mikeadam Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 # [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayborbon Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 Right on!! Rumors say, the climbers from the US are better sometimes and even steal the new routes (not Alberta but L. Knight is always talking about the Yanks ). However I know that there are plenty of gurus up there. Sounds like a hard route too. Maybe one day I will get that good.... For now I will dream about this route. Mike, have fun up there yourself! -Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Parker Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 Hey Mike, obviously you have internet access which is great because now you can give us daily reports on conditions. I'm heading up there on Wednesday, 28th for nine days. I'm armed with new Cobras thanks to this web site and they will first touch Canadian ice! Be safe and keep the reports coming! How about a report on your drive since it was so hyped up! DPP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeadam Posted February 23, 2001 Author Share Posted February 23, 2001 A correction to my first post. Forgive my ignorance. The route Dale R climbed is a Grade6. It's about 500 ft of WI5 pitches stacked one on top of the other. To get there you have to climb 500 ft of WI4 or WI5, but I think they may have climbed a 160M thin WI3 on the left side of the Weeping Wall. Let's see...conditions are good right now. I have been in the North Ghost, Grotto Canyon, Kings Creek, Weeping Wall, Carlsberg and Massey near Field. I was supposed to climb Cascade this morning, but waning enthusiasm (can you believe that) is keeping me close to the ground today. All the usual suspects are in shape, but due to the lateness of the season I would just expect to add/subtract a grade to some of the routes. His and Hers are typically hard 4 easy 5, but the day we climbed them they were /hers 5- to 5+/ His 5+ to 6/. His is currently unsupported as the bottom of the curtain has fallen and can't get up. Carlsberg on the other hand is rated 5, but felt 4ish because of the traffic. Louise Falls is good, The Professor Falls are good. Polar Circus was VERY VERY VERY in. Reality set in when I saw it for the first time....Slipstream looked in bro....just kidding DON'T do it! You will die. Panther Falls and Bridal Veil are in. Cascade is currently safe from avvy as is Kidd Falls on Mt Kidd, but some recent snowfall can make those an avvy hazard. Ah hell man....EVERYTHING is in and fat. Climb where ever you want to stick in your tools. Climb the Whimper Wall and let me know what you think. It was hella fun and a cool position in which you traverse 600m of steep snow to reach the base of the solid Grade4 60M curtain, traverse right across the snow ledge and climb the crux 50M curtain to a dead end on rock. Check your shorts and rap off, traverse and rap again Then cruise back over and climb Weeping Wall left or snivelling Gulley. Make sure you drive up the road to check out NF of Athabasca and the Columbia Glacier. Slipstream is the obvious line on the shoulder of Snowdome. The overly hyped drive was not that bad, but I took my time and made sure I did Rogers Pass in the morning. I am going back through Idaho however instead of doing the TC again. Have fun and make sure you back up your abalakovs for that first rap or you may find yourself walking through the Elysian Fields with the sun on your face. Mike http://alpinelite.com [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 02-23-2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 Drool, drool, drool... Thank you for the update! Any pictures? (or your web cam broke? Are your pics of Louise Falls current? So good! We're having a blast here too - nice, foggy and gloomy outside, comforting buzz of HVAC and soft monitor light... Have a great time! And say hello to Dale and Kristie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erik Posted February 23, 2001 Share Posted February 23, 2001 mike, have fun up there cause right now i have been to index almost all week soaking up the sun and grating the skin off of my hands. sounds like fun is being had by all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Parker Posted February 24, 2001 Share Posted February 24, 2001 Mike, how far up the ghost can you get and is 4x4 required for any/some of the way? I want to do Synchronicity but my partner only has 2 wheel rice burner for a vehicle. Did you stay at rampart while on the icefields parkway part of your trip? If you climbed professors then how did terminator or welcome to canada look?.... How was top pitch of Louise? Also, Bourgeau left is very thin at the bottom right now (I have a photo) but a great climb I would highly reccomend with easy approach and safe from avy danger.... Can a 10 m climb really be 5 or 5+. I did his/hers last year in similar conditions and even TR'd on the rock to ice routine, but Even though a few moves were hard it just seems it needs to be longer to get that rating....ahhhhh.....ICE...who gives a shit really, right? BTW: For you guys drooling over this stuff, GO GET DRURY for a close to home Canada experience. I saw it yesterday and it still looks great!!! DPP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeadam Posted February 24, 2001 Author Share Posted February 24, 2001 Wow! 11 hours Canmore to Seattle...not bad. Bailed in the face of an imcoming stormfront. Anybody want to go look at Triple Couloirs on Sunday? Erik, BIG Mikey I am back. Make me one with Index Brah! Photos? Yes...I'll try to get them up tomorrow. I have pics of His and Hers and the M6+ to the left. Ratings...hmmmm....it comes in 4 flavors for me. Easy...medium...hard...really hard like I'm falling off. As far as the WI thing....well Barry Blanchard is the person I climbed those lines with so you can argue about it with him. That was his assesment of those routes conditions. Overhanging for 12M is overhanging for 12M bro....mostly I agree with you though. It's all very strange stuff this ice climbing and I can barely discern between any of the middle grades. Steep, steeper, arms burning, or low angle and calves burning. Who cares it's all fun right? Ghost....4x4 city man. I had to make new tracks because of the drifts. Mostly in the big valley at the bottom of the hill before you take the valley north to the sorcerer. I have a pic of a guy buried to his axles in the middle of the South Ghost river. Bring 4x4 or forget it. Didn't climb Prof just heard the word. I know Dale was going to climb Sea of Vapors so their all in the same neighborhood. I was based in Canmore the whole time. IP is coooold and no Beamers coffee girls. Bow Falls looked really cool by the way. ummm...let's see. I climbed Louise in January, but it was getting climbed probably everyday I was there this time. Pretty hacked up on the upper curtain no doubt. I'll try to get a few pics up tonight. Mike http://alpinelite.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeadam Posted February 24, 2001 Author Share Posted February 24, 2001 # [This message has been edited by mikeadam (edited 05-15-2001).] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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