Peanut Gallery, Planter's Valley, South Ghost Ice Climbs

Lat/Lon: 51.25056°N / 115.19583°W - Click for Satellite Image
The Peanut Gallery is the name given to the remaining ice in Planter’s Valley once
you past Anorexia Nervosa, III, WI 4R on the left and Weathering Heights, III, WI 4 on
the right. The first piece you come to is located where steep walls rise out of the
canyon. This is an easy WI 3 undulating full pitch. Most divide it into two pitches, but
we simul-climbed it enough to turn it into one pitch. As you continue south, within
10 minutes you will run into another pitch that is a classic WI 4 shorter pitch of a
sustained vertical, but often wet, curtain. You can keep going for more WI 4 to your left
or some mixed climbing to your right. Currently this is all considered part of the
Peanut Galley.

As some of these various routes are further developed, I imagine several will be
separately named. There is quite a bit of mixed back here as well.

Route Description
Once you get to the end of the canyon, rope up and scramble up the easy angled ice
to the base of the first pitch. This can be done in one pitch if you simul-climb a little,
thus station your belay close to the curtain. Start out left and move back right clipping
your ropes appropriately. Once you reach the top, place a station where you can find
solid ice. There will not be a tree close enough to use as a station.

Pay the ropes out and continue up creek to the next curtain, which is shorter but
definitely steeper and more sustained, thus WI 4. The first step is easy, but the next
step is a steep chandelier curtain of about 15 meters. We climbed the left center.
Again you will have to set up a station in the ice.

You can continue to yet another curtain up creek to your left or do some mixed
climbing to your right. The approach into Planter’s Valley is quite significant to
begin with, so how much ice you climb depends how fast you climb.

Descent
On descent, you can walk off that second pitch to the right or rap. When you get back
to the top of the first pitch, go to several trees at skiers left and look to dig out one
of two tree rappel stations (2006). This rap will come up short with double 60m
ropes. Either build an abalokov or prepare to down climb the last 5-10 meters. We
down climbed no worries.

Essential Gear
Two Ice Tools, Double 60 meter Ropes, 10-12 Ice Screws with draws and
screamers, Crampons, Helmet, Warm Clothes, Full Shank Boots, 4W Drive
(Preferable), Shovel and Sleeping Bag, the Ghost can be full of surprises.

Notes: One of many great ice climbing days with SP's pvalchev this season. We
went for Anorexia, but that upper curtain lost a huge chunk and Peter had heard
rumors of the rest of it being fractured. The bottom was a little thin too, but looked fun
to me. We went for the sure thing and switched out fun leads at the Peanut Gallery.
Weathering Heights looked like it saw quite a bit of traffic as well.