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Canadian Diary - Simon and I climbing in the Rocky Mountains |
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To the gallery
15.10 - 09.11.2007
 A couple of days ago we arrived in Canada. I am here together with Simon Anthamatten, a strong young Swiss climber. We left Switzerland on October 15. Our idea is very simple. Climbing in Canada. Ok, to be a little more precise, we are here to climb some Alpine routes in the Rockies. We have several ideas about the routes we want to climb.
Further we will focus on the big alpine routes. There are a lot of good alpine mixed climbs and nobody has repeated them. And if we see some new lines of course we will try them! But with the weather in the mountains it’s always the same. In the end it’s the weather and the conditions that will decide what we are going to climb! Then we have another goal on this trip: not sitting around!
So, right now I am sitting on the couch at Will Gadd's house. Don`t worry, it's not that bad. Today I am happy to sit. We are back from a really good climb! When we arrived, we heard about a line on Snowdome Peak. 3 Canadians climbed a new route to the right of Slipstream. Polarity WI 5+ Grade VI 800m. First Ascent: Dana Ruddy, Cory Richards, Ian Welsted. They climbed this really fun alpine route in two days. The team climbed just to the end of the waterfall ice. After there is the glacier serac that they didn`t climb.
They shared some pictures about the route and about the last pitch. Simon and I were straight away fascinated. I have never climbed such a long ice route. Yesterday (Friday 18.Oct) we left the Car at 6.30 am. We didn't bring any bivy-gear, we decided to be fast or not to finish the Route.
But not finishing the route is definitely not an option! We climbed the route in a day, adding 50 meters to the top pitch, but leaving the summit still inviolated. We found the conditions too dangerous to continue. The nasty overhanging cornice prevented us from climbing the last 10 meters.
We try a new mixed route on Mt. Patterson
October 20, 2007
I am back from a good day of climbing. Finally we had dinner in the Pub in Canmore. The weather is still Canadian, snow and wind... But anyway we are still motivated and we went to “Riptide”: a good hard ice climb. The climb is just like the description written in the guidebook: „The route is more psychologically than technically difficult. Long sections of snow covered, hollow and thin ice is normal.“ Ok, and then we had spindrifts all the time... We were both totally wet at the end of the day, but happy we climbed another great route in the Rockies. Tomorrow we will go back. Today we have seen a great mixed line to the right of Rocket Man on Mount Patterson. We go and have a look if we can open a new nice mixed route.
October 23, 2007
Sunday we climbed the first 3 pitches of this new line. It’s a wonderful mixed line: quite hard. It took us 11 hours to go up and do three pitches.
We are quite happy. The upper part looks like ice and after [that] we come in to Rocket Man, a route that’s to the right. So we have done all the work and the next time we have to free climb the whole route.
“Rocket Baby”: new route on Mt. Patterson
October 27, 2007
 Friday was not that good. We went to try a route on Howse Peak. Howse Peak is the highest peak in the Waputik range and features some of the most difficult routes in the area.
The weather was just not good. There were too many avalanches coming down the face. So Saturday we decided to go back to the project on Mt. Patterson. This time it was time to free climb the new route we have already opened last week.
We were not sure what we wanted to do. The second pitch is the hardest one. So if we fall on the second pitch, should we keep going and climb all the upper pitches or should we try until we free climbed the second pitch?
We hiked up very early so that we would have enough time. At 8.30 am we were already at the start of the route. The first pitch was fast done. Easy, only M5. Then I started for the second pitch. The climbing is not that hard but very unstable. The hooks were small and slippery...
The first part of the pitch goes over a roof. After the roof we were definitively awake. And then the real unstable climbing started. It took a long time on that pitch to find the hooks, but I found them. After 40 minutes the crux pitch was done.
Very motivated, we kept going. There are several pitches where you shouldn't fall.
After pitch 3 there is a Wi5+ X pitch. This pitch is 59 metres long and there is no real protection. Just keep climbing and trust your ice tools... We topped out around at 5.00 pm and we finished a perfect day at 19.30 in Lake Louise having a coffee. Another great day in the Canadian Rockies.
The Route is called Rocket Baby Grad VI M8+/Wi5+ X
Gear: you need 10 to 12 ice screws. (Short ones!!) 10 quick draws.
…and a strong head.
“Sea of Vapors”: another day in the Canadian Rockies
October 31, 2007
Yesterday we had again an early start to Howse Peak. 3.30 am... When we arrived at the parking lot, there were already 20 cm of fresh snow. It must have snowed quite hard the day before. We knew from the last time, where there was no snow on the parking lot, that under these conditions there is no way to go to the face. So we slept for another two hours in the car, just to get daylight and see the face from the car.
And we began to think about big avalanches up there. So: no climbing on Howse Peak... We drove back to Canmore, quite depressed. The weather was just too good. Since our arrival in Canada it was the first day of blue sky...
We went back to Will's house and he was quite astonished that we were not climbing...with such a good weather... We had a cup of coffee, talked and Will just told us that we should go at least climbing somewhere else today.
But what and where?... It was already 11.30. What could be still in good conditions at this time?
Will motivated us to go up and do Sea of Vapors at Mount Rundle. That’s quite a serious climb, rated Wi 7. There is a 2.5 hours hike to the 165 metre high climb. I thought it might be too late to leave. Will simply told us to go now. And we went...
We drove back to Banff and hiked the 2.5 hike in 45 minutes. We had to hurry up... The climb was just very very delicate. In good condition it's hard, but we had thin conditions. It’s still early in the season and last week there was no ice at all...
The short ice screws were mostly too long. And the protection was just not nice. But we climbed the route and we were back in Canmore and it was still daylight.
So the day ended good with a great climb in the afternoon and beer and pizza for dinner.
And we are still hoping for Howse Peak...
Solo „Ten Years After“
November 4, 2007
 The weather is still very unstable. However we could do some really good climbs. But still not on Howse Peak...
On Friday, November 2, we went up to Mount Rundle. Our goal was to climb
„Ten Years After“.
But „The Swiss Team“ was too late. Two Canadian guys were there before us.
We hiked over to „Sacre Bleu“. A nice W1 5+. Definitively a good climb, about 100 metres long. After this warm up we went back to „Ten Years After“. The guys from the morning had already left. They didn’t climb the route because of the ice being too thin.
So it was up to us to try. It was a good and interesting climb: some mixed and thin ice.
When we finished the climb it was still daylight. I was very much motivated to climb the route once more, but without rope. I had a pretty hard time since my accident at Annapurna, and I had some problems to get focused again. I felt it was time to climb this route again and get back my strong head.
It took me about half an hour to get focused before I started the climb once more without rope. I am very happy, because it worked out really nice. I enjoyed the whole climb and I was really sure about it.
That’s exactly what I missed the entire summer: to know that I get back into climbing.
A good solo ascent for me personally. I am quite happy!
„Not Flying is not Trying“: a new route at Mt. Rundle
Yesterday, November 3, we started again on Mount Rundle. Arms and legs felt a little bit tired.
First we climbed three pitches of the route „Razor Blade“, a good Wi 4+. The route had thin ice and not a good protection. After the route there is a second rockband, which has never been climbed. On Friday, November 2, Steven Holeczi did a new route up on this rockband, a full ice route.
We looked on the rockband and found a really nice ice cycle to the left of the face.
That was our today’s goal.
The first pitch was 60 meters, Wi 5+. The second pitch took us a long time to get the gear in. But there are no bolts on this route. Simon did all the „gearing“.
Afterwards it was my turn to free the pitch. I climbed up on all this scary gear. I climbed all the way up to the crux and just before you can clip the good angel-pin, I broke the hook and I went for a ride... I remember that I realised that the knife-blade was ripping off. The fall was stopped by a sling that was around a small ice cycle of maybe 10 centimetres of diameter...But it hold. After this I finished the pitch and Simon lowered me down.
On the way down I, tried to fix the protection. Then it was Simon’s turn to climb the pitch, and then it was my turn again. It took us some time but we freed both the pitches. Again a good route more in the Rockys.
We called it „Not Flying is not Trying“, M8/Wi6.
It was a really good climb on natural protection and quite technical! I guess there are not many similar routes in the Rocky like this.
Great Finale at Crowfoot Glacier
November 9, 2007
 The Canada trip goes to its end. Yesterday we could finish this trip with a perfect route on the Crowfoot Glacier.
Ok, Howse Peak didn`t work out, but that’s part of the game.
In the end it’s the weather and the conditions that will decide what we are going to climb!
The last three days we worked on a new line at Crowfoot Glacier. We have been watching this new line during the whole trip. And we saw how the ice was growing!
Tuesday we hiked up for the first time. But before, we found ourselves once more at the parking lot of Howse Peak and it snowed heavily!
So we drew back to Crowfoot Glacier. We climbed the first two pitches to the big overhang. I started the big pitch, but we didn`t have a powerdrill (after all the racking for Howse Peak...) I gave up very fast. The first part of the pitch has like features and no way for natural protection...
We went up again on Wednesday: this time with the right equipment. The equipment we had from Will’s impressive garage, or properly speaking his retail store...
We finished in the dark. The pitch took us the whole day to put up. We were pretty happy. However we had only one day left and we knew the climbing was hard.
Yesterday it was time to finish the route and the Canada trip! We climbed the first two pitches very fast. We knew we need the time for the big pitch.
Simon started first for this big pitch. It seemed to me, he was climbing forever. But he didn`t fall! It took him exactly 2 hours to climb the 45 metre long pitch. This pitch is very very steep and it hangs over 20 metres...
He rappelled down and it was my turn to climb the pitch. After two hours of belaying I felt quite cold, but I felt strong. Then on the upper part on the pitch i was hanging on the ice cycle exactly on the same hooks as Simon was before. Then the ice cycle broke.
Hmmm... I wasn’t really happy about that. I climbed up, rappelled and rested for 15 minutes. Then I also freed the pitch. At around 4.00 pm we finished the pitch. We only had one more hour of daylight left. And one more pitch to go for. The last pitch was a really nice freestanding pillar.
By the time we finished this last pitch it got dark. What a perfect timing...
To go down in the darkness turned out to be quite scary. But we reached Canmore safely.
What a perfect end of this great trip! |
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