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Mountain Conditions Report

<p>Climbed Shades of Beauty, Rick Black and Stanley Falls Sr. on Friday. Bootpack now in to all three - but with just a skiff of new snow over only 20cm of huge facets over dry ground, trailbreaking was easy. All 3 routes seemed to climb around WI4 in present conditions. Mainly good ice on shades, which is fat. Rick black is dry and very brittle on the upper half; however it's beat in with bucket feet and some hooking available - which may help you avoid huge dinnerplating. Stanley was hero ice, in perfect shape. Chalkstoned is not in; however the mixed route right of shades looks good for at least the first pitch. A 70m single rope seemed the most efficient for all routes, and allowed us to use bolt anchors except on Stanley.<br /> Undertow and other upper tangle ice did not appear to be in, not promising, from what we could see from Stanley.<br /> Debris from a previous size 2 avalanche had just made it over over the next real route left of shades (dagger feature), it appeared several days old.<br /> (Poor) Photo of Curtain Call included too, in case you're into that kinda thing. Looks less challenging than in photos from a few weeks ago.<br /> Kerkeslin was nice and Fat but also soaking wet a few days earlier.<br /> At a glance driving by, mixed master appeared mainly there but a bit scrappy after some recent warm sunny days, and missing some of the final pitch. Dead eye dick basically gone. A lot of fat ice on the weeping wall.</p>