slipstream

[jmckay]

 

written in 2002/alpine spam #6 I believe

 

 

Slipstream: The route has seen some traffic the last little while. It would

be reasonably safe to extrapolate (but a dumb thing to count on) the above

snow pack to slipstream as they are similar elevations and aspects. Looking

through binoculars it would seem that the route is in the best shape it has

been in years. Objective hazards on this route are extreme to say the least.

The lower part of the route is exposed to falling ice by as many as three or

four gullies.

 

I phoned up a friend ...(lets call him “Paul” just because anybody who knows

me, knows I wouldn’t hang around with somebody with a stupid name like

“Paul” That seems like a safe name to use)... so I phone up “Paul” and ask

him if he wanted to do slipstream. “Don’t do slipstream” says Paul. No

hesitation in his voice. Says he would feel pretty stupid at the Pearly

Gates if he got killed. I explained to him that the reason wouldn’t be “Slip

Stream” that they didn’t let him in, it would be because of all the “stupid

shit” he done earlier. Slipstream was just the cherry on the sundae. I

explained how good the conditions were. Had him wavering but in the end

common sense prevailed. Apparently he had a cross word puzzle that was

giving him some trouble and he felt he needed to get that done first. I can

respect that. I also have decided that I have better things to do with my

time than hang out under some ice cap soloing endless miles of grade three

ice only to get slowed down by solid grade 4 pitch's. And if I did survive

the quicksand and mortar shells I could count on a long, long night out on a

wind swept glacier at –20 finding out that there are “worse things than

dieing”.

 

Having said that I would take a serious look at the route description. It is

more of a high end mountaineering objective. Just because you don't break a

sweat on the "French Maid" doesn't mean this route is for you. Be honest

with yourself. Would you recognize a mid pack instability if it stared you

in the face, you prepared for a open bivi on the glacier at 10,000 feet with

-20 temps and some wind. If you answered yes to any of these, have good look

at the things you love the most ..that nagging wife... the ugly kids with

the milkman's eyes ... your goldfish...your right hand... Whatever it is

that makes it worth getting up in the morning, if you want to keep that

routine going you may not want to do “Slipstream”. If your doing the route

to make a name for yourself you will. On the second page of the Calgary

Herald. Slipstream has probably killed more climbers than all the other ice

routes combined!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Written in 2002 but still applies.

Edited December 26, 2005 by jmckay

[Dru]

but joe what about Ice Porn

[jmckay]

Ween them in slowly. I am waiting to get more stock on/in Adult Diapers. Once I have a majority share I will release ICE PORN then Bill Gates will be working for me.

 

The truth be known it has been years sience I climbed the PORN and still about once a week I wake up screaming covered in cold sweat. So many things could have gone wrong on that climb I know for certian that I used up all nine of my lives and borrowed about four that didn't belong to me.

 

I have been thinking about getting proffessional help. It seems like I can no longer use my powers for good. Lord knows I try but it just comes out being evil. If you think they are ready perhaps we could repost the route description and photos. We just finished ICE PORN THE MOVIE makes "Sin City" look like the Simpsons. You know these folks better then me I've never lived in a rain forest.

 

Edited December 26, 2005 by jmckay

[JoshK]

I have some other pics of slipstream from my trip up there. It was definitely looking fat from what I could see but I have littler perspective on how it normally looks. I can honestly say I can't imagine a scarier climb to do. If you are interested in getting killed by thousands of tons of falling ice within view of the highway, it is the climb for you!!

[Dane]

Guess I don't get it.

 

Slipstream is an alpine climb with some water ice on it. Being able to climb one style of route safely doesn't mean you have the experience do the other safely. Successful alpine climbing generally denotes a bit of luck as well. Some luck is made, some given.

 

We did it in mid January a few years ago. Couple of other experienced teams did it within days. None of us spent a night

out on the climb.

 

The big snow slopes load up with the wind off the ice cap. Top one more so. Seracs do pop off the ice cliff on occasion. (one popped on the team a few days behind us. They were protected by being on one of the water ice sections..that's luck) And you'll generally get a few spindrift sluffs to keep you entertained.

 

It is a big (900meter) Canadian alpine face, one of the best, generally done in winter conditions. No one ever said it was

going to be easy

 

 

[Buckaroo]

""Guess I don't get it.""

 

I've never climbed it, but was under the impression that it rarely comes in condition simultaneous with avy danger being low. From talking to the locals that seemed to be the best time to climb it. You almost have to live there, it's probably like the EDM, you have to be ready to go at a moments notice.

 

[Dane]

Takes some experience with winter alpine conditions to make good decisions on that particular climb.

 

Early winter climbs might well have less snow to deal with. Temps are colder, ice is harder, days short. Late spring climbs might have less snow to deal with, easier travel between ice pitches and plastic ice on the steeper pitches, longer days. Spindrift loading on the upper snow slope will happen any time there is wind and new snow up high.

 

Climbers capable of making good decisions when it is in shape and willing to trust their judgement is the issue I suspect.

 

My point was to look a little further at the conditions and terrain of this particular climb. Slipstream doesn't have a boogieman hiding on it and shouldn't be scary if you know what you are looking at.

 

Slipstream is easily done car to car in a day. Might take two or three days skiing and climbing around the ice fields to figure out if Slipstream is "in". Same amount of time you'd generally devote to any big, winter, alpine climb before committing.