sepultura

Trip: Wapta Icefield - Date: 1/2/2010 Trip Report: Here are some pictures of my latest trip to the Wapta Icefields in BC and AB. As usual it was a great experience with typical winter weather in the Rockies. Although we got weathered off of Mt. Balfour, we summitted Mt. Olive and Mt. Baker (that’s the other Mt. Baker) in two separate trips. At some point I am going to have to do a full Wapta traverse and get all the peaks I have not picked away at, maybe this spring. Thanks to my great friends and climbing partners, Demitri G, Carlos B, and Michelle G for the stellar trips and hosting me again in Canmore. And thanks to Gail for a great day on Coire Dubh Inte’grale on Loder Peak in Exshaw. And thanks to the ACC for the privilege of staying in The Bow, Peyto, and Balfour huts. Its good thing we do not have huts in the Cascades, just think what a zoo Boston Basin would be. Peyto hut Carlos(the Master) storm brewing on Mt. Baker high on Baker coming down St. Nicholas St. Nic/Olive col Looking down Mt. Olive Demitri and -35C Mt Balfour on a good day Gail on Loder Peak

Its certainly possible that it has been climbed, there is alot of ice lines in that drainage. We based our FA simply on the fact that there was no rap slings in the logical spots, and I have heard no one else spraying about it over the years.

Trip: Del Campo - FA: Brawndo Date: 12/14/2009 Trip Report: On Dec. 14 A2THEK and I climbed a 2 pitch ice line on the lower N face of Del Campo peak. Unfortunately the fresh dump of snow on Sun. night stopped our progress up the rest of the face. It was still a worthy endeavor with a fairly short approach. We spied the line last week from Morningstar peak and made plans to come back and have a go. With the forecast calling for more typical Cascades weather we figured it was either Mon. or not at all for awhile. The approach was straight forward. Park at the Sunshine Mine trailhead, follow the trail to the major drainage that leads to the valley between Lewis and Morningstar. From here head straight up the drainage instead of following the trail up the avalanche slopes that head toward Headlee pass. Follow this to where the terrain steepens directly below Del Campo’s NF. The climb itself consisted of 2 full pitches. One being a thin mixed lead to an ice belay right below the upper tier. The second pitch was a full 55 meters of solid blue ice. We rated the climb 3+ R due to thin conditions of the lower pitch, although short screws proved useful here. Two double rope rappels from trees brought us back to the start of the climb. We decided to name the climb Brawndo in honor of the “Thirst Mutilator”