Lyell 4 + 5

In August 2012, Team Fuzzy Peaches (myself, Stephan, Darcie and Alex) set off in the wee hours of the morning to climb Lyell Peak 4 and Lyell Peak 5 from the north ridge of the Lyell 3 / 4 col.

After an early protein breakfast and a few last minute check of clothes, head lamps, crampons, ice screws, ice aces, water, lunch and trail mix with Fuzzy Peaches to help "send our Project", we were ready to leave the warm confines of the Lyell hut at 5:00 am.  (Maybe not quite an "alpine start", but we got burned by the weather on our first attempt a few days earlier so WTF!!!)

We set off in the dark, across mostly firm snow bridges and solid crevasses to watch the sun rise on the Lyell Glacier.

Its about a 4 hour hike across the snowfields and glacier to get to the Lyell Peaks 1 to 5.  Along the way, we passed the odd snow slide and avalanche which reminded us that we weren't in Kansas anymore (or chillin' on the dock at Bon Echo for that matter!).

Lyell 4 (shown below) is an impressive hunk of rock with a beautify snow ridge on the north slope.

Fortunately, Darcie and I brought along Alex and Stephan to do all the snow, ice and loose rock leading!  I think Stephan dug through the snow and placed one ice screw along the steepening ridge.

And it was steep!  A very long drop on either side of the ridge.

Still, it was kind of cool being "way up there".

The next few pitches were rocky, starting with a 5.4 "crux" with some really loose and wet rock mixed with snow and ice.  Unbelievable (unless you've been to the Rockies)!!!

Darcie, Stephan and I hung out on a windy, icy belay while Alex negotiated his way up the frozen choss.  A few fist-sized rocks would come whistling by, but we were protected by a large rock outcrop.  Every hold, and I mean "every single one" needed to be tested before you could put your weight on it.  And forget about pulling out.  Most holds "moved" so pulling down was the preferred method.  We also had to be careful about our foot placements since things were moving while we moved as well.

Several pitches of rock were followed by more pitches of snow and ice.  The conditions were getting sketchy as we plunged deeper into the softening snow.  Fortunately Team Fuzzy Peaches knew what we were doing (?) and we had our nutritional stash to keep us going.

Alex built awesome snow anchors.

Stephan built rock anchors out of nothing!

And Darcie and I ... well we helped keep the spirits high!

Just a couple of DFU (don't fuck up) snow pitches to go ...

... and then we were at the summit of Lyell 4.  Breathtaking at 3,400 m (11,155 ft) ...
Alex ...

Darcie ...

Stephan ...

... Sean ... and just in time for the clouds to roll in ... damn!

We had little time to celebrate.  Some food, some water, some Fuzzy Peaches and it was time to move on to Lyell 5.  No way we were going to retreat back down Lyell 4.  There was just this long and tricky rock and snow ridge between Lyell 4 and Lyell 5 to climb.  It looked so simple when you could see ...

... not so simple when you can't see and its getting late in the afternoon and we've got a long, long way to go!

Time to suck it up and get on with the job!

I wasn't worried (much).  Although I wasn't too thrilled about the deteriorating conditions at 11,000 feet above God knows what!  We had food.  We had water.  We had Fuzzy Peaches and we had fresh tracks to follow if the visibility dropped to zero.  Time to move!

A few hours of climbing later and we were at the summit of Lyell 5 at 3,390 m (11,122 ft).  Hurray!!!

I can't see a freaking thing!!!  And it was time for dinner ... Darcie ... what's on the menu?

After a quick bite of whatever we had left in our packs, it was time to descend the Lyell 5 south snow ridge.  We plunged up to our hips down the steep snow slope, crossed the now familiar crevasse field, rapped down a steep snow gully to save time and then dragged our asses back to the Lyell Hut around 9:30 pm.  16 hours of fun in the mountains and 2 awesome 11,000 ft peaks in the Rockies!

Long day?  Ya ...

Worth it?  Just check out those smiles!!!!!

Thank you Alex, Stephan and Darcie.  Next time we'll get up EARLY!