Planning my first visit to BC for ice

[JDCH]

Howdy-

 

Heading up for some ice climbing fun in BC from the 27th-2nd. I have never been up there, and was hoping for some recommended routes. I have a copy of west coast ice, but I was hoping for some specific direction...

 

This time of year I'm comfortable leading in the WI3-4 range, but would be willing to play on some 5's if I could get a rope up!

 

Thank you!

[JDCH]

Also- Any cheap but nice lodging recommendations are welcome too!

[Alex]

By "BC" assuming you are talking Lillooet because there is overkill of info on Canmore/Banff.

 

The general "early season"/"most mileage for the buck" script for Lillooet is to head up on the Duffy the first day for practice at Rambles, and second day to Marble Canyon, heading home either back through Lillooet or all the way to Cache Creek depending on how you are feeling. By doing this you can probably get 3+ pitches in each day of relatively moderate ice with top-roping options. There aren't that many other places where you wont have to lead at least a pitch of 4 or 5 to get up and off a route. Honeyman's is one option but it is relatively high-flow and so can be not fully formed this early, though with the cold it probably is.

 

Places to stay: I've stayed at Mile-0 almost always, but there are a couple other motels in town.

[JDCH]

Alex- Thank you. Yes I did mean Lillooet

 

 

Thank you!

[DPS]

Mile-O motel is nice and reasonably priced.

[JDCH]

Soo.. AS I get ready for this trip, my F'ing pickup is acting up, so I'm left with 2 options, drive my smart car up there, or rent. Would a smart car be a total idiot move? Or will the roads likely be plowed enough that it won't make a difference?

[Alex]

I just posted a reply to your PM. Basically, the Smart Car will make it to Lillooet. Just make the call when there whether to go up the Duffy, or not depending on the snow condish in town. If no Duffy, go to Marble.

[Rafael_H]

Based on the past weekend 15" wheels are just fine unless it dumps a ton, which is not forecast. All roads will be fine, except for trucks throwing gravel against hoods and windshields. There is no plowing for the Crown Lake (Marble Canyon) parking lot though, so I'd take a shovel just in case (I always do anyway).

 

And, bring running shoes in case someone does away with it in their van...

[ChrisFreye]

Does anyone know where I can find conditions for Duffy and the surrounding area? Also, where can I find more information about the routes there?

[jmace]

1) No one really makes vacations to Lillooet for ice anymore, its more like the closest place to get the fix. Back in the day we would spend xmas and every weekend hunting for ice, there was even an ice fest....now its just too warm.

 

2) It was +13c yesterday, it +10 now...the forecast for the week is for well above 0c

 

http://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-28_metric_e.html

 

3) The long range forecast is for more mild weather and rising freezing levels, which seems to be the theme for this winter

 

4) This is the 4th winter in a row where I have had to go to the Rockies

 

Otherwise your chances for ice are Marble, Rambles and maybe Manning Park...but thats about it, hope for a freeze but here we are mid jan...we got about a month left of the season and nothing has formed...unlikely

 

Otherwise dust off the rock shoes, was superb friction weekend prior and this weekend and next week look great for the bluffs.

 

Or do what we all do, make the drive to the rockies

[jmace]

Here is whats been climbed so far this winter, basically when we had that cold snap.

 

http://www.westcoastice.com/

 

This is the cam at the highest point of the Duffy, 1350 m, the rambles are at 1000m

 

http://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/182.html

 

For Marble canyon we often look at the clinton forecast

http://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/bc-91_metric_e.html

 

 

[ChrisFreye]

Marble canyon temps look acceptable. Do you know where I can find info on the routes there besides westcoastice.com? Do you think they would be in on saturday and sunday? Also what about manning park?

Edited January 14, 2014 by ChrisFreye

[G-spotter]

Latest from facebook post from friend of a friend said:

 

Deeping Wall was "very wet and delaminating almost a foot at the top, and sections very thin."

 

Icy BC "had holes up the left side".

 

They broke thru into flowing water on Oregon Jack half way up, water spewing out, bailed from 30m.

 

Also, from other information (DriveBC webcam at Allison Pass), it was raining in Manning Park today at the elevation of Nepopekum Falls.

 

So,

 

I frankly would not head to Marble this weekend. It's more like late Spring than the middle of winter up there. People are desperate for ice and getting on stuff they normally wouldn't touch, and it's gonna kill someone sooner or later when that shit falls down.

 

Your best bet for ice around the PNW is to go high in the mountains somewhere with a stable snowpack or where it's already avalanched. Rain on snow makes for melt and with the clear weather coming we get some melt-freeze. If its high enough for snow but low enough not to have snowpack weak layers you might do alright.

 

But you know like Jesse pointed out it's also gonna be an ideal weekend for sunny winter rock climbing!

 

Edited January 14, 2014 by G-spotter