Phenocryst Spire, The Hustler. Mark Reeves and Steve Sinfield, supported by the Welsh Sports Council, arrived at Glacier Lake on July 30. They slogged to Fairy Meadows, set up camp, and waited most of a week for better weather before climbing the classic Lotus Flower Tower in about 12 hours.

After a couple of rest days under blue skies, the Welsh team went to what they think is Phenocryst Spire. They fixed three pitches up a clean white rock pillar. The next night they slept at the base and woke to rain at 3:00 a.m. One and a half hours later the rain ceased. They climbed nine pitches above the fixed three, gaining a 16-foot square subsummit at the top of the white pillar. They had freed all pitches onsight. The sky grew dark, rain fell, and they began descending the route. They placed three bolts for rappelling (one of which can be clipped for pro on pitch 7). The Hustler (1,500',V5.10-R) involves clean granite slabs and corners, some avoidable loose rock, and runouts on the harder sections.

Based on reporting by Mark Reeves and Mountain INFO, High Mountain Sports