Thirty metres up a frozen waterfall desperately trying to fix an ice screw and looking vertically down at your partner between your legs makes you realise why you opted for another ice climbing trip to the Canadian Rockies. It must be the adrenaline, or perhaps it's the breathtaking scenery, or perhaps it is simply the high number of quality routes unrivalled elsewhere in the world. John (Temple) and I went last year and left so many classic routes unticked that we simply had to make a return visit. This year Steve (Humphries) took the lure as well, and Alex, a friend from Mera Peak days, also joined us.
As usual we started on some of the shorter climbs, choosing Johnson Canyon and Haffner Creek to expose the uninitiated to the steep Canadian ice. Not to say that these presented no difficulties, since there are free-standing pillars, fragile chandeliers and overhanging Swords of Damocles even in these more friendly venues. Moreover, they sometimes fall down, as a group of squaddies demonstrated when they demolished the pillar that I had just climbed. OK so it had a crack in it already, but they didn't have to kick the hell out of it! It was on these less serious climbs that Steve realised he needed technical crampons (John and I knew better and had them already), and Alex realised that he needed more technical axes (John and I had these already as well). Alex also needed technical crampons, but like us last year he manfully struggled on with his Grivel 2Fs, after deciding that his budget was distinctly limited.
For the first of many multi-pitched routes we selected Lady Killer*** (80m, III, 3). It wasn't grade 3, of course, more like grade 4, and this seemed to set the trend for all of the climbs that we did this year. Something to do with the low preseason rain/snow fall and the extreme temperatures (down to -30oC and rarely approaching zero for the first ten days), but I am sure that meteorologists could explain it better. Bad news for the skiers though since what little snow existed was poorly bonded to the frozen base layer. Still, we were climbing and a dearth of snow meant less avalanche hazard, unless of course we migrated into the alpine zones. Due to a little misunderstanding of the terrain (and John was with us so not down to me this time!) we bushwhacked our way to Lady Killer rather than taking the direct route up the valley. A 15 minute walk in became an hour and a half, but it was worth it and we did get there first. Since we had taken a 'unique' route the second party were quite surprised to find me half way up the first pitch when they arrived, but that's why we were getting up at some ungodly hour.
Bow Falls*** (95m, III, 3/4) was the next major objective. Normally this remote fall would have been inaccessible without skis, but low snowfall meant that we could break trail without physically disappearing in deep drifts. Nevertheless, poor consolidation at the head of the lake meant wet feet for a few of us (almost unbelievable considering the low temperature) and we still sank up to our thighs in places. Crawling over the wet bits was the best technique, however inelegant this may look. Even though the walk in took 2 hours it was worth it to be belayed beneath these impressive falls. Climbing with Steve I led the first steep pitch to the right, then there was Dave Roughley (yes him again) and his friend Larry and then John and Alex. Another group took the far left-hand line. Falling ice was a problem with so many groups so close together but, apart from John trying to encourage me to move off the ice onto the rocks (probably E5 and not an option), this was a great 50m pitch. Steve then led through on the natural line above on very steep, smooth ice. It looked impressive and I could see his face between his legs as he climbed. High in the grade this must have been approaching grade 5. The others edged off to the left to take the obvious scoop leading to the top. Arriving on the top was superb; the whole mountain panorama unfolding behind and an impressive view over the Ice Fields Parkway in front. After abseiling off we retraced our steps to get back to our cars just as darkness fell. A truly magnificent day, and one that would be hard to beat.
After Bow Falls we needed an easier day so we selected Panther Falls* (60m, II, 3). By the time we arrived another group from our party was backing off, which left the falls free for us. OK so the right hand portion had parted company with the rock face and was lying in a chaotic heap at our feet, and you could hear rushing water behind, but the rest looked solid enough. Again I took the right-hand line, traversing delicately under the missing bit (which still had higher vestiges), and then belaying beneath the constriction where running water was both visible and audible beneath a foot or more of clear ice. After carefully placing the ice screws so as not to penetrate the water flow, Steve followed up and led the next pitch to the car park. Meanwhile John and Alex had taken a more leftwards line to join us at the same (only) belay. This must be one of the easier icefalls to get to and only one of two where we walked down to the start, rather than up.
Lady Wilson's Cleavage*** (300m III, 2), probably chosen more for the connotations of its name than anything else, was our next choice. The guidebook claims it as grade 3, but it was really like a Scottish snow gully with intervals of soloable grade 2 ice. What it did have, however, was a brilliant icefall at the top, known as Wilson Major* (50m, III, 4/5). Steve led the first steep pitch and I completed the manoeuvre to get to an uncomfortable position in the trees. John and Alex climbed to a tree on our left from which we made the abseil into the gully proper before the start of our return.
Next came the pièce de la résistance, the Weeping Wall*** (160m, II, 4/5), the best known ice climb in Canada. Fortunately we were the first to arrive (just) and chose the left-hand side. John and Alex took a line a little to our left. After leading the first steep pitch we were bombarded from above by the group climbing supposedly to our right. It was also extremely cold on the exposed wall. Steve led the second steep pitch and I followed with the third pitch to a small cave just above where Alex was furtively burrowing for his own belay. The fourth and fifth pitches kept up the same level of intensity as those that had come before and we were beginning to realise why this particular climb had been accorded the number one status in Canada. Topping out brought us, after several hours, to the small track leading to the abseil points and the relatively rapid descent to our 'sacks. This route is recommended to any passing that way, but be sure to get there early since ice travelling from up to 160m directly above can be dangerous, if not lethal.
Following the hard day on Weeping Wall we moved north for Bridal Veil Falls* (110m, III, 3/4), which lies close to Panther Falls. Being extremely cold the ice on these falls was very hard and I found getting screws in the first pitch difficult. Accumulated tiredness was probably not helping either. To some extent, however, we could understand why several other groups had retreated from the first pitch. John and Alex were running a line to our right and it was not long before we completed the second pitch and were all at the top and preparing for the abseil descent.
There was some debate about our next climb, but after briefly reviewing Green Gully we opted for the more accommodating Essondale Right*** (120m, III, 5). A guided group had beaten us to this route so we were continuously bombarded by ice from above. Eventually Alex and I sought refuge in an ice cave at the top of pitch 1 while Steve and John led the second pitch. Interestingly the guided party were also complaining about being bombed as they descended, and using rather colourful language too, but it looked no worse than what we had experienced from their ascent earlier. This next pitch was clearly a challenge to Steve, but as I suppose generally happens when seconding, the line I took seemed fine, even though the chandeliers were a trifle fragile. A third excellent pitch took us to the abseil point to complete this classic route. Under normal conditions there would be a left-hand variant to this route, but in its present state this was a mixed, if not suicidal, climb.
Following a recommendation we chose the long drive to Gibraltar Wall*** (145m, II, 4) as our next route. This involved an exciting 27 km drive in a standard saloon along an unmetalled logging road laden with heavy snow, and there were mutterings from the front about not wishing/being able to leave the tramlines made by the loggers. As expected, the road was deserted and the drive was an adventure in it's own right. Moreover, the climb was a magnificent sustained grade 4 icefall with good belays and excellent ice. Being in the warm sun for one of the few occasions was also a delight and it was one of the rare times when neither Steve nor I complained about frozen feet or hands. The view south to snow capped mountains could not be faulted either.
The next day was a fun day when John and I climbed Rogan's Gully* (300m, II, 2), while Steve and Alex climbed Cascade Waterfall*** (300m, III, 3). Our climb was an adventure in route finding, while Steve and Alex followed the obvious line of ice. How John and I missed the gully completely remains a mystery, but it was soon clear that we had traversed too far, and on rather dodgy steep ground at that. Still we eventually fell (almost literally) into the gully and thenceforth had a pleasant outing reminiscent of those in the Scottish hills. A key difference, however, was that it was clear and sunny, a rarity in the UK. We did have deep powder snow and the spindrift common to Scottish gullys, which made for an interesting foray. We also had a short, steep top pitch of water ice, for which we roped up.
But all of this was building up to a new experience. John and I had heard a lot about the Ghost region south of Canmore, which was only accessible by 4x4. So biting the bullet we hired yet another car for the day, a rather new model that was probably never going to be the same again by the time we were finished with it. Having picked up our 'guides' we initially decided to try a slightly different region called Waiparous Creek, although there seemed to be some doubt about the way in. After the lead vehicle made an ungainly four wheel slide into a culvert a decision was made to revert to the Ghost region, but we needed to dig first. After hectic activity with snow shovels, and bridge building antics with fallen branches we eventually retrieved the second 4x4 and we were on our way again. This time it was Steve (alias Stirling) who tried a four wheel lift on our vehicle, making the wheels somewhat superfluous for forward, or indeed any, locomotion. Shovel time again, this time to get the wheels back on terra firma. This done we then met another group in trouble and helped to bail them out. Just as well really since immediately afterwards our guide decided 'to show us how it was done' and planted his car axle deep in the river bed. With the nose pointing skywards this was not going to be so easy. More shovelling (this time with additional helpers), more branches, and a four man lift using decidedly rotten timber eventually released the vehicle like a cork from a bottle and we were off again. No more troubles now, although I am glad that it was not my car that was being driven along river beds, over river banks and through enormous potholes. We ended up in front of The Good the Bad and the Ugly** (45m, II, 4/5), a terrific flow right by the side of the car. With the sun on the ice it was a little damp (euphemism for sopping wet) and I made a real mistake by leading the steeper right hand side without my waterproofs for the first time this trip. But it was exciting and the pitch maintained it's grip right up until the belay. Steve then led on the left where John and Alex had climbed earlier and we finished off with The Indifferent (40m, II, 3) before running out of time.
The drive out also had its tense moments as the intrepid 'Stirling' failed to make the bank taking us out of the river on his first attempt. We all looked out thinking that it might be time for a swim, but the canny ace made the second attempt and managed to keep at least three wheels on solid ground for the rest of the trip home. This was the end of Steve's and my trip, although John and Alex remained for longer to see other parts of Canada. The question is with all this excitement in store will we go back again another year?
Derek 13th March 2001