Mount Fernow, North Face Variation. At the end of September Dave Beck- stead, Mark Hutson, and I made a direct finish to the old north-face route, climbing to the top of the ice finger, then taking a snow and ice gully, followed by a short rock wall. The ice finger, or apron, is unique in the range because it is so protected from view. Because of unusually cold temperatures, ice conditions on the apron were optimum for front-pointing and the use of ice tools.

Fred Beckey