbing or if we are tiring a 4th class gully. The summit view is outstanding featuring peaks of the Evolution region and beyond to Mt. Goddard and environs. The descent is not unpleasant and goes fairly quickly back to camp. What more could one ask for in a fall gully climb? This ascent can be done as a private program or he scheduled version of this is our Alpine Ice Seminars.

Itinerary
Day One: The South Lake Trailhead west of Bishop in the South Fork of Bishop Creek is our starting point. We start on the Bishop Pass trail and then after 30 minutes take the Treasure Lakes trail for an hour or so. We then climb up slabs and circle around into the cirque below Thompson and Gilbert The approach to camp is about 3-4 hours and we hope to have time to set up camp and review skills.

Day Two: We will get off to an early start and ascend the gully. The gully is pretty obvious, ending up just west of the actual summit. The bergschrund generally presents little problem but often the slopes below the gully are quite icy and, despite the low angle.

The first few rope lengths are best belayed from the right side of the gully and fixed anchors will usually not be found. After several rope lengths the gully narrows and belays will be better protected from falling ice if they are placed on the left side of the gully. Often the ice is good enough to provide ice screw belays and we use these since the rock is often of poor quality. The crux ice pitches are at the top of the gully and in good years these last two pitches approach 60º and are smooth, green, and narrow.

At the top of the gully we drop down twenty feet and then climb a fourth class corner and gully to just west of the summit. If you want more adventure we'll take the chimney directly above the couloir's top with some 5.6 climbing.

After doing this route a number of times we decided that a better route to camp was needed. So we pioneered a direct descent back down the NE ridge and then make a series of short rappels back into the cirque 20 minutes from camp.

We intend to return to the trailhead late in the afternoon of our climbing day.

Notes
Guidebooks include Secor's “The High Sierra; Peaks, Passes and Trails”, and “Sierra Classics” by Moynier and Fiddler The best of course is “Eastern Sierra Ice” by SP Parker.
Get it from Maximus Press.

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