We returned to high camp and decided to take a day to recon the face, to scope the line at close range and fix our two ropes in preparation for a one-day ascent. Hoofing it up glacier in the early dawn hours, the hike from our bivy took longer then expected; the face itself seemed only steeper and blanker up close. Dave kicked steps past the 'schrund and cleared out a ledge at the start of the wall below an intimidating series of overlaps. I happily offered the Monster the lead. 

Dave jig-sawed his way up the first eighty feet of the pitch before stopping below the highest and largest overlap. He shimmied right on a steep slab, trying to avoid the feature, but was stopped cold by blank rock and forced to reverse the sequence to a marginal stance. 

“How’s the gear up there? Maybe you can pull on a piece to get around that roof?” I queried hopefully. 

“Mmmm…. I don’t think that would be a good idea…” Dave replied pensively. Just when it looked like the party was be over, he muttered a terse “watch me”, and made a blind reach above the overlap, jacked a foot up, and committed to the unknown terrain above. It was one of those leads where you’re a little spooked just seconding on top rope. From the belay, I sketched my way past a considerable run out — albeit on easier terrain — to reach the base of the Italian corner. We fixed our two lines and returned to our bivy, happy to have made a dent in the mountain. 

Our tent was pitched on the gravel shore of a glacial lake, and the next day we rested and indulged in refreshing dunks in the icy water. After an early start the next morning, we were at the top of our lines by daybreak. Dave took the first block and romped up the chimney for two pitches before escaping right on more slabby terrain. I seconded with our one pack, getting by climbing in my approach shoes and gloves in the early morning cold. On the third pitch, Dave charged up a thin, unprotected face to reach a ramp. The climbing looked hard — definitely not approach shoe terrain. “Just fix the rope at the top of this one”, I told Dave as he smeared out of view. 

“It’s actually pretty good climbing, you should climb it”, Dave chided me. Being the weakling that I am, I humored. This decision would come back to haunt us. Dave cowboy his way up a final, spectacular face pitch positioned on the very prow of a buttress to reach the horizontal break the divides the face. It was my turn to take the sharp end.