Alex Posted September 24, 2003 Posted September 24, 2003 For those who just cannot wait, seems like the ice is coming in early. The season is usually in full swing by Halloween. Alex http://www.live-the-vision.com/wwwboard/messages/2772.html Quote
Dru Posted September 24, 2003 Posted September 24, 2003 CANDIAN? say, that looks helpful for quickly placing ice screws Quote
layton Posted September 26, 2003 Posted September 26, 2003 Canadian: "we climbed it in challenging conditions, lots of ice all around" Translation: "It sucked and was shitty with half-assed smears everywhere but I sound cool and tough and mysterious saying it like this cuz nothings in that you'd drive all the way to Banff to do unless your local and are bored as shit like me" Quote
salbrecher Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Were's a good place for a newbie ice climber to go to find some easy ice in the rockies this early in the season? I have Joe Josephsons guide but am a little overwhelmed by the number of chices to say the least. Stefan Albrecher Quote
Dru Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 if you go to the rockies this early get in alpine ice/mixed routes while there is zero avalanche hazard - icefields parkway, sidestreet or something similar and it beats taking a number for the 18th party of the day on r&d Quote
fern Posted October 20, 2003 Posted October 20, 2003 Kings Creek Seepages or similar stuff in the Kananaskis comes in early sometimes. High elevation stuff on the Icefields Parkway - lots of rambly mixed up stuff at Bow Falls to the right of the main flow. There's some stuff at the far end of the Stanley Headwall, Sinus Gully and farther left, though a long hike in. Of course Marble Canyon is equidistant and often is in by mid-late November too. Quote
scott_johnston Posted October 22, 2003 Posted October 22, 2003 Stefan; You asked about good places for newbies to find early season ice inthe Canadian rockies. While I agree with Dru about the Icefields as a good spot to find ice due to the altitude/low avy hazard (this time of year) and many options; I must take exception to Dru wanting to send you on Side Street. I don't know if he has climbed the route before but I have and have had personal converstaions with 3 other parties who have done the route in various seasons. All of us found the route in similar conditions despite the seasonal variations and it is not a route for a beginner ice climber or alpinist. The first crux pitches goes at M7/8 or very awkward A2 in an overhanging flairing crack. The second crux (on the last pitch) is old fashioned 5.9 mixed (modern grade M4/5). Sure there is a bunch of moderate terrain to cover but I mean a bunch. Remember too, that the 5.9 A1/2 rating on most older Canadian alpine routes was pretty much the top of the scale that most of the then hard men thought they could climb in the mountains. Notice that Side Street has the same technical rating as the Ramp on the N face of Kitchner. The later IS a Gr V while Side Street is a III which I think is a fair assesment of the commitment factor but they are in the same league technically and I don't think anyone would send a newbie on the Ramp. A very well know alpinist from Canmore with many first ascent scalps in the Rockies hanging from his belt has backed off the first crux of Side Street at least once. My recommendations at the Columbia Icefields this time of year for a newbie would be in this order 1)Silverhorn 2)Skyladder then if you want a bit of an icy mixed challenge 3) N face Athabaska. DO NOT be deceived by the 5.4 rating. We are not talking sport 5.4 here. Good luck and have fun. NOTE: There is a lot of questionable and wrong info in the Dougherty "Selected" book so it is best to try top get personal info to confirm his beta before you rely on those descriptions. Scott (NCMG) Quote
Dru Posted October 22, 2003 Posted October 22, 2003 i haven't done sidestreet i will admit but friends of mine who did it recommended it as a short a1 crack to a couple pitches easy mixed and a well protected (with pins) m5 finish, which is why i recommended stefan think about it sounds like maybe they were sandbaggin me but i still want to go do it Quote
glassgowkiss Posted October 22, 2003 Posted October 22, 2003 Dru said: i haven't done sidestreet i will admit but friends of mine who did it recommended it as a short a1 crack to a couple pitches easy mixed and a well protected (with pins) m5 finish, which is why i recommended stefan think about it sounds like maybe they were sandbaggin me but i still want to go do it dru, i bet differ about sidestreet. a couple of people i know did this route. there is 6 pitches of climbing with a crux about M5, which is about the same as andromeda strain. i don't know what are you talking about as far as lack of ice early in the season? by mid november 90% o f the climbs are formed up. yes there are some that form later, but in general they are a minority. november by far is the best to climb due to low avalanche hazard. as far as doing alpine routes at that time of the year- mighty hard- a very short day to deal with, hence you have to be fast Quote
JoshK Posted October 22, 2003 Posted October 22, 2003 I was amused that when I went to the CA rockies earlier last december lots of locals said "oh, not much is in yet". I guess they have a different perspective because there was sweet ice everywhere! Quote
layton Posted October 23, 2003 Posted October 23, 2003 by mid november 90% o f the climbs are formed up. yes there are some that form later, but in general they are a minority. That just not true Quote
Dru Posted October 23, 2003 Posted October 23, 2003 michael_layton said: by mid november 90% o f the climbs are formed up. yes there are some that form later, but in general they are a minority. That just not true he must have been referring to the lineUPS for the TRs in Haffner Creek "Dude just lower off where the ice starts!" Quote
Alex Posted October 23, 2003 Author Posted October 23, 2003 michael_layton said: by mid november 90% o f the climbs are formed up. yes there are some that form later, but in general they are a minority. That just not true I don't know about "90%" but there is a fair amount in by Thanksgiving. It depends on the year though, the last two years especially have been very mild in the early season. Quote
Dru Posted October 23, 2003 Posted October 23, 2003 friend of mine was in Icefields and Banff last weekend said all that is in is a couple of dribbles in Kananaskis. and the top 1/2 pitch of Terminator. Quote
glassgowkiss Posted October 23, 2003 Posted October 23, 2003 Alex said: michael_layton said: by mid november 90% o f the climbs are formed up. yes there are some that form later, but in general they are a minority. That just not true I don't know about "90%" but there is a fair amount in by Thanksgiving. It depends on the year though, the last two years especially have been very mild in the early season. that's not true? look at the www.gravsports.com or www.live-the-vission.com and see how many new routes were put up in October of last year. as the matter of fact a lot of these thin mixed lines were gone after a couple of chinooks in november. most likely this season will be kind of lean, since there is little of ground water flowing due to dry winter and hot/dry summer. Quote
layton Posted October 24, 2003 Posted October 24, 2003 pick up a copy of Waterfall ice and tell me what % of those climbs are in by early dec! Sure, most of the new lines are being put up early season before they get burried. Quote
glassgowkiss Posted October 24, 2003 Posted October 24, 2003 michael_layton said: pick up a copy of Waterfall ice and tell me what % of those climbs are in by early dec! Sure, most of the new lines are being put up early season before they get burried. most of the ghost and kananaskis, trophy wall (if formed), stanley glacier headwall +nemesis area, kitty hawk area, do you need more??? Quote
Climzalot Posted October 24, 2003 Posted October 24, 2003 Gonna have to go with Layton on this one Bob. November seems to be pretty spotty for what most people consider good conditions in the Rockies, especially for moderate pure ice routes. I've been up there three years in a row in November and there, as you have said, is always plenty of ice if you know where to look and climb hard, but not everything is in. Not even close. I havent had good experience in the Ghost early season any of these years. 4 early season trips in there with onle one frickin climb done. Saying most climbs, with regard to the number of routes in the area as a whole, are formed by November would be pretty far from the truth I think. Who cares though. Plenty to do that time of year and its usually worth the trip, especially if you are a hardman like Bob! When are you going to get up there guys. Coley Quote
kurthicks Posted October 24, 2003 Posted October 24, 2003 I was searching the Parks Canada website yesterday and, because of the wildfires in Kootenay NP this summer, Haffner Creek, Marble Canyon, and Stanley Glacier are closed indefinately. this is so suck! Check it out for yourself... Quote
iain Posted October 24, 2003 Posted October 24, 2003 scott_johnston said: I must take exception to Dru wanting to send you on Side Street. Scott (NCMG) Hey sweet photo of you climbing that route in the Patagucci catalog. nice. Quote
kurthicks Posted October 24, 2003 Posted October 24, 2003 Nov 8-11 Nov 22-29 Dec 26 - Jan 11 Jan 17-19 Feb 14-16 Mar 14-21.... you coming? Quote
layton Posted October 25, 2003 Posted October 25, 2003 jeeze, wish my school schelude was that open! Quote
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