Hillyer Ravine

Hillyer Ravine is located on the Northside of Katterskill High Peak (elev. 3,655 ft).  At the roadside parking area the elevation is somewhere between 500 and 700 feet.  Topping out at the end of the day, we were at approximately 2,500+ feet.  The view of South Mountain (elev. 2,460) directly across from us, which we seemed to be looking down on, was spectacular.

 

Topography

 

The view from Hillyer Ravine.

When Alan and I parked and started our approach the temperature on the car’s digital thermometer read 8 degrees.  I just checked that day’s observed temperatures and the low was -8 and the high was 26 degrees.  Luckily for us, there was hardly any wind in the ravines we were unaffected by the awful wind-chill that ran wild elsewhere in the Catskills.  However, the ice was hard-frozen from the prior day’s sudden deep freeze (the observed high for that day was only 13 degrees).  Ice that forms and freezes too quickly isn’t always ideal for climbing.  In contrast, iced formed slowly in more moderate temperature is softer and more suited for climbing.  Extremely cold ice is usually brittle and shatters or “dinner-plates” when struck.  Also if it is too cold your picks may end up freezing in the ice and you need to spend a good deal of time and energy twisting and pulling them free.  We ended up with both of those problems but I’ve experienced these conditions before and was able to adjust accordingly.    

 

The approach up the mountain took us nearly 90 minutes.  The first thirty minutes was a steep bushwhack on sugar granule snow up a rocky slope.  After a few hundred feet we moved to our “right” (from our perspective of looking up the mountain, the road to our backs) following a flatter but still uphill traverse along the mountain.  Eventually, we reached a rock carrion and saw blazed trees and boot prints along trail that switch-backed up the mountain.  The trail made our progress much easier, but it was still a long and difficult hike.  We pushed on harder as we could see the ravine’s indent in the mountain and the emerging ice flows. It was then the trail again became rocky and rugged.  By the time we reached the base of Pitch 1, Alan and I were changing out of our sweat-soaked undershirts into fresh baselayers we had both wisely packed.  Staying dry in the cold is key!   
 

The ice route in Hillyer Ravine is made up of four pitches, each about 30-40 feet tall and somewhere in the WI3-4 range of difficulty.  The first pitch is a scramble up narrow ice flows, the second and third pitches are wide and full of options.  The fourth pitch is a bit narrower.  Alan and I moved quickly to the top through easier channels, saving the harder climbing for later.  We were able to top out after only about 90 minutes of enjoyable steady climbing.  Despite the temperature, our pace kept us warm and neither of us seemed to notice the cold.  As we ascended, the view of South Mountain became bigger and better and the having the vast open distance between me and the world below felt wonderful and refreshing.  The only other party to join us turned out to be climber extraordinaire Silas Rossi, who’s always a welcome addition to have in the backcountry thanks to his skill and expertise.  After summiting, Silas and his partner moved on to Viola Ravine and Alan and I rappelled down to the lower pitches to engage in more challenging climbing.   

 

Pitch 1

Alan, approaching Pitch 2.





Pitch 3.









Glancing at the Pillar, on Pitch 3.
 



On one of the final pitches of climbing.



 


Topping out!

On what I believe to be the third pitch was a huge ice pillar that looked scary as well as fantastic.  Alan and I agreed that would be a climb we would look for on our descent.  Alan decided he would lead what looked like an easier line to the pillar’s right, and then walk over from the top to set up a top-rope above the pillar.  Turns out this easier line was a brutally difficult lead with the ice being as brittle, hard, and unpredictable as we’ve seen all day.  At one point, Alan struck hollow ice with his tool and underneath was water trapped under pressure that first shot out and then gurgled for a good minute before finally stopping.  Luckily, Alan braced himself and kept his calm waiting it out.  His gloves and jacket kept him dry, but his ice tool ended up freezing itself to his glove.  While following him up the route and cleaning screws, I discovered one of the screws became frozen under the water flow and I had to hang on the rope and beat it out with my ice axe for a few minutes in order to free it.  What looked like a straightforward WI3 climb turned out to be more like WI4+ thanks to the awkward ice conditions.  It goes to show that climbing ice isn’t just about skill, technique, strength or endurance.  A huge part of being successful and safe is having the ability to read, understand, and anticipate the ever-changing nature of frozen water.   



ICE PILLAR!

 



Ice Pillar, with the rope following my climb.  You can make out Alan at the top for a sense of its size.
 



For the pillar, the anchor was set on a tree above and Alan lowered me down the route.  This was to my advantage, as I was able to view the ice and look for features to climb and get a sense of its steepness…and it was steep!  The pillar was a good 50 feet and our guess was that it was WI4+, but there was certainly some WI5 climbing.  At its base was a cone of ice about 10 feet tall and once I reached the free-standing ice I could tell by the strain in my neck when looking up that this would be tough.  The starting moves were physical because of the pillar’s angle, but there were still enough features to allow to me climb it directly.  The higher I went though, the steeper the pillar became and the less features I found.  Just over mid-way up, pumped and exhausted, I found myself on the pillar’s left side looking at almost featureless vertical ice.  By then, I was moving a few feet at a time and taking a rests hanging on the rope.  And of course, I was getting my picks stuck in the ice and spending a lot of energy working them free.  Including the hike in, the 4 pitches climbing up, the rappels, the previous route's difficulty, the cold, and the length of the day there was very little strength left in me.  I did, however, reach the top.  In spite of needing several rests, I was able to climb this beautiful pillar on my own and it was an amazing experience to be on ice this challenging.  By far, that pillar was my hardest ice climb, easily surpassing Little Black Dike. 



Working the steep pillar, notice how you can't see my legs or feet.



 

Something important to mention is that this day would have never been possible without my wife.  That morning, my car was dead in the driveway and she got out of a warm bed at 630 in the morning, into sub-zero temperatures, to help me push it into the snow covered street and then she let me use her car so I could still go ice climbing.  Babe, I love you and can’t say thank you enough!