GREAT? As an ice climb, yes. WHITE? Not really, more yellow and brown at this time of year. ICICLE? Yes there was still some ice and a tiny bit of snow.

When Andy Jacobsen was 17 or so, he climbed the GWI in powder snow that was nipple deep. He told me that story many years ago and we’ve been waiting for the perfect storm to fill it in again so we could potentially ski/huck our carcasses down the classic Wasatch ice climb without ropes. Ha! When in the hell are we really going to pass up a bottomless ski day for that? Never! So I guess we might as well ski it in terrible conditions just to tick the damn thing off.

Andy is always game to attempt bad ideas, but he told me I would have to join him on something really stupid in trade for this.

Sleephiking? Or, maybe just hoping that if I close my eyes it'll go away.

We hiked up the chute to the West of GWI, which serves as the walk off. Climbing up the ice is more fun and much better form, but we couldn't tell if the final pitch was in. And we didn't want to spend too much time exposed to ice fall since the temps were warming up.

We down-climbed to a sling that was 30ft from the start of the waterfall.

Andy mentioned he may clear some loose ice off so it wouldn't fall on us. It sounded like all hell breaking loose after he disappeared over the edge.

I followed on two wet and slippery ropes. No, you didn't miss it, we haven't skied anything yet.

And another rap over 'the bulge' would finally put us on snow.

A beautifully nasty place to be.

Andrew McLean sums it up well with a standard dry understatement- 'I don't think anybody who has done this, or tried to do it would rave about the quality of skiing'. It is a great place to practice belayed skiing thanks to the bomber anchors.

Conditions were pretty ugly and so were the turns!

A good partner holds you on belay AND gets the shots!

Finally off the rope and making some nice turns.

Andy followed on rappel.

Nobody better to have along in the mountains.

Final pitch of ice on rappel

Pretty amazing what a thin metal edge will stick to!

Still holding on, but just barely.

Finally too steep to hold an edge and that's where the rope comes in.

A short ski through the brush and done!

A day and line that I had been dreading and putting off for years turned out to just be fun and exciting. We both committed to coming back and doing this in better conditions and better fashion. Maybe it won’t be in bottomless snow, but at least some snow.
ONE MORE CHUTE TO GO! The weather looks a little rough this week, but we’ll see if the Pfiefferhorn is in shape.

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