We did not go any higher into the bowl as it was
snowing heavily and we were concerned with the
avalanche potential.
Hi folks,
On Saturday Peter Heinz, his dog Honey, and I hiked
out the winter trail at Alpental and found some good
ice up on Bryant Butress. The guide book
labeled the route 'Not Quite Plum'.
We did not go any higher into the bowl as it was
snowing heavily and we were concerned with the
avalanche potential.
The 'Not Quite Plum' area in its current shape consisted of 3 main lines ranging from estimated 2+ to 3+ with current conditions, there were also a number of possible variations to make it worth a full fun day. These routes were no more then 1 pitch and most much shorter then that. I was told that there is a second pitch above by Alex, but if there is it is not in yet. It is pretty easy to set up a top rope on a big tree and use a screw redirect to cover all the variations. you will need at least a 60m rope.
PS. the topouts are pretty thin so swing cautiously at the top unless you want very dull picks. Snow Shoes or skis are a must! (off the semi packed trail was about waist deep)
Andy
