banff ice beta, or better place?

[Lucky Larry]

best novice, not beginner, ice area, where to stay inside (or do people camp out?), time of winter (feb good?), drive time from pdx, chances of picking up partner there, ideas, other areas?

Edited February 3, 2010 by oldlarry

[Jake_Gano]

Akai (sp?) is pretty cheap, and has kitchenettes.

 

Grotto Falls is a great beginner lead. Cour Dub and Lady Wilson's Cleavage are both fun, easy longer routes. Balfour Wall is kinda a long drive from Banff, but can be a good place for toproping.

 

 

[EastCoastBastard]

Gravsports

 

that'll give you all the info you need. The "Canmore guide" - see the links on the left side - has tonnes of info. I'd stay in Canmore, Banff is a tourist trap anyway. Better nightlife/"scenery" in Banff though.

 

"Beginner" - like WI3 ish? toproping/leading? Haffner Creek has some easily top-ropeable ice, Marble Canyon too. if you're into leading: Grotto Falls is WI2, Cascade Falls is about a 3 (can see this one from Banff). Bear spirit has a few top-ropeable ice lines. The Junkyards (Canmore) has a bunch of moderate stuff that can be toproped.

I don't think there are very many good beginner areas in the Canmore area, but the ones listed above are what I can think of. The junkyards probably has the best variety of stuff, has a short approach/drive.

 

Partners - look at the posts on Gravsports, or post one yourself, there are plenty of people looking to get out. Be honest with your abilities, etc...

 

Have fun and keep an eye on the avy forecasts...

[kevino]

Cascade is awesome. Theres a lot of ice to climb even if you don't feel like going for the finish part, which is what makes it a 3. In addition to their recommendations, there is King Creek. Which is a narrow canyon with a plethora or short and fun ice lines.

[Bogen]

Cascade is styrofoam right now, I hear. Regardless, all of the above suggestions are good. Stay at the Alpine Club of Canada clubhouse; it is like a very posh hostel, and you will have no trouble hooking up with climbing partners based out of there.

[gyro]

From my personal experience I would say haffner creek and canmore junkyards are the best beginner ice in the area, though I haven't been up recently.

 

Feb should be ok, I've climbed there in January and February and had good luck. Drive from PDX is going to be like 14 hours. Never tried to pick up partners on site there, but I've always run across friendly groups up there.

 

If you haven't been up in that area before and you have the time, be sure to take some to enjoy the sights, and the Banff Fairmont hotel is fun to walk around (but too much $$$ for me to stay at). There is another expensive hotel that I forget the name of that is right on a big glacial lake that they have ice skating on and carve ice figures. Anyway, got a bit off topic, but if you find you have extra time those are some nice ways to kill it.

[G-spotter]

Haffner, Grotto, Heart Creek, Junkyards, King Creek and Johnson Canyon are all popular, busy spots with plenty of half-pitch ice and mixed lines so you have good chance of 1) just showing up there and being able to find partners if you are solo, and 2) being able to catch a burn on someone else's already set up TR, and 3) mostly have lines easy enough to solo if there is no one else there when you get there (except Haffner).

 

If you want something longer than half a pitch but still need to find partners at the crag Evan-Thomas Creek is your best bet. There's usually ppl at the Moonlight-Snowline area (three two pitch WI4s plus a WI2 all within 500m of each other) and there's a new ice and mixed crag called the Rehab Wall another half an hour hike further up the trail (not in guidebook but topo online) with a further 6-8 popular one pitch lines.

[EastCoastBastard]

Rehab wall is NOT another 30min hike from Evan Thomas - more like an hour - and that's if you know where you're going. There's not very much easy stuff back there - some long/hard mixed, and some 4's and 5's. I think there might be a 3 back in there, but that's a long way to go.

[Lucky Larry]

thank you; this site has it all; sound familiar?

[goatboy]

What the heck does that mean?

[Lucky Larry]

Gravsports link by ECB

[Matt Kidd]

Canmore ACC can be a good place to hook up with people.

[campwire]

In the Banff area Canmore Junkyard, Grotto Falls, and Hart Creek Falls are great for WI 2 and 3. If you want to be in a more remote area the David Thompson HWY and middle of the park are hard to beat. 2 O'clock Falls, Klein Gallery, Wet Dream, SARS on Ice, its limitless for WI2 and 3. Shundra Creek Youth Hostile near Nordegg is a great place. This area involves more driving. The Sunwapta pass to Jasper is also awesome.

 

I can't wait to go back

[Jake_Gano]

I'm surprised how many recommendations you've got for the Canmore Junkyards. They don't call them the Junkyards because of the great climbing. I was pretty unimpressed, even as a new leader.

 

Johnston and Cascade are two beginner climbs/areas that I never made it back to, but I've heard good recommendations.

[trainwreck]

Finishing Hammer Gully and Bow Falls are great moderates as well.

[gyro]

I'm surprised how many recommendations you've got for the Canmore Junkyards. They don't call them the Junkyards because of the great climbing. I was pretty unimpressed, even as a new leader.

 

Johnston and Cascade are two beginner climbs/areas that I never made it back to, but I've heard good recommendations.

 

They aren't terrible, but yeah, nothing to write home about. But short approach and easy ice make for good beginner spots. As far as Johnston canyon, I was a little sketched out by the tour groups that kept watching us. Not used to a non-climbing audience I guess...

[Matt Kidd]

Balfour Wall on the Parkway is a really good beginner area, too far from Canmore?

[campwire]

Canmore junk yard is a great place to go for new people, because there is easy safe terrain for soloing. That gives you lots of time on the ice. My first time up there I had a great time soloing around for hours. The second time it wasn't as fun.

Edited February 5, 2010 by campwire