Starting on 8/21/17, we were fortunate enough to have an entire week off from work. It fell during the peak period of our training cycle, which was perfect! Including weekends, we had 9 days to climb as much as our bodies and minds could handle.

We decided to start with the Direct West Arete of the Incisor (10,250′) in the Crazy Mountains of Montana. This route has been on my list for a long time and over the past year, I’ve thought about it frequently. It is a really cool peak (just left of center in the top picture) that requires a bit of a hike to reach. The arete on its west side runs from ground to summit, and the Direct West Arete route climbs near this feature for almost the entire way, creating a logical line up an impressive swath of rock.

My original goal for this season was to do this route car-to-car in a day, something our training had definitely prepared us for. We were also looking for a cool place to watch the eclipse, however, and the weather forecast in the Crazies was clear for the 21st. So we would hike in, climb the route, then bivy so we could watch the eclipse the next day.

Waking up early Sunday, we made the long, bumpy drive out to Cottonwood Creek trail head. The hike to the lake was a bit of a slog, gaining 2,500′ in just over 5 miles. By the time we reached the lake, Sarah and I were both feeling the effects of the wildfire smoke. The air was hazy, but there wasn’t anything we could do about it. We dumped our bivy gear at an open space by the lake and resumed hiking up towards the Incisor.

[image error]Incisor on the left of the big notch, Dogtooth on the right.

Getting up the massive glacial moraine situated between the lake and the base of the formation took us 75 minutes, gaining another 1,000′ in just under a mile. We kicked steps up a soft snowfield until we hit shade and it turned to a sheet of ice. Back to the talus…

[image error]Pushing hard, but still happy.

We were both pretty tired by the time we reached the start of the technical climbing. I think the wildfire smoke was having a pretty big impact on us. My lungs were burning, I was nauseous, and it felt like I was having a bad allergic reaction (like my regular spring allergies). Sarah had similar symptoms, only worse. Her nose was plugged up, and at the time, we wondered if she was coming down with a cold.

[image error]A closeup of the Incisor, taken last fall. The picture doesn’t do a good job showing the scale of the peak.

Pressing on, we racked up and I set off on the first pitch. The climbing was fun: a finger crack in a corner with solid rock and mellow moves. After several short, ledgy steps, I reached a nice belay spot and built an anchor. Sarah followed up the pitch and we both commented how we were feeling better. The lesser exertion of climbing vs. hiking was allowing us to recover. Our training was paying off.