Matrix and surrounding climbs

Submitted by Trevor B. on Tue, 11/22/2005 - 19:55
The Matrix was in excellent shape this morning. Hit it up soon as there's a trail busted and the lower step has a good thin pillar to make it feasible on ice all the way. Ramos and I were able to traverse easily to the top of Feeding the Cat and rap with 1 rope. The Cat looked stellar, a little thin up top. Cave and Gully is thin but in. Crypt Orchid was more snow than ice. Mummy II was lean and unappealing in the middle, but the bottom and top looked to be good wet ice. Scepter was almost connected and very wet. Fat Chance was not looking fat, pro looked to be scarce. Thin Chance looked decent. Enjoy!

Sorry Chris, I didn't take my camera out. There is ice all the way to the ground right now, with the lower 15' pillar pretty skinny but with good ice. It is substantially fatter the whole way up than in the photo in Winter Dance. 15-19 cm screws went all the way in everywhere I tried. Hope that gives you a somewhat better idea of its conditions.

We climbed the Matrix and Feeding the Cat on Friday and I can confirm that the Matrix is in fat shape. In fact, "Feeding the Cat" is a spicier lead right now due to a mandatory run-out on thin ice and rock at the top. A perfectly placed piton on the Matrix makes it reasonably climbable without rock gear. Thanks to whoever left it there!
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