Kangaroo Temple

 

Description:  I finally got around to climbing the North Face route on Memorial day in 2016, this route has been made into a classic by the Seattle Mountaineers basic class as it possesses many excellent and unique challenges for folks learning to climb in the alpine.  I decided to give it a go in boots and it certainly got my attention in a few spots.  The first pitch or two follow a broken arete that is low 5th and eventually end at bolts that are put in for the rap.  After that there is a fairly technical move up onto a boulder with a small tree at the base followed by a simple corner,  I then belayed from here to minimize the rope drage for the fun traverse.  The traverse has been know to thwart many a nervous climber, but the climbing isn't that difficult.  After the traverse I found the step across to be committing and scary, in part because I was wearing a ballcap under my helmet that made this move blind.  Then we moved up a flairing crack system that proved to be quite tricky for the first 5-10 feet before easing off. - not sure if this is the right way as it felt more like 5.7 than 5.4. I believe the more common route traverses further right before ascending, but that ledge was icy so we were forced to ascend.  A scramble from the summit gets you back to the bolted rap. We did a single rap from the top and then a double rap from the next rap to the anchor.  This route was made more difficult by the challenging snow conditions on the de-proach that was right in that sweet spot where crampons wouldn't really work and plunge stepping was great until you hit a firm spot.  Well and the flesh eating snow Gnomes that gobbled up our party on the way out.