Greenwood/Locke - 5.9

This is the 2nd route I have done on the NF, the other being the Jones, this route is described as the classic route although with it finishing the way it does it feels more like a long rock route. We walked in a bit early and waited for some light finding that we were far west of the 'Dolphin', thinking we were only one couloir off we walked east a couple hundred meters and started heading up the couloir and indeed we did see the seracs high left although we were still one couloir east of the Dolphin. This afforded us fast travel up the bottom half of the face to a very large ledge to have a snack on but in seeing the upper head wall knew we were off by a couple hundred meters. We headed east up trending until came to steeper ground at about 5.6, did one pitch to where we came to a very steep wall, I checked out traversing hard left around the prow but was very steep with no pro, tried going up following a feature just right of the prow but no pro, I went about 30m left of the pro, followed a corner for about 10m on thin pro and a knife blade in the corner, headed out on the face left to a steep bulge with a couple of ok pieces to a bomber #3 and some more easier steep moves to the weakness above and a great 4 piece anchor to bring my second up at 10c-dish R. Another scrambling pitch brought us to the very big awesome ledge at the base of Icarus Buttress, great lunch ledge and change back into boots and crampons. We headed out on the obvious traverse ledge that's very loose and sloped with pro being mainly pins for a full rope length to old pin and a couple of marginal pieces that boots and crampons were footwear of choice, this got us to the traverse pitch on route to the buttress. One more long traverse pitch that was slightly steeper but more fixed gear (high bolt as well, bring a sling to leave on the sling hanging, you will understand if you do it) to a two pin anchor, hard to back up. About 4m left is where the start of the climbing on the buttress begins, we did this pitch in boots and crampons, once at the belay ledge you can change back into rock shoes. almost all of the pitchs on the buttress followed great rock aside from P3 on the buttress, place lots of pro as I had a few footholds blow after standing on them for a few seconds. The climbing for the most part is in the 5.8-5.10a range. 2nd last pitch is crux at what is now called 10c, I had to pull through on the pins in place because of rain and night fall. The last pitch is very loose.

A good route although if you only could do one I would recommend the Jones instead. As well I took full set of nuts and doubles from .2-#2 and a single 3, with a descent selection of pins. I would think any less than this some of the pitchs could be quite run out.

As well we were off route for the bottom half but after looking down at the ground and hearing all the rock fall I think our way even with that crux pitch (no Fall zone on crux, aid if you need too) was a better and safer route.

Bivy 2p from the top after dropping the batteries to our 1 working headlamp. Big loose serious climb. Look at a rock the wrong way and it will fall off. This is a big mountain.

Long day in the rockies. Partner took a good whipper on one of the upper pitches. Be careful.