The next day dawned clear; this was fortunate because we had to locate the infamous “Red Ledge,” an improbable formation providing the only “easy” path to the next pass at the Spider-Formidable col. We found ourselves on steep snow with no place to stop and don our crampons, so I wound up chopping steps with my ice axe to provide safe footing to the ledge. Parts of the ledge are downsloping loose rock that invite a dangerous fall onto a long, steep snow slope.