[TR] Icefields Parkway, Canmore- Hammer Gulley, Lady Wilson's, Canmore Junkyards 12/18/2005

[chrisr]

Climb: Icefields Parkway, Canmore-Hammer Gulley, Lady Wilson's, Canmore Junkyards

 

Date of Climb: 12/18/2005

 

Trip Report:

Went up to the Parkway and did Hammer Gulley 200m WI3. Only a 20 minute approach and awesome views make this an incredible route. Four pitches of ice with some 200 feet of soloing. One of the best days I've ever had. Cold-10F overnight but in the 20's during the day allowed us to climb without jackets. The route is entirely in the sun and the ice was plastic.

 

Next day we tried to do Lady Wilson's Cleavage, again wanting to cover some ground, but we found it to be too wet. We renamed it Lactating Lady Wilson. The first few steps of WI2 were alright but when it came to the first substantial pitch you couldn't stand. As soon as you put your foot into it, it would collapse and begin to spew.

We heard from the people at Mountain Magic that Polar Circus and the Weeping wall were the same.

Great trip with great weather!

The junkyards in Canmore was packed but offered quite a bit of ice. There must have been 10-12 seperate parties there on Saturday. We did a 3 to the right of the waterfall that doesn't seem to freeze on the upper portion that was fun. Although it had a sketchy 15 foot moss/shale exit. Great time, highly recommend Finishing Hammer Gulley to anyone who wants a fun, moderate route that covers some ground and gives beautiful views of Howse and Cephren.

Stopped by Haffner on the way out and found more ice than I saw last year this time. Some of the easier M5 routes are covered in ice.

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

normal stuff

 

Approach Notes:

Hammer- 20 min walk up steep hillside with plenty of brush.

Lady Wilson's- the creek is frozen solid all the way to the road which makes for the easiest approach I've ever done.

[JoshK]

Cool! I was just up there too.

 

Did you top out on Lady Wilson's? If so did you notice the avy debris at the very top of the gully in the bowl beneath wilson major, etc? That was my buddy that set it off and it was scary as shit. I have never seen a less stable snowpack.

[chrisr]

no, it was so wet that we bagged it and went back to Banff to get toxic. We walked around quite a bit of it to see if it got better but it didn't.

[chrisr]

When we were walking down there was a pretty good sized avalanche that poured over the climb that's up and right of Lady Wilson's. The name escapes me but it's a big free-hanging dagger.

[JoshK]

Oh, sorry to hear. I've done that climb twice and it makes a great solo ramble. Lots of nice short picthes with breaks in between. I think it's probably the last time I do it however, unless I go there when there is absolutely zero snow. It is a scary deadly terrain trap and instabilities lie in that snow pack for a looooong time.

[chrisr]

It's not a destination climb for sure. I doubt I'll ever go back. I'm just getting to the point of leading WI4 so those long gulley climbs are great for getting in miles.