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Well it's most definitely being a strange ice season. Not that it ice hasn't been good, in fact it has. It's just that here we are in early February and it's feeling an awful lot like spring both yesterday and today. We just need some snow to keep things in good shape for another month. Pray for S N O W and a little bit of colder temps folks!
Ice Fest Kudos:
Gotta give some big props to International Mountain Equipment and International Mountain Climbing School for putting one another fantastic Ice Fest. They just keep on getting better and better. Nice job folks...
Sometimes You Just Get Snookered:
I'd been wanting to get on Repentance for several weeks, but it just hasn't happened. I was over playing on Thresher and the North End pillars on Monday and when I'd had my fill I went over and had a look at Repentance. I was expecting it to be hammered from Ice Fest, but it actually was in good shape. So that evening I called George Hurley to see if he was interested... Needless to say he was so he showed up at the house Tuesday morning at 9 and we headed over. Unfortunately by the time we got to the base of the climb there were already 2 parties on the climb and another party just topping out! SHEESH! On top of that Kevin Mahoney and a partner were on Remission. (Picture on the NEClimbs home page.)
We watched for a bit and I took some pics of Kevin and decided to go over and check out Black Pudding. I thought that it was still looking OK, at least from the road. When we got to the lower slab I was a bit surprised to see how much the rain 2 weeks before had sliced and eaten away at the ice. However it was obvious that others had been up there recently, so we geared up and I soloed up. George followed and we set up at the normal belay tree on the right. I had been looking at the climb and while the mushroom was OK I was not pleased to see how fluted and chandeliered the pillar was. Still, I'd hiked up the hill and wasn't going to give it up without a close look.
I started up the smear of ice directly under the pillar, but it was a bit too thin for my taste, so I went up the drool on the left. Turns out that was more hollow and less bonded, but I was committed so I continued to a bush on the left that I slung. From there I traversed right under the pillar and on to stand by it. However unimpressed I was before, I was even less now. I'd thought that if I could stand up and put in a good screw head-high, I would give it a shot. Unfortunately there was no possibility of this. There wasn't a flat speck of ice anywhere until the very top and what was there was a mass of drips and drools, plus you could see through the bottom right side of the tongue.
I looked down at George, he looked up at me and it was obvious that we agreed. I traversed back to the bush, wrapped the rope around it and downclimbed with a bit of a toprope. we were both a bit bummed, but still happy just to have gotten out. Back at the van I checked the temperature and we were surprised to see it was 38! We paused by Humphrey's and looked at the rock and both commented that it must have been 45 in the sun. heck - we should have just brought our rock shoes and gone rock climbing. But that will come soon enough...
NOTE - I have to go away for a week on personal business so I went out today to gather the Report information. There will be no report next week. Sorry 'but that but enjoy the ice.
Ice Conditions Report:
Selected Ice Conditions effective February 19, 2026
Just as you would expect following Ice Fest AND a week of truly balmy temps, going to be upper 30's today, the ice can be a mixed bag. I saw someone post about how things are terrible. But digging into it, I realized they were talking about places like the North End that are very well used. It probably gets the most use of all. There are only a few places that have really easy access to moderate climbing and where you can set up a bunch of top-ropes. So that's not unexpected. And of course the climbs that are getting a lot of full sun are getting somewhat punked-out. On my way back from Wolfeboro mid-afternoon a few days ago I took a look at Rainbow Slabs which look as if they are getting pretty funky. And I watched a hunk of the bottom of Way In The Wilderness fall down! IMO it's really the time to start paying attention to what you're walking underneath, any time of the day. Enjoy this weather, but keep paying attention...
Huntington Ravine
numerous options
Repentance
iffy
Standard Route
GREAT conditions
Dracula
IN & very fat
For the full current conditions report, CLICK
HERE
Here are some pictures mostly taken this morning in no particular order, for my convenience. Check out the others on the NEClimbs Ice Report page.
Mobile Version Of NEClimbs:
Up on one of the Mount Washington Valley's finest crags and want to know what that climb you're looking at is? Or maybe you're on your way up from Boston and want to check out the Ice Report for your upcoming weekend plans. Or more likely, you're at work just want to daydream about your next adventure. Well if you have a smart phone handy, you can get to NEClimbs from anywhere you have cell service. While it doesn't offer every single feature of the site and it's not an "app", in mobile form, it does do a whole lot and is very useful. Here is the live link to the mobile version of NEClimbs:
Check it out and if you have issues on your specific phone, please feel free to let me know.
NEClimbs & White Mountain Report On Facebook:
Join us and LIKE us on Facebook. I'll try and post interesting pix every Thursday and the latest Ice Report in the season, tho certainly not the whole Report. Here's where you can check it out:
Remember - climb hard, ride the steep stuff, stay safe and above all BE NICE,
Al Hospers
The White Mountain Report
North Conway, New Hampshire
Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are naught
without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the
happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step;
and from the beginning think what may be the end.
Edward Whymper, 1865, the first ascent of the Matterhorn
Climbing is a very dangerous sport. You can get hurt or even kill yourself. When you go climbing, you do so of your own free will. Everything on this site is to be taken with a grain of salt. Don't blame us if you get up some totally heinous route, in over your head and fall and hurt yourself.
