One never knows what you are going to get.

On May 11th, 2022 I had to scout snow conditions up in Bishop Creek. I saw a short steep ice flow that I’d seen before but hadn’t got to yet.

I rounded up a strong, young guide with better ice climbing skills, and less sense than myself, Braden Downey (photographed). We headed out today before the sun rose, in colder than usual temperatures, to try our luck. Unexpectedly the ice and the climbing turned out to be great.

Mixed climbing, steep ice and a detached pillar which was somehow still standing. Maybe this route has been done before, maybe not – not important. One of the appeals of ice is its ephemeral nature and that it is constantly changing, turning back to liquid. What someone else climbed is not what you climb.

For anyone who likes numbers, we figured M5.

Want to Learn Ice Climbing? Visit our Ice Climbing School web page and get out in the winter. Or the spring!