Don_Serl Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 Trip: Quit Yer Job! Sumallo is IN! - Grim Reaper - Box Canyon Date: 2/14/2009 Trip Report: Marc Le Clerc, Robert Nugent, and I headed up to Box Canyon, thinking the altitude ought to have kept the ice nice, and that the settled snow ought to make for an easy approach - and, boy, were we right! There is a snowshoe track already set up the valley (a moderately popular, totally safe, rather spectacular daytrip winter hike option), and while there's a bit of wandering cuz the low snow has not fully buried all the alder and boulders, it's just wandering, nothing unpleasant. We were at the route in 40 mins, moving at my pace - young fast guys could be there in 30. The route was in superb condition. I'd call it 60m 3+, 60m 3, and 40m 4 right now. Every pitch has a unique character, with the long flow in the middle of p2 being the highlight - superb! Raps are set off trees: climbers left at top, then left (a bit of uphill traverse to get to this one), then right. We were 9-3 car to car. The stuff on the north side of the canyon is baked out - too bad, cuz it looks like Mr Natural would have been climbable a week ago, and that's almost a big route that's never in. We did not walk to the head of the valley (20-30 mins further in current conditions), but 'Scotch on the Rocks' and 'Engage' are undoubtedly in, and probably fat. We drove Hwy 3 for a look afterwards, and EVERYTHING at Sumallo Bluffs is in and ready to go - plus there's a totally safe snowpack! Landmark looks superb - the western half of the p3 curtain has snapped off, but the E'ern half is a solid sheet. The middle section looks like p2 on Reaper - smooth, well-filled flow ice. The lower (approach) pitches look kinda sketchy, but they're not overly hard. 'Crunchy Frog' is as big as I've ever seen it. There's good ice in the 'Mess Right' gully around the corner. 'Anthrax Ripple' is in and (for this climb) "fat" - Graham Rowbotham and Jesse Mason climbed it on Sat - there'll likely be a TR which pops up here - maybe the 2nd ascent? With a week of solid weather ahead and ice conditions on the bluffs the best I've seen in 30 years, I'd definitely take the whole week off... if I didn't have job pressure which won't let me do anything of the sort at the moment... fingers crossed it lasts! Cheers, Gear Notes: 9 screws, 2 ropes Quote
marc_leclerc Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 What a great day! Great route, great conditions, great company... Sumallo looks SICK right now, Crunchy Frog and Landmark looks particularily sweet IMO Box Canyon = Sumallo Bluffs = :tup: Quote
jmace Posted February 15, 2009 Posted February 15, 2009 Oh the report was gonna come after next weekend..... The initial pitch of Landmark is steep grade 4 according to the guide, it looked quite thin and snowy to us..?? Fer sure the upper curtain is steeeeep River is about upper thigh deep Quote
Don_Serl Posted February 16, 2009 Author Posted February 16, 2009 Oh the report was gonna come after next weekend..... yah, and the forecast shows rain starting friday or saturday? damn... Quote
marc_leclerc Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 Hey Don, check the Manning Park Forecast. It doesn't look too bad up there and the ice is pretty close to the park... Quote
Don_Serl Posted February 16, 2009 Author Posted February 16, 2009 yup, not bad. and sorry jesse - couldn't not post up... cheers, Quote
jmace Posted February 16, 2009 Posted February 16, 2009 haha not a biggy we had more than our fair share of ice however we were honestly skeptical of Landmark initial pitches and the whiteness of Crunchy Frog..but I suppose you just gotta go have a look which is what we did when we saw bits and pieces of ice up high in the Anthrax Ripple line. So as you mentioned Graham and I climbed Anthrax Ripple which went at 300m of WI4+ with at times challenging ice conditions. The route was phenomenal and I would do it again any time, although if this was a second ascent I suppose I may have to wait another 25 yrs? Fingers crossed for good weather...talk to you this week cheers A few pics, click for larger ones Pitches 1,2 and crux third up high on the narrow pillar, steeper than it looks as usual second p third pitch Crux pitch 3 from below 5th and 6th on the right, more ice hidden in the forest above for pitch 6 Quote
Don_Serl Posted February 16, 2009 Author Posted February 16, 2009 The route was phenomenal and I would do it again any time, although if this was a second ascent I suppose I may have to wait another 25 yrs? good one, guys. REALLY good... finger crossed... cheers, Quote
Don_Serl Posted February 17, 2009 Author Posted February 17, 2009 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ fuck money, i'm going climbing! Quote
marc_leclerc Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ fuck money, i'm going climbing! Quote
G-spotter Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 one too old and one too young to know what kind of "money" winds up in the face when one is excited Quote
giza Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 one too old and one too young to know what kind of "money" winds up in the face when one is excited haha you are a perv Dru. How can you take this thread to 'that' place? Deeply twisted...... Quote
G-spotter Posted February 17, 2009 Posted February 17, 2009 It wasn't me, it was Jordan. I was just interpreting. Quote
marc_leclerc Posted February 18, 2009 Posted February 18, 2009 one too young to know what kind of "money" winds up in the face when one is excited i didn't really think of it that way until now Dru... jeez, way to corrupt Quote
jmace Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 So not wanting to trust the weather Graham and I went back to finish off Landmark Gully yesterday Land Mark Gully on the left and Buzowski Kippan on the right click photos for larger size there is a log across the river, follow our tracks and leave the waders at home, about an hour approach to both routes, travel up the avy path is best Landmark has never had an ascent with the pillar touching down and from what I understand no one has seen the pillar/curtain touch down in the last 30 years. We climbed 6 pitches pitch 1 40m WI3- 2 50m easy snow/ice 3 60m WI3- 4 60m WI4- 5 60m WI2 6 60m WI5- Graham at the Pillar Sneaking behind looking down from pitch 4 Quote
G-spotter Posted February 20, 2009 Posted February 20, 2009 +7 at Hope Slide again today, warmer tomorrow! http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/trends_table/pages/wkv_metric_e.html Quote
Don_Serl Posted February 20, 2009 Author Posted February 20, 2009 yah, mr weatherman jmace says: forecast is for 5C at 1500m and 14C in the valley and that's only because some cloud cover may inhibit further heating. gonna be drippy... cheers, Quote
northvanclimber Posted February 21, 2009 Posted February 21, 2009 Trip: Quit Yer Job! Sumallo is IN! - Grim Reaper - Box Canyon Date: 2/14/2009 Trip Report: Marc Le Clerc, Robert Nugent, and I headed up to Box Canyon, thinking the altitude ought to have kept the ice nice, and that the settled snow ought to make for an easy approach - and, boy, were we right! There is a snowshoe track already set up the valley (a moderately popular, totally safe, rather spectacular daytrip winter hike option), and while there's a bit of wandering cuz the low snow has not fully buried all the alder and boulders, it's just wandering, nothing unpleasant. We were at the route in 40 mins, moving at my pace - young fast guys could be there in 30. The route was in superb condition. I'd call it 60m 3+, 60m 3, and 40m 4 right now. Every pitch has a unique character, with the long flow in the middle of p2 being the highlight - superb! Raps are set off trees: climbers left at top, then left (a bit of uphill traverse to get to this one), then right. We were 9-3 car to car. Thanks for posting the conditions on the Grim Reaper. Went up yesterday to go climb it and it was great! The climb is still in good condition, but a little drippy in spots. As Don mentioned, the climbs on the right wall have mostly rotted out and began crashing down as soon as the sun hit them. Quote
jmace Posted March 23, 2009 Posted March 23, 2009 Sumallo is still happening, Graham and I climbed Crunchy Frog today and the ice was totally dry. The other routes all look great, if your still interested in winter.. Crunchy on the left, 3p 4+ we only climbed the first two passed on the 2+ upper pitch. 1 Hour approach, gum boots work for a direct approach or use the log. Quote
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