Hardwear Sessions

By Sam Magro, Photographer/Guide

Of the routes that went up over the past few months the first winter ascent of Ravens Crack was the highlight. Stephen Koch and I skied in at 4am in January climbed 600' of ice (Prospector Falls WI4) and steep snow to the base of the Ravens Crack. There we embarked on 1,200' of spectacular sustained mixed climbing topping out at WI5 M7. We didn't complete the climb the first go and returned 2 weeks later to complete the route in a 22 hour round trip day. The route has some history so if you want to put it on the blog I would like to include that as well

I came back to Bozeman this year on Thanksgiving Day after 2 months of cragging in Kentucky and Tennesee. It was a drastic change from my standard West Coast rock n road trip. Primarily the rock is all cragging with no multi-pitch or marathon days. I was missing the long days and longed to be back in MT among the mountains.

While I was climbing on steep sand stone pockets and the infamous cracks of the T-wall, my Montana Brethren was starting to scrape around on alpine ice. I was back in town for less than a week when Aaron Thrasher and myself decided to try a new mixed line on the north face of?????? The idea was hatched and a date was planned to head deep in to the Beartooth Mountains. The weekend came and along with it a brutal cold snap of -10 in town which would be around -20 on the north face of ???? Having the luxury of being locals we simply opted to wait for prime conditions.

It came one week later just before the Bozeman Ice Festival. This round we invited my brother Whit to join. We got to the trailhead by 8pm and went straight to bed. The temps were quite pleasant and the amount of snow fall was minimal enough to merit using shoes on the initial approach.

We awoke pre-dawn and by 5 am were hiking up East Rose Bud canyon in the fading light of the massive moon.

Sam Magro climbing frozen moss and thin ice on FA of Moon Burn (WI4, M5, 300m) Beartooth Mountains, MT | Photo by Aaron Thrasher

Sam Magro entering the crux roof pitch on first known winter ascent of Raven Crack on Prospector Mountain of Death Canyon, Tetons, Wyoming | Photo by Stephen Koch

Sam Magro nearing the end of a long day on first winter ascent of Raven Crack in Death Canyon, Tetons, Wyoming | Photo by Stephen Koch

Whit Magro on FA of Golden Throat, Beartooth Mountains, WY | Photo by Sam Magro

Justin Griffin on pitch 2 of the Golden Graham Wall, Beartooth Mountains, WY | Photo by Sam Magro