I think a lot about the stories we tell ourselves, about why we do things. I’ve been trying to keep my stories in line with my reality, and keep my motivations more internal than external.
I saw a cool overhanging cave with ice in it. I want to climb a cool overhanging cave with ice in it. I will drag partners along, and put in a bolt line, leading to a cool overhanging cave with ice in it.
Sure, there are other motivations too. Matt Edgerton and I were exploring Stairs and Flowers on the Stanley Headwall, a mixed variation to the rarely formed Acid Howl. It’s a big piece of ice, and I was always surprised it didn’t see more action. As it turns out, the lack of action was due to half the mixed route falling off. A chunk of rock the size of a shipping container has parted ways with the wall, and a solid portion of the bolt line fell off with it.
So, by chance, there was now a solid stretch of routinely formed but completely inaccessible WI5 that needed a mixed pitch for access. It’s been a couple decades since that was the case anywhere on the Headwall.
Exploring with Edgerton
On my first day up there, Matt and I brought a drill to retrofit some single bolt anchors. Right away, an opportunity presented itself. While pitch one didn’t come down low enough to climb as a pure ice line, it did come down much further than it had when Raph Slawinski put up Stairs and Flowers. I headed up the first couple bolts of S&F with the drill, and added a two bolt variation that let us gain the ice more directly. I offered Matt the first crack and he dug deep to get it done. It’s a short sequence, but it packs a punch.
We continued up a pitch of thin ice to gain the next snow bowl. I had no idea what I was looking at on the wall above. The route description just did not line up with reality. Eventually I found the S&F bolt line, which went up a blank face instead of the described deep right facing corner. I aided to the top of the bolt line, and it seemed loose and borderline unclimbable. We had thought we might need to replace missing bolts on it, but it became clear that there was no point. We later established that indeed, half the route had fallen off.
My eyes wandered around the cliff, eventually piecing together a concept of a line that would climb through an overhanging cave with a tongue of ice pouring out.
Making it happen with McNamara
Gavin McNamara and I had stalled out on a project elsewhere on the headwall, and we decided to take the first crack at establishing a new third pitch for S&F together instead.
On the drive out, Gavin mentioned that I would always say things with such confidence that he’d go along with them even if they were a bad idea. A few hours later, I was prodding him across a touchy slab, when it ripped out and carried him with it. No exclamations of ‘Avalanche!’ were heard, only my giggling and a dejected ‘Aww, Greg…’. Fortunately the only harm done was some snow getting into his boots.
I feel like I’ve fully dialed in how to handle this sort of development. A big wall harness, two connect-adjust lanyards, an alpine aider, an 8mm removable bolt, a big battery, and a pile of studs and hangers. Mix in an ice screw and a bit of tool aid, and your belayer can be a passive potato while you get the work done fast.
Selecting some bolt locations was tricky, especially factoring in the somewhat contrived wanderings of the path of least resistance. But the allure of the cave called, and upon arrival, it did not disappoint. It was full of ice formations and solution pockets to climb and chimney amongst. The exit proved delightful, a squeeze sequence where you hook a jug past the roof from a knee bar, then cut feet and swing out into a highly exposed stance. Pretty unique, especially on a mixed pitch.
The final stretch led up the steep headwall to a stance, and my bolt-count guess proved exactly enough. A top rope lap to check out holds followed, and we called it for the day. On descent, we got a brand new rope firmly stuck. We had to coil up what we could reach and abandon it, causing us to be late for tacos. Such is the price of adventure.
Sending with Slawinski
Raph offered to join for the next session, wanting to be part of the successor to Stairs and Flowers. But, a solid month of horrendous avalanche conditions forestalled our return. When it came time to go back, we were still worried about cornices. We made the Nemesis area our plan A for the day. But, on our drive out, we found minimal cornices on the ridge. We decided to give Addiction a try.
The avalanche cycle had been epic. Right where we broke out of the trees, it had run record lengths and knocked out mature timber. It was actually a great reset for the approach slope, which had basically been swept to dirt and littered with debris. We booted up to the route.
It was finally time for me to take on P1 on lead. It went delightfully smoothly, which bode well for the rest of the day. Gavin’s rope had even survived the avalanche cycle intact. The P2 ice had fattened up too, and Raph romped up it.
Raph started out on an exploratory burn on the cave pitch. I’m normally not that competitive, but part of me was really worried he would send right off the bat, and I wouldn’t have a chance. He made a solid effort before pinging off of a shoddy hold while crossing the hanging slab. He put in a bit of more work on the placements and got beta sorted out before lowering off.
I’d spent the month of March climbing very little hard terrain, and it showed when I got on the sharp end. I really wanted to be less pumped, but I was able to keep moving. I worked my way across the blank slab, and was elated when I sunk my tools into the ice at the base of the cave.
The cave is just so cool that I have to describe it twice. You climb a hanging dagger up into it, then hook icicles, solution pockets, and huge jugs as you chimney upward and get a no hands rest. There is a great bucket of a pocket as you pull outward, and I hooked it, then cut 3 points and swung through the squeeze. An improbable floating undercling leads up from there, and eventually I was able to stem out on the dagger as I finished working my way upward to the belay.
Raph loves good style, and good style to him means everyone sending the crux on lead. I lowered off to the snow ledge so he could take a crack on the sharp end. As is often the case, he made it look like an easy and enjoyable affair. I followed, cleaning the pitch, and then took off up the ice.
Initially it was like climbing through a waterfall, but plastic ice followed. Sooner than I expected, we were both at the top. Uneventful rappels took us down, and we hiked out, appreciating the long spring daylight hours. Some days just flow!
Brooding with Barrett
My relationship with climbing has been a bit of a roller coaster ride these past few years. What started as pure love of the game had morphed into a desire to perform, to be recognized, to turn aspects of it into more than a hobby.
I’m delighted about Addiction because it feels like a return to intrinsic motivation for me. I did a thing I wanted to do, with people I wanted to do it with, because I wanted to do it. Those other external motivations are still there, but they’re secondary, and I think my relationship with them has become more positive.
Climbing is an addiction, but perhaps it can be a healthy one.
Addiction
Stanley Headwall
M7+ WI5 150m
FA/Prep: Greg Barrett, Raphael Slawinski, Matt Edgerton, Gavin McNamara
Feb 16, 2026 - April 3, 2026
At first, there was the ice line Acid Howl. Then, it didn’t fully form, and Raph Slawinski created the mixed line Stairs and Flowers. Then, pitch three fell off and I got excited about the idea of squeezing through a cave to gain the ice instead. Thus, Addiction was conceived.
Addiction provides a two bolt variation to pitch one of S&F, shares the second pitch of Acid Howl, has a fully independent third pitch to gain the Acid Howl ice, and finishes up the ice. All combinations of the lines are described below.
Approach
Ascend the summer trail and continue up the valley. A little ways before you reach Acid Howl, the summer trail will steepen and start to head up and leftward. Leave the trail at this point, crossing diagonally through the woods toward the route. Ascend the slope. A sheltered stance to rack up can be found down and left of P0. Note that this approach slope presents significant avalanche hazard, as does the overhead. More so than many other headwall routes.
P0, M-Easy, 5m
Climb any of the short breaks in the lower step to gain a snow bowl. Trudge up and left to a two ring-bolt anchor below the ice
P1, Acid Howl, WI5, 25m
If the ice touches down, climb it to a two ring-bolt anchor on the right (may be buried).
P1, Addiction, M6+, 25m, 4 bolts
If the ice is low enough, climb past two bolts directly above the anchor. Branch up and left past two more bolts, pulling a short but powerful roof. Continue up a section of steep ice, followed by another stretch of easier ice to the same anchor.
P1, Stairs and Flowers, M7+, 25m
If the ice isn’t low enough for that, branch right instead after the second bolt. Pull a roof, and continue up and right past more bolts until you are able to traverse back left and gain the ice.
P2, Acid Howl, WI3, 50m
Climb ice (sometimes thin and poorly protected) until you are able to gain the snow bowl above. Trudge up to the largest rock outcrop on the right and a two ring-bolt anchor below a yellow streak (possibly buried).
P3, Acid Howl, WI5, 40m
If the ice touches down, climb it! Belay in a huge rock cave on the right.
P3, Addiction, M7+ WI5, 35m, 12 bolts
Belay from the left side of a chossy rock pedestal. Climb the pedestal to its top. Head up the steep face to the top of a hanging slab. Climb tenuously right across the slab to gain the base of the cave. Clip a bolt low on the left wall of the cave, and continue up to its top. Clip a bolt in the ceiling of the cave. Squeeze out the top of the cave, clipping a bolt on the outside face as you go. Cut feet, swing out, get established, and flick the rope as necessary to minimize drag. Continue up the steep headwall on progressively spacier bolts to gain a two ring-bolt anchor on a small ledge.
Rope drag is tricky to manage on this pitch. Alpine draws on bolts 1 and 4-7 help, as well as a double or triple length sling on bolt 8. Use your judgement.
Consider brining a screw or two for the final sequence to the anchor.
P3, Stairs and Flowers, M8
A large portion of this pitch has fallen off (including the bolts), and it doesn’t go anymore.
P4, Acid Howl, WI4/5, 20-40m
Continue up steep but stepped ice to the snow slope above.
P5, Acid Howl, WI5 50m
Optionally climb one of the ice smears above.
Descent
V-threads and bolted anchors.
Gear
60m single rope and tag line. You’re going to want to haul a pack on P3. At least twelve draws including many alpines. Screws to comfort.
