JanD

Trip: Mt Grimface, Cathedral Provincial Park - North Buttress Notch Direct Date: 8/21/2015 Trip Report: We intended to climb the NB (Fairley Discroll 1985) as in Beckey guide but got confused about the start. Upon looking around the gully, we ended up about 1/2 way up the gully and noted P1 of the description below. This may have been climbed before but we are not sure. Since we did not find it documented we give a topo and description here since it’s a truly great (although short) climb. P1: Climb stellar dihedral and face crack for 35 m, when dihedral ends, break right onto large block and belay. 35 m 5.9 P2: Scramble up gully over large blocks with a couple mid 5th steps to within 10 m of notch col. 50 m mid 5th. P3: Climb stellar, straight in, overhanging finger to hands to fist crack and belay on a block. 30 m 5.10+ (?) P4: Continue up stellar hand crack and avoid some loose flakes. Top out on large sloping ledge on ridge crest. 20 m 5.9 P5: Cross ledge to right edge, climb around arete and up, trending right over large blocks and some cracks to gain a large corner/chimney that is capped by huge blocks. Break slightly out left from corner to belay at base of cracks/blocks 5 m left of corner. 50+ m 5.6 P6: Climb cracks and blocks to large blocks/ledge on buttress prow. Step off blocks onto low-angle face and start traversing out right on ledges and cracks to base of final dihedral/crack. Just around the corner and down from the belay is a large free standing pillar on the right margin of the buttress. This is a good landmark and can be seen from the NW col on Grimface (the decent col). 55 m 5.7 P7: Up the dihedral to the summit. 35 m 5.7 Some notes: - P5-P7 seem similar or identical to the finish of the NB in the Beckey guide. - P1, P3, and P4 are stellar 5 star (out of 3) cracks that are all well protected. - The crux pitch has a sister crack to the left that looks good too. - We cleaned a lot of loose rock but some large loose flakes still exist, in particular on P4. - There appears to be an easier variant for the last pitch around the corner to the right. Cheers, Jan Topo P1, stellar dihedral and face crack: Crux P3 overhanging fingers to hands to fist: P7 with free standing pillar in background: Gear Notes: We climbed on doubles to BD #2 and a single #3 which was OK but somewhat runout (there is a ~8 m section that takes #3 size). Doubles to #3 would be better. Approach Notes: Approach up Gully climbers left of NB to about 1/2 way up to SE Notch. Scramble up Gully that turns into wide chimney/chasm capped by huge boulder. Break out left up ledges to base of right facing dihedral with face crack on left wall.

Hey Stamati, I had the first block of 5 that got us to the base of the right facing corner. I'd say that was the only part of the climb that has some runouts on it and I personally found it a mental challenge. While the climbing is easy in this section, it's quite mossy (excavating holds and some pro) and loose. I was definitely glad to be done with my block but in retrospect a good chunk of the mental game was also due to the vague line and not being entirely sure to be climbing a line that was gonna go somewhere. The West Buttress is an amazing climb but it's not travelled much, so it has enough loose blocks, moss, and runout on it to keep you on your toes. Sure wish I was there now and not in this stupid office. Cheers, Jan

thanks man. Jan

Hi, does anyone know what the snow situation is in the Anderson Range (Ibex, Les Cornes)? Thanks, Jan

I climbed the NW Buttress a couple month ago and it was mediocre. There are 2 good pitches on it. Both I would give a 5.7 (much easier than the first pitch SR). It starts with a bunch of easy pitches/simul climbing until you get around a corner anr are just left of the arete. The pitch up the arete past a fixed pin high up on the pitch is good. It was pretty dirty when we were on it and I'd be surprised if many people have climbed it in recent yrs. The climbing was somewhat run out and I cleaned many placements, including the anchor on a small ledge underneath the overhangs. The pitch up from there is similar in difficulty but a bit shorter. Also dirty and some loose stuff. The route does not make Gimli shine like some other routes, but if you have nothing better to do... -Jan

I would echo the "take less shit" mantra. The pitches are not that steep and hauling could be a real pain on the jagged type of rock...

hey man, i met you on the NE ridge at the start of the chimneys. my buddy took your pic Cheers, Jan

nice pics. I would personally give the roof pitch a 5.8 and the first pitch a 5.9... You can cut one or two pitches by running the rope out. There were many good belay spots for us. it's a really great line and the features on the rock are awesome. Cheers, Jan

hey dru, we climbed it a couple days before you and i agree that the summit block bypass is not great. we bivied at the col, started climbing at 5, summit at 7 and were back at the car at 11:30. We did the bypass (which we regretted) and then downclimbed to the last rap station on the ridge. I think that downclimbing the whole route is faster as long as one is comfortable with soloing up it... Great pics! Jan

Lots of good ideas for home-made avi control for sure! I skied up at Mt Cain over the last days. They did not open the upper lift, so there were some awesome powder turns to be had touring that. Other than that... The snow pack is complete shit. Extensive whoompfing, the lowest 20 cm is all sugar that pours out of that layer if you dig a pit. Then there is a faceted rain crust and multiple other layers. Really unusual for Vancouver Island... What a season so far! Does not look like it's going to get better anytime soon either. Cheers, Jan

yeah, I do read the bulletins... looks shitty for sure. Anyone skied up the duffy recently? How does it look like up there for snow cover? I toured around Blackcomb just before Christmas and it was not so great. Cheers, jan

Hey guys, what are the good options for bc skiing at the moment in the Pemby area? I have not been out there this season yet. I only got in two days of touring so far cause it has been so shitty but was hoping to get out this week. What experience have people had with the snowpack so far? What looks promising? I am really hoping that the current snow settles out into a nice base so the season can start for real... Thanks, Jan

yes, there is lots of really good climbing. Lots has been done but lots more potential, too. I think there is a pretty good topo of the more challenging stuff. Some basic info is in Alpine Select.

Trip: Rexford Group - Ensackwatch Enchainment Date: 7/28/2007 Trip Report: This trip actually happened in 2007 Pictures The gf and I hiked into the Rexford "base camp" on Friday and set up camp on a large boulder right on the approach to the West Ridge on Rexford. Awesome day. We considered going up the West Ridge that evening but were too lazy and rather opted for a gourmet meal with a bottle of wine and all that. The view of Slesse and Baker from camp is something else. With blue skies and nice a sunset I thought I was on "totally awesome alabama liquid snake". There was lots of water from snowmelt and we pretty much just set our pots below the dripping rocks. Next morning we started at around 6, hiked along the North Spire to a point where we wnt up some steep scree to the base of the steeper sections that gain the North Ridge. We scrambled up to the ridge. There were some low 5th moves in there but all in all it was pretty easy. Some loose rock. Once we gained the ridge, we scrambled a little further, and got to a short steeper section before the summit. We got the rock shoes and the rope out for this but it turned out to be lowe 5th as well on solid rock. From the North Spire summit you follow an awesome knife edge ridge down to the col and then up towards the summit Block on South Spire. There is one short section up to the summit block that has some mid fith moves. All is really solid and a aesthetic line. The summit block has a short offwidth that is kinda awkward. It had a chock stone that looked like someone placed it in there for pro. I slung that (I only carried up to #2 camalot). Honestly it was more psychological cause you would deck out anyway. From there, is a short scramble down, then a rap to the col between South Nesackwatch and Rexford. Pretty cool free hanging rap. The col is neat and tight. Pretty easy climbing gets you out of the col. There are a ton of options and harder options certainly exist. After about a pitch up from the col you cross the main route up to Rexford (West Ridge) and here we just kept going straight up. This was the highlight of the climb and the only "actual climbing". There was a full pitch that was sweet with finger and handcracks. It got a little harder towards the top and ended to the climbers right of a big detached flake. I got into that ofwidth crack to the right of the flak around a slight bulge and it was difficult enough that I wished I was not wearing my "alpine-thong" harness (one of those Camp ski harnesses). Maybe 5.9 but hard to tell b/c it was so dirty. Then another short pitch got us straight up to the false summit on Rexfort where the cairn is. First I did not even realize that we were on the false summit. Only once I had already put the boots on I saw it. A short scramble got me to the main summit with my gf and all the gear waiting at the false summit. (I was happy that one can climb down on the back side of the main summit because it would have been a little challenging to down climb that last crack in boots) From there we scrambled down the West Ridge to camp. It was a sweet trip with lost of options, solid rock and some fun moves. It took us about 8 or 10 hours. Gear Notes: We took a light rack with every second cam to #2 camalot and 1/2 set of chocks Approach Notes: Great trail but it's kinda steep. Good details in Alpine Select.

great pictures! Cheers, Jan