Need a little inspriration while it rains?

[Dane]

Some may have seen this on Gadd's sight, well worth a read if you haven't..enjoy!

 

David Dornian wrote the following about Frank Jourdan's summer for the Calgary Mountain Club World News' alpine report in 1994.

 

"A stiff little reminder of what can be accomplished when you put a few caffeine pills into your butt bag, hang a couple of ropes and your shoes off your harness, and get out whilst everyone else is still "waiting for things to come into condition"

 

What did YOU do on your summer vacation? In July, visiting German alpinist Frank Jourdan managed a quick two-week trip to the Canmore/Banff/Jasper corridor to finish off a North American tour.

 

Discovered sleeping in his car at the ACC clubhouse parking lot in Canmore, he was taken into town by staff, coffeed up, and the following amazing tale was extracted in halting English.

 

It seems that a few days previously, Frank had driven north to the Columbia Icefields where he soloed a route he referred to as "Skyladder Direct" on Mt. Andromeda. He then descended the line, crossed the glacier to the northeast, and ascended "The Shooting Gallery". From there, he traversed the summit of Andromeda, climbed down one of the "Practice Gullies" and moved across too the base of "The Andromeda Strain".

 

In the dark now, he ascended the "Strain" by headlamp, carried on past the Andromeda/Athabasca col, over the summit of Athabasca in blowing conditions and what he called "...very strong snow" and arrived back at the parking lot 45 hours after he had left.

 

There's more.

 

Moving north a bit, Frank then soloed the Robinson/Arbic on the North Face of Cromwell.

 

And more...

 

Next, he attempted the North Face of Alberta. Going up without a rope, Frank decided he didn't like the inconsistent nature of the rock band above the icefield, and so he traversed off the face and descended the NE ridge. As a consolation, he bagged the peak by the Japanese Route before returning to the highway.

 

And still more...

 

He drove to Jasper and had a look at the North Face of Edith Cavell, coming down because of wet rock and unconsolidated snow.

 

And finally.

 

Returning south past Mt. Kitchener, where he soloed the Grand Central Couloir - "Only to be climbed ven zer's eis..." - apparently spending over an hour tunneling through the summit cornice.

 

Wait...

 

After resting and cragging around Canmore for a few days, Frank decided that he wanted "...perhaps one more peak" before he headed home to Germany. When he showed up at Acephale around noon on Sunday, looking for Todd, we mercilessly insisted that he have a go on Mirror Stage 12b. Heh, heh. After all, we pointed out to this quiet little guy in the pilled fleece, there was already a rope on it; he might as well give it a shot. Protesting that he was "probably quite tired...", he dutifully pulled on a pair of shoes and sent the rig first try. A little while later, he did the same to Bleu du Ciel 12b, loosing his feet during the hideous sloper match at the crux and simply pulling up and locking off while he reached across for the next crimp edge in the sequence.

 

Now willing to let him be our friend, we engaged Frank in conversation. Turns out he had spent the day before climbing the Blanchard/Robinson on the North Face of Howse Peak, avoiding the A3 chimney and block via the ice in the gash out right (which he admitted was slow going and "very technical" [and which Peter Arbic, the only other person to go that way, reportedly characterizes as "Death" - ed.] and had been forced to sleep on the mountain that night, prior to descending and running up to meet us at the crag.

 

Dave Dornian"

 

[marc_leclerc]

Nice! What a story!

[Dane]

Ya, amazing in two weeks this guy climbed what many would figure to be a good resume' with a partner.

 

Andromeda by four routes:

 

Skyladder.....the down climbed it

Shooting Gallery IV 5.9 WI4

Practice Gully as the decent...down climbed

Andromedia Strain with a walk off down AA Col V 5.9 A2 WI5 free

 

Walk over Wooley shoulder and back which typically impresses most.

 

Cromwell via the R&A IV 5.7

 

Alberta 1/2 the N face,(VI) traversed off and down climbed the NE Ridge (V).....not likely done before or since.

 

Mt Alberta via the Japanese route V 5.6

 

Edith Cavell...up onto the main face and down climbed because of conditions. IV 5.7

 

Kitchener's Grand Central Coulior V 5.9 A2 WI5.....in midsummer mind you and free.

 

Howse Peak via the B&K VI 5.9 A3 free.

 

All are some pretty good alpine routes a couple have a reputation for actually being very difficult...10 of them and at least another 5 days just walking in and out for normal folk.

 

Throw in a couple of admitted rest days and some .12 sport climbs a you must have a pretty full 2 week vacation

 

After sorting all that out and having been on some of the terrain I gotta bow down to this guy! Simply amazing to me.

 

 

[G-spotter]

Alberta 1/2 the N face,(VI) traversed off and down climbed the NE Ridge (V).....not likely done before or since.

 

Already done by Wilford

 

Frank came back to Canada a couple years ago and soloed the second ascent of the Cheesemond-Dick on east face of Assiniboine.

He's also done some stuff in the Wadd Range if I recall correctly.

[Chad_A]

On that same rampage, I think he did Humble Horse, as well.

[G-spotter]

Here we go...

 

http://www.alpinist.com/doc/ALP09/climbing-note-jourdan

 

It's worth noting that he doesn't actually solo these routes all free, Dane. He goes ropeless but brings a small rack and pulls on gear if necessary in some sections.

[Dane]

Cool report, I had not seen it, thanks.

 

Assinibone? Ya, all that "safety margin" on a Rockies V 5.9 A2 He's only done ..what...six of them by these two reports?

 

And both trips in July. Not like anyone would actually want to do those routes in July.

 

Or that those routes get repeated very often let alone soloed.

 

I still admire Jourdan's skill and his head space.