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Sherman Climb (1)

Statistics

  • Date - 12/17/2010
  • Elevation - 11,000'
  • Route - Sherman Climb
  • Miles - 2.0
  • Elevation Gain - 1,000'
  • ACME Mapper - Link
  • CalTopo - Link
  • Partners - Jeff Shafer

Description

Jeff and I were using more leave before the end of the year and decided to make an attempt on the Sherman Climb outside of Lake City, Colorado.  After getting some good information from some fellow ice climbers, we day tripped the climb from 3:00 to 7:00 door-to-door.  Jeff drove from Highlands Ranch, Colorado, to the ghost town of Sherman, Colorado, as I dosed off from Poncha Springs, Colorado, to Blue Mesa Reservoir.  A few inches of fresh snow had fallen over the past 24 hours, but the approach was relatively easy taking approximately 30 minutes from the road closure to the base of the climb.  We geared up and I took an easy line on the first pitch not able to find the bolts on climber's left.  I brought Jeff up after sinking in two screws and slinging a small ice column.

We hiked up to pitch 2 for a hundred feet or so and built another anchor in the ice.  Jeff led out directly above us taking a harder line than required in a couple of sections.  He used the bolts in the rock face to the left of the pillar to bring me up.  I worked up and to the right getting a couple of screws in on a relatively thin traverse.  After reaching better ice, I continued to circle to the right on the cauliflower ice of the cone to a no hands rest on the pillar's right side.  I worked my way up the pillar and then slogged through some snow to reach a large tree on climber's left at the top of the climb.

Jeff joined me at the top of pitch 3 and we rapped back down to the bolts on the rock face.  We rappelled the second pitch and then scrambled around the top of pitch 1 until we found the bolts on a large boulder farther to climber's left and proceeded back to the base of the climb.  After a quick hike out, we found ourselves back on the road and enjoying a cold beverage.

Photos

Sherman ClimbThe left side of pitch 1.The right side of pitch 1.Pitch 2 and 3ViewsPitch 2 and 3Jeff leading pitch 2.Jeff leading pitch 2.James leading pitch 3.James leading pitch 3.James leading pitch 3.James leading pitch 3.James leading pitch 3.James leading pitch 3.Jeff finishing pitch 3.Jeff RappelJames RappelJames RappelJeff RappelSherman ClimbJamesJeff