February 2015

Photography By Dave Rockwell

A little lead climbing on the upper wall, north of the Amphitheater. Very solid, WI 3+ to 4+, depending on the specific line and ice conditions. Generally you can get in all the screws you need, but place them in hollows and mind delamination in the sun or above 32F.

All sewn up. Just practice, you know. For me, shooting in screws on steep ice without getting my gloves tangled in the leashes is the crux. The climbing is easy. Don't get me started on leashless climbing; I guess I'm just old school. But maybe I can learn.

 Oh yeah.... I was supposed to clean that!

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Don't forget your helmet; stuff falls down.

White Oak Cannyon, January 2014

The original destination for the day's expedition was
Overall Run, but we elected to approach from
Skyline drive and the Park Service elected to close a drive due to icy conditions (1-inch of snowfall). Faced with a barricade, we retreated and drove to White Oak, where predictably good conditions rewarded us with 3 leads, numerous top ropes, and tired bodies.

Chris honed gear management leading WI 2 on the lower falls. We both bouldered on the cauliflowered base, marveling at the flow, the lace-like structure others travel to view and photograph, but for some reason we are drawn to scale.

Further up the canyon we found the south side to be unstable and thinner than expected. We talked about possibility, then something substantial fell and better judgment prevailed.

The grotto was nice and cold, though and the steep walls nearer the falls provides some short but stiff leads and top roping. And quiet. No company other than the thunk of ax and the crunch of front points.

Really fun cauliflowers on the Lower Falls.

Nice.

White Oak Canyon, 2011

Not a great ice season, but enough for a few day trips, including this 65-foot rotting death trap that just barely went, dropped the microwave-sized bulge that formed at the summit for the first climber. A 50-pound bomb.

Note: it was NOT belayed from from directly below. This  climb always sports a small ice talus field, where the bits shed in the sun each day accumulate.

North Wall, WI4+, 60 feet

The drama, wondering if the whole business was going to crumble under a climber's weight, led to a lack of good photos. Ascending a long wall just north of the trail, between the amphitheater and the upper falls, it's a fine climb that seldom forms.

North and above the amphitheater were a number of solid 40-foot climbs....

North Wall, WI 3+ to WI4

 

and the flows of the south side of the amphitheater, though simple, were as thick and dependable as ever.

Ursa Crag, WI 3

Photos by Dave Rockwell

Ice Climbing - White Oak Canyon

Coastal and Piedmont Virgina share more climatic similarity to the south than the frozen tundra of New Hampshire, but a few times each year the mercury drops far enough in the nearby mountains to change the order of things, for a few days. We hastily dig out our ice tools and crampons, give them a quick tune-up with a file as needed, and drive through the early morning to grab our share of ice time, before it fades away.

Amphitheater Falls, WI 2

The climbing is mostly on the lowest falls (grade 2-3, 60 feet) and on the canyon walls further up (grade 3-4+, 25-70 feet) and depends very much on the season. The lowest falls is great for beginners and beginning leaders, as it is moderately angled and generally thick enough to take screws on several lines. On the canyon walls further up, particularly in the grotto surrounding the next major falls, the ice tends to get steeper and thinner, with fewer leading opportunities; good ice periods produce leadable grade 4 lines, though some rock gear may be prudent. Small pillars and climbable free-hanging icicles are possible, but rare.

For Northern Virginia climbers, there is also some tune-up potential at Great Falls, on the Virginia side. A few short lines freeze reliably, some near the Micro Dome and some near Gorkey Park, about 200 yards upstream, all at the waters edge. Don't climb under the tourist overlooks - the rangers will chase you off.

North Wall, WI 3+ to WI 4+

White Oak Canyon is located on the drive-in to the Old Rag Saddle Trail parking lot (Berry Hollow side). Some additional guide information to White Oak Canyon ice is given on the link-list to the right.

It's not a lot of ice, but it is a change of pace and place to learn before heading to New Hampshire and other points to the north.

 Routes. Remember that ice formation varies so much from year to year and condition from hour to hour, that specifics are pointless.

1)	Lower Falls WI2+, 50 ft. Good for first leads.
2)	Lower Middle Falls WI2, 40 ft
3)	Bear Falls WI2, 40 ft
4)	Amphitheater Falls WI2, 20 ft.
5)	Upper Middle Falls WI2+, 40 ft.
6)	Upper Falls WI3+,  6O ft
7)	Ursa Crag WI3,  30 ft.
8)	North Wall WI4+, 50 ft; (Top outs marginal normally Top Roped)
9)	Amphitheater Crag WI3+4, 40 ft. Often leadable.
10)	Upper Amphitheater WI2-3+, 30 ft; (Another Ice Pillar 15-20 feet above)
11)	North Amphitheater WI3, 40ft

Note: there is little worthwhile rock climbing in White Oak Canyon