Two Days at the Dregs

Day One:

Henry asked me to go check out his project up at the Dregs, he said he'd bolted a pretty and hard arete. Given the fact that almost every 'arete' in Bozeman is more of a rounded prow I was pretty skeptical. It turns out that I was wrong to doubt Henry's assessment, he bolted what must be one of the sharpest overhanging aretes I've ever seen.

The Incisor as seen from the trail. It's the downhill side of that big hanging block behind the tree.

This is the stellar view from the main wall of climbs at the Dregs, unlike other areas in Gallatin Canyon there's almost no river or car noise up here.

Henry just after whipping from his day one high point.

The Incisor Arete is brutally hard, with a crux only 20ft tall it's amazing how full body tired you get trying it. Your hands are tired of pinching and crimping, your forearms and biceps are burning from long moves and slaps on small holds, your legs are shaking from trying to wrap the arete with your left thigh while standing on it with your right foot, and your mind is whimpering that the whole thing is going to fall over like a giant cleaver.

Day Two:
Yesterday when Henry suggested we go back up to the Incisor I was pretty sure we'd end up freezing our butts off at the cave instead. Fortunately more psyched heads prevailed and we ended up hiking up and having a great session.

 The stick was a life saver on the S2 approach, although crampons would have been better.

Henry forgot his harness so he climbed all day in this full body maternity harness.

 Here's the traverse over from the base of the main wall to 'Count Dracula', which is both the warm-up and has the rappel anchor to get down to the Incisor. 

Here's Henry belaying me over to the base of the Count, note the obligatory hip belay, because if you're short roping snowy traverses gri-gris are bad form. There aren't any pictures after this (cold fingers), but we both had a couple good burns at the Incisor. Henry was able to make another high point and then surpass it. He was essentially through the crux, so I'm sure he's hoping for a day just a couple degrees warmer for the send. I managed all the moves, now I'll have to start giving it redpoint burns. We're both thinking it's someplace near 13b. I'm a bit out of shape, but it seems to be quite a bit harder than Hantavirus at the cave.