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[TR] Canadian Rockies ice trip - classics and not-so-classics 2/20/2011


YocumRidge

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Trip: Canadian Rockies ice trip - classics and not-so-classics

 

Date: 2/20/2011

 

Trip Report:

Jesse M (jmace) and I headed to canadian rockies to hit some ice over the President's day weekend that I cunningly contrived to last one week!

 

Day 0. After a swift drive to the canadian border, I was successfully stopped and interrogated for an hour and half re: purpose of my ice climbing gear. Being in denial whether this is the norm, I somehow made it to the Drew G-spotter’s place in Chilliwhack to pick up Jesse.

 

A 9 hr straight shot on TRANS-CANADIA to Canmore and we are in the rockies.

 

God bless canadian highways for being friendly to the sports cars in winter, which is greatly appreciated:

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Obligatory mountain glamour shots:

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And more:

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And more:

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Although we really lucked out with high pressure system and decent (-30oC at times) temps, the avy conditions were not hmmm… the best, read - “EXTREME".

 

Weeping Wall (normally, minimal avy danger) was closed for 3 days in a row, followed by a successful heli rescue of the avy burial victims at the Bourgeau falls plus one slide dumped off the right side of Louise falls while we were racking up at the base.

 

One consistent pattern on the approaches was an extensive weak layer of granular facets:

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Day 1.

Kananaskis area.

 

Left to right: Moonlight (110 m WI4), Snowline (100 m WI4) and 2 Low 4 Zero (90 m WI3R).

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Jesse on P1 of Snowline:

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I got on the P2 but after breaking off a coffee table-sized bulge, my sorry ass was lowered and Jesse re-lead it in a much better form:

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Day 2.

Our plan was to get on A Bridge Too Far (300 m WI4+) behind Kidd Falls (75 m WI4) in Kananaskis,

 

Kidd falls:

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but the avy conditions and chest deep postholing promised a good 4 hr approach. So, we bailed and went to the Grotto canyon desperately trying to climb something in the remaining daylight.

 

 

Me on Grotto Falls (55 m, WI3):

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His (no touch down) and Hers (WI4-):

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Jesse on Hers:

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Day 3. The sketchiest avy conditions off the Icefields Parkway: two pits failed and two close calls on triggering of slabs on other aspects. -30oC outside and no beer (nearly a full case I brought from PDX had exploded in the car, what a life :( ).

 

Some local cragging around Canmore in pm:

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Day 4. Complete Louise Falls 110 m, right pillar (currently at WI4+)

 

Louise Falls from the lake:

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Me on P1:

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Admiring the crux:

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Belay cave:

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Jesse leading the crux pillar:

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Day 5. Complete Professor Falls, 8 pitches, 280 m, WI4

 

We teamed up with Joe (sean_beanntan) and Heather from PDX for a full day on Professor falls. Ice was fat, the company was rad and all pitches were in. Awesome day!

 

Trophy Wall:

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Professor falls from the approach:

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P1:

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Jesse on P2-P4:

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Myself somewhere in the middle:

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Joe on the last pitch:

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Professors top-out:

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The crew:

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Thanks guys for the awesome trip :tup: !

 

 

 

 

 

Gear Notes:

rack

 

Approach Notes:

3000 GT

 

I-5 from B-ham to PDX was a ditch-endangered total suck at 20 mph. Thanks to V&D for letting me stay at their place in Seattle to recover mentally and physically.

 

 

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This trip had many many highlights for sure, starting out when I told my girlfriend I was booking a hotel for a one week adventure with a girl I met on the internet...should have re-worded that one!!

 

The hotel was not happening anymore, however a hostel seemed to fit the bill so we booked in at The Hostel Bear

 

This was a reasonable adventure with the total cost coming in at 175$ for 7 nights.

 

With me at the wheel I was definitely making a statement to the youths as I piloted the lowered Mitsubishi with personalized plates "Feisty" into the lot!

 

They knew I was badass for sure!!!

 

We ended up having the dorm room to ourselves for 3 nights followed by a busy but tolerable weekend and then a very interesting young couple from Manitoba stayed on. The neat thing about this hostel is that you get your own personal curtains to close your entire bed in for privacy. Yet they are not sound proof...

 

Now having been a young guy, for sure I have used the "dont worry we will be quiet" plea... but jeez I dont think these folks cared too much. I woke up to someone saying spank me...and then actual spanking...

 

My witty remarks were no where to be found, it was 2 am and I was dumbfounded. Then it was over, then it was round two. Then apparently, I missed this part as I cranked the headphones to 10. There was quite commotion as someone was not living up to their end of the bargain...im sure he was wishing her to be quiet as she voiced her concerns over his performance, hahaha

 

I think I will go back to my tried and tested hotel with kitchenette.

 

The rest of the trip was fun and enjoyable and Nastia turned out to be keen for everything that was not cragging, a welcome change from some of my more lazy partners.

 

WE also met some great folks from Vancouver and Portland and it just made for a highly enjoyable and social trip. A welcome get away from the warm wet weather on the coast at that time.

 

She missed this great pic of her coming up Snowline.

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It reminds me 80s, when Russians and Canadians were fighting on ice playing hokey. We didn't like those Canadians with no helmets on! They were (and are) good!.

 

Ironically, we now are seeing a Russian-Canadian crew on ice! Congratulations, great TR! I like real mountains in the background. What are they?

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You got on some great climbs! Everything looks hella fat. Looking at the pics, Moonlight and Snowline very fat. Louise is a nice route, Professors is classic. Even Grotto and His/Hers are nice for a trip to the Rockies. Now the best part is going back year after year and doing lots of other stuff - IceFields Parkway, Ghost, David Thompson, Field - without repeating the stuff you already did.

 

I'd recommend Rocky Mountain Ski Lodger or similar in Canmore over a hostel anyday, the privacy is totally worth the extra couple bucks. We fit 4 easily in the Ski Lodge which keeps costs low.

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Thanks Alex and arentz!

 

Yeah, we were considering Ghost climbs but in the current conditions having a second vehicle (preferably not a sports car :) ) in case of the emergency tow would be a way to go.

 

Icefields Parkway. We poked around a few climbs over there:

 

Baw Falls - too much snow cover that would take lots of digging plus high avy danger on the approach:

 

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Murchinsons falls were in good shape:

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but we were running of daylight when by surprise we got there trying to locate some other falls. After all, none of us were in the area before.

 

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yeah you cant go into the ghost without 4wd this late in the year. It's still worth planning on sometime in the future, there are a lot of classics back there and the ambiance is just very very different from the rest of Banff scene.

 

icefields pkwy:

 

Bow Falls - classic route but we usually leave it for early or late in the year (Nov, March) as it is pretty cold and forms early and stays long. It can have a terrifying top-out.

 

Murchison - must do. The only av hazard is, as the book says, on the final couple hundred meters of approach slope to the base of the first step of the route. It is also a very cold route, good for March.

 

I'd second Polar Circus. You can go as far as you want, as the way down is the established rap line down the route, so whenever you want you just turn around.

 

Seeing all this stuff makes me want to go. Anyone want to babysit my kids for a week??

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I'd second Polar Circus. You can go as far as you want, as the way down is the established rap line down the route, so whenever you want you just turn around.

 

Nice TR, and well humoured Jesse! Remarkable forebearance in the hostel - maybe a video camera next time?

 

As for Polar Circus, a VERY bad choice when avvy conditions are high - witness John Lauchlan, RIP... you guys did well going elsewhere...

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second the avi fear factor for polar circus. The couple of times we went there, there HUGE avi scours in the snowpack that shows how bad ass the situation is. There is a lot of snow load terrain above and makes the whole day very interesting when you ponder that at belays.

But I am a avi paranoid schizo though. (after one small, non lethal incident/lesson)

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yeah you cant go into the ghost without 4wd this late in the year.

 

I was up there the same week and got properly stuck (escaped with self rescue) trying to get into the Ghost even with 4wd. Got stopped in a huge drift 1-2 km before big hill.

 

Man, that was a cold week! We stayed at the Hostel Bear first and then moved to Rocky Mtn Ski Lodge when space opened. $10 more for a kitchette, hot tub and non-shared rooms = no brainer.

 

Nice TR.

 

 

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