Toast Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Trolling for beta... Who's been there? Looking for helpful advice on a first trip to Banff to go ice climb. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Buy the guidebook!!!! It has everything you need! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast Posted November 21, 2003 Author Share Posted November 21, 2003 Joe Josephson's or is there another? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 JoJos is the standard. I think there is a separate guide specifically for mixed climbing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredrogers Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Toast- Went there for the first time last winter. We did Lady Wilson's Cleavage and climbed at Balfor Wall on the Parkway and then got into the Ghost and did most of This House of Skye (Highly recommended). We aslo spent a day at Hanfner, but I'm no high-end M-climber so that wasn't so much fun. Here is a link to the photos: http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showgallery.phpstype=2&si=FredRogers&perpage=12&sort=1&cat=505&ppuser=&friendemail=email@yourfriend.com&password= We stayed at the Banff Hostel and a kinda shady but perfectly acceptable hotel call the Akai in Canmore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kurthicks Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 there's a good thread in the ice conditions about this. check out gravsports.com, wickedgravity.com and live-the-vision.com for current conditions. just a note--haffner is closed for the season because of a fire there this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast Posted November 21, 2003 Author Share Posted November 21, 2003 Bad link Other recommendations? Jo Jo's book has like 800 routes in it. Looking for firsthand insights to help narrow down some of the choices. Thanks, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredrogers Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Try this one http://www.cascadeclimbers.com/plab/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=501 or go to the gallery and search for my user name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshK Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Yes, definitely get JoJo's book, that's a good place to start. Staying at the rampart creek hostel will put you in good range to lots of neat stuff. The only problem is you'll have to cart in your own food and gas if you stay for a few nights since you are pretty far out on the parkway. The lake lousie hostel also gets you reasonably close to some cool climbs if you are looking for a more touristy place to stay or want to do the nightlife thing for a night or two. I was pretty impressed with how nice that hostel was. Depending on what level of ice climber you are, you'll find lots of stuff for you in the book. If the avy conditions are low, I think the stuff in the lady wilson's / polar circus area was really neat. lady wilson's cleavage is a really cool long ramble climb that we found to be a good solo since none of the pitches were very long. Once on top of that climb, there are plenty other of good climbs in the basin you top out in. I also thought midnight rambler was a fun moderate climb in that same area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast Posted November 21, 2003 Author Share Posted November 21, 2003 Hafner looks like good stuff As far as lodging, how far are these towns apart from one another? I don't have the book yet and don't know the geography very well. I see there's Banff, Canmore, lake Louise... Sorry to be so gumby Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 From West to East Golden to Field - An hour Field to Lake Louise about 30 minutes Lake Louise to Banff about 45 min + Lake Louise to Bow Summit about a little less than an hour Lake Louise to Saskatechewan River Crossing about an hour and a half? Banff to Canmore about 30 minutes Canmore to Calgary about an hour Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dustin_B Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 When are you going up Toast? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toast Posted November 21, 2003 Author Share Posted November 21, 2003 Late January-February'ish, maybe as late as March. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 Here's another thread in the Ice Conditions forum that is recent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramayama Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 The Truffle Pig's Cafe in Field is a good spot to grub. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David_Parker Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 (edited) Toast, there are some musts for 1st timers to the area. Depending on which way you approach. From the west you can stop in kicking horse canyon and do something close to the road and then keep going and not lose a day of just driving. Ditto if you come from the south (Gibralter wall). Or hit one on the way in and one on the way out. If you begin from the west, stop in Field and do Guiness Gully if safe. Go all the way to very top for a fun day. Maybe do a harder pillar for 2 days in field. Stop in Lake Louise and stay at hostle. From there you can do Louise Falls (harder than it looks) and socialize with fur laden babes. Or you could make a day trip to Murchison Falls for an "alpine" ice climb (bring snowshoes). I think you must drive the icefields parkway and get on the weeping wall and look at Polar Circus to get pumped for future trips. For 2 days up there, stay a night at Rampart Creek hostle. Then if you want to venture down to Banff/Canmore (Canmore hotel or Alpine club) you got a fun day in Johnston Canyon (really steep top-roping and beautiful to boot). Gotto canyon is an easy "rest" day. Professors is a classic, fun climb with walk off descent and good views to the trophy wall. I recommend Prof. way over Cascade (dangerous). All this will keep you busy for a week, present challenging, fun climbing and help you get a feel for how the whole area lays out. You'll be BAAAAAACK!! Arnold Why is this thread so wide? Edited November 21, 2003 by David_Parker Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sobo Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 David_Parker said: Why is this thread so wide? See fredrogers's first post, above. All will be revealed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
layton Posted November 21, 2003 Share Posted November 21, 2003 bramayama said: The Truffle Pig's Cafe in Field is a good spot to grub. Yup! Looks like a Patagonia Lifestyles ad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daler Posted November 22, 2003 Share Posted November 22, 2003 Toast said: Hafner looks like good stuff As far as lodging, how far are these towns apart from one another? I don't have the book yet and don't know the geography very well. I see there's Banff, Canmore, lake Louise... Sorry to be so gumby FYI- Keep in mind that Haffner will probably be closed for the season because of the fires that they had this year. This also goes for the stanley headwall. Huge Bummer!!!! dale Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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