Guided all of Sacre Bleu, save for the last 40 m, yesterday. Biked in on
dry roads to the trailhead. No snow on the trail nor on the approach
talus. Climbed all the ice right from ground zero, fist pitch an
intresting WI 4 pillar (one Leeper Z piton, one knifeblade). Then a long
and stepped gulley ramble very similar in length and difficulty to This
House of Sky, another WI 4 pillar 1000 feet higher. Then into the
approach ice for Sacre Bleu, all the ice is there. Boot top snow in
narrow strips of lee. Low hazard in the last 100m to Sacre Bleu. 4 pm,
for us, at the base of the last 40m so we bailed to get into the timber
before dark. Two 70m raps with some downclimbing then a traverse skier's
right into the timber. Two 30m raps off trees to reach the base of the
route. Great climbing, long day.
Happy trails
Barry Blanchard
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