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An alpinist’s maiden voyage

There are few perfect introductions to thin alpine ice climbing. Most are too thin, too slabby, or too fat. All Mixed Up is one of the few. Situated high on the east face of Thatchtop in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park, All Mixed Up's 700 feet of ice flow from a gash atop a stadium-sized amphitheater and fan into several classic frozen tentacles of variable difficulty.

The Park’s mountainous backcountry makes the climb (usually done in four pitches) appear insignificant when it first comes into view from the Black Lake Trail during the three-mile approach. The final stretch of the hike involves a thousand feet of steep bushes and chest-deep snowdrifts — this section has moderate avalanche exposure, so precautionary tactics and basic avalanche education are highly recommended (visit geosurvey.state.co.us
/avalanche/ for current conditions).
On an average day, the easiest line often sports a runout first section of WI2, no more than a few inches thick. Then, a series of overhangs — covered with fragile curtains — form the crux second stretch. In fat conditions, you will faintly notice the crux, but in lean conditions the bulge lives up to the route’s name, with a mixed boulder problem on steep terrain finishing with a tricky topout onto a veneer of brittle ice. Savvy climbers use rock protection to climb the bulge safely (all you need for the route is a standard rack with a selection of different-length screws).

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