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Slideshow (141 photos)

Slappin' The Salmon -- Ice Climber's Guide to Salmon River Falls

There Goes the Neighborhood

Salmon River Falls Unique Area

Will and David gear up for the day

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Finishing the crux column, about to dry tool to the finish on rotten shale

The Elbow: Jim leading the first ascent of The Elbow

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 1: The overhanging wall containing Mate, Spawn, and Die

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 2: The route follows the right-hand columns of the flow

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 3: Marks the route Mate, Spawn, and Die

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 4: Climbing into the crux, the ice hangs free from the rock above

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 5: Close-up - high on Mate, Spawn, and Die

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 6: Placing bomber protection before moving into the free hanging columns

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Series 7: Clipping the fixed runner at the top of the ice; the runner is connected to a bolt, the first placed at Salmon River

Go Fly a Kype: At the top of the column, the route climbs into the overhanging root ball of a tree, then climbs the branches, and finally the rock to the rim of the Gorge

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Jeremy climbs the stellar line in fat conditions, belayed by Leslie

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Approaching the top column in fat conditions

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Approaching the top column in fat conditions

Salmon Runs: One of the easier lines in the Gorge, Salmon Runs climbs the right side of the Amphitheatre wall

Curtain Call: One of the more creative routes at the Gorge, Curtain Call traverses behind all the pillars on the Amphitheatre wall, finally emerging from a hole and finishing up on Salmon Runs

Curtain Call: Michelle approaches the cave belay

Play It Again, Salmon: Shot of the route taken from the base showing the steep, overhanging ice and the rock roofs above

Play It Again, Salmon: The steepest section of the Amphitheatre

Play It Again, Salmon: Chris on the second ascent, hanging from a ripped out screamer after a tied-off ice tool popped; the other axe is left placed well above his head

Play It Again, Salmon: Chris on the steep ice column on the second ascent

Play It Again, Salmon: Chris reaches the first bolt on top of the steep ice on the second ascent; the route continues to the right onto a ledge (the one with the icicles), then pumps through three large roofs to the rim

Play It Again, Salmon: The first ascent of Play It Again, Salmon -- on the steep, free-standing pillar at the bottom of the route (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: Michelle belays while Jim places a screw (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: Steep ice in the Amphitheatre (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: The first ascent of Play It Again, Salmon -- overview of the entire route (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: Nearing the top of the ice (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: Having reached the top of the ice (and the bolt), the route traverses right (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: In the midst of the rock section; the crux roof is just below (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: Attempting to de-pump (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Preparing to climb in the Amphitheatre (Copyright © Keith Robison)

Play It Again, Salmon: Climbing overhanging ice at the start of the route

Play It Again, Salmon: Climbing the lower column

Salmonella: Thankfully reaching the rest at the top of the free-standing column

Salmon Runs: Early season ice on a -10F day in the Amphitheatre (Copyright © Shahab Farzanegan)

The Amphitheatre in reasonable condition; centered is Mate, Spawn and Die and A Pitch Called Wanda

A Pitch Called Wanda: Bones climbs the beginning section of Wanda with the Amphitheatre in the background

Chum: Bones dry-tools the rock to reach the free-hanging curtain

Chum: Bones dry-tools the rock to reach the free-hanging curtain

Chum: Bones dry-tools the rock to reach the free-hanging curtain

Chum: Bones reaches the ice and climbs onto the curtain

Chum: Bones establishes himself on the ice curtain

Chum: Climbing the ice curtain

Chum: Climbing the ice curtain

Chum: At the top of the curtain, Bones climbs through a section of rock to reach the top

A Pitch Called Wanda: Bones climbs the thin pencil column at the start of Wanda

A Pitch Called Wanda: Bones climbs the thin pencil column at the start of Wanda

A Pitch Called Wanda: Bones on the second ascent of Wanda

A Pitch Called Wanda: Bones on the second ascent of Wanda

A Pitch Called Wanda: Getting into the meat of the ice climbing

A Pitch Called Wanda: Bones climbs through the crux of the route -- overhanging daggers and curtains

A Pitch Called Wanda: David shoots Bones as he nears the top of the ice

Chum: Preparing gear for the first ascent of Chum

King Salmon: Bones inspects the route prior to the first ascent

King Salmon: Dry-tooling up to the right side of a small ledge

King Salmon: From the top of the small ledge, Bones steps left, then climbs rock and a thin ice column straight up

King Salmon: Continuing up the small ice column

King Salmon: From the top of the ice column, Bones mounts the ice and climbs into a small ice cave to rest

King Salmon: Getting closer to the ice cave

King Salmon: Bones rests in the ice cave

King Salmon: Emerging from the ice cave, Bones continues

King Salmon: Bones climbs the overhanging crux

King Salmon: Bones on rappel inspecting the route prior to the first ascent

King Salmon: The King Salmon route as seen from The Elbow

Play it Again, Salmon: Chris belys Tommy in a field of blue ice blocks; while following the route, enormous ice blocks released, completely burying this belay spot in tons of fresh ice

Salmon Steak: Michelle gets ready to lead Salmon Steak

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Tommy gets ready to lead the class Mate, Spawn, and Die

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Tommy finds fat ice on Mate, Spawn, and Die

Play it Again, Salmon: Tommy runs it out over the initial section

Play it Again, Salmon: About half way up, Tommy heads slightly left to gain a rest between the columns

Play it Again, Salmon: Spectacular climbing on the 100' free standing ice column

Play it Again, Salmon: Chris belays Tommy while he places a screw

Chum: Just above the crux of Chum; on the first ascent, the column under Clive's left foot wasn't formed

Chum Lick: At the "flat stance" on Chum Lick; the route bridges up between the rock and ice (using Chum's bolts), then corkscrews around to the front of the column and on to the top

Chum Lick: Bridging up between the rock and the ice

Chum Lick: Corkscrewing around to the front of the column

Chum Lick: Todd belays Griz on the first ascent of Chum Lick

Chum Lick: Resting before the final push through the rock section

Chum Stick: Griz leads the first ascent of Chum Stick -- the Chum column taken directly

Chum Stick: A little higher on the column, Griz flags a foot for a rest

Chum Stick: Placing a screw

Chum Stick: Depumping after placing a screw

Chum Stick: Griz leads, Todd belays from below

Chum Stick: Nearing the top of the ice column; the ice is peppered with shale bits from the rock band

Chum Stick: Nearing the top of the ice

Chum Stick: At the top of the ice, Griz chokes up on his tool, clips the bolt on the right, then proceeds through the rock band

Sockeye: First ascent of Sockeye -- to preserve the ice column, Griz bridges from the rock

Sockeye: Higher, the gap narrows, squeezing Griz and forcing him out the notch to the front

Sockeye: At the top of the chimney, Griz scums his back against a protruding rock for a rest

Sockeye: Around the front of the column, the climbing eases and allows some restful stemming

Sockeye: Nearing the top of the ice

Filet It Again: On the first ascent of Filet it Again; the roof below is pumpy, but the ice crux is still to come

Salmonella: Simeon pauses at the base of the steep section

Salmonella: Simeon pauses at the base of the steep section

Salmonella: Climbing steep ice on Salmonella

Salmonella: Steep ice in the Amphitheatre with the river below; Salmon Steak is the large ice flow in the upper right of the photo

Gearing up

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Todd climbs Mate, Spawn, and Die in fat conditions

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Using a little technique on the sharp end

Mate, Spawn, and Die: The pretty Mate, Spawn, and Die with the prow of the Amphitheatre visible in the background

Mate, Spawn, and Die: Griz looks on as Todd leads

Salmonella: Todd climbs Salmonella

Salmonella: A little higher on Salmonella

Salmonella: Salmonella with the "big routes" behind

Green Eggs and Salmon: The route Green Eggs and Salmon climbs the left side of this flow in the Lower Gorge; Salmon I Am climbs the column and overhang in the center of the photo

Slappin' The Salmon: Mike first ascent, center section of the main falls

Slappin' The Salmon: Mike first ascent, center section of the main falls

Slappin' The Salmon: Mike leads the first ascent of the main falls

Lox and Locks: Jim leading the main falls, left side

Shale We Climb: Jim high up on Shale We Climb in thin conditions, second ascent

Shale We Climb: Shale We Climb topo

Shale We Climb: Jim pumping through the initial roof

Shale We Climb: Topo of Shale We Climb in fat conditions

Shale We Climb: Tad seconding the first pitch of Shale We Climb

Emergency Release: Jim leading an unnamed column on the wall left of the main falls

Lox and Locks: Pretty easy climbing, but the ice is unconsolidated and protection is sparse

Deep snow in the Salmon River Gorge

Slappin' The Salmon: Dave belays Mike, hidden in a groove

Slappin' The Salmon: Dave belays Mike on the Main Falls, likely the first ascent

The Main Falls in a good year

The Main Falls melting out on the right side

Shale We Climb: Shale We Climb in WI4 conditions

Shale We Climb: Leading through the final column; this column rarely comes in

Emergency Release: Checking out the questionable rock near a column on the upper wall

Fingerlings: Simon leads a column that forms near the Gorge Trail; main falls in the background

Emergency Release: The columns of ice along the canyon rim (right of the Main Falls) form into fat and challenging climbs late in the season

Shale We Climb: Tad attempting to lead the first pitch of Shale We Climb

Shale We Climb: Pumping through the opening roof

The Salmon River Falls in fat conditions; everything in this picture is currently off-limits, including those awesome looking hangers on the left

Salmon Steak: Tad following the main downstream flow

Salmon Steak: Jim leading the main downstream flow

Salmon Steak: Simon leading the main downstream flow

Salmon Steak: Simon high up on the main downstream flow

Salmon Steak: Jim leading the main downstream flow, center section

Salmon Steak: Simon placing his first screw

The Ice Hatchery: Simon leads a fat WI4

Lower Gorge as seen from downstream

Lower Gorge as seen from downstream

Sashimi: Simeon on the first ascent of Sashimi; doesn't look like it, but water is running into his boots

Salmon Steak: Mike follows Chris on the right side of Salmon Steak