More on Canadian Ice Climbing
You can spend some time honing your mixed skills on single pitch test pieces in the new "sport" ice climbing Mecca of Haffner Creek. Try Cascade Falls, a 1,000-foot long grade III ice climb just minutes outside of Banff with about a 15-minute approach. Or if that is too long, try the 5-minute approach to the incredible Weeping Wall. A staggering site as wide as it is tall. A football field size piece of sustained grade IV ice climbing. If you finish early, you can do another football field sized chunk of grade V just above it on the Upper Weeping Wall. Or maybe you do appreciate a descent warm up walk to the climb, for here is where solitude is most often found. If this is to your liking, a trip into the unforgettable Ghost River area is worth while. The deep gorges, rugged landscape and loneliness of this place create a surreal feeling, like being on another planet. Yet on this new planet you will find amazing sheets of steep ice. Your efforts walking are more than amply rewarded with some of the best long ice routes the Canadian Rockies has to offer: Hydrophobia, The Sorcerer, Wicked Wanda, the Malignant Mushroom and many more.
Then perhaps it is time for something a little more moderate in nature. Try the 1,200-foot long Professor Falls. Situated on the Northern flanks of Mount Rundle below the famous hard ice trilogy of Replecant, Terminator, and Sea of Vapors, Professor falls offer numerous pitches of grade three and four ice and it continues its way up the mountain step by step. If that is not long enough than surely the 3,000-foot long Polar Circus will be. After the breathtaking drive up the icefields parkway you arrive within a 15-minute walk of the base of this landmark climb. Although never desperate, this climb is steep in few areas and deserves the grade V rating as much for the continuous nature of the climb if not for the steepness, up to short sections of 90º ice.
The climbing season in this ice climber’s paradise lasts from November until April, though the best time seems to be around March; the days are longer and warmer, and the temperatures are mild. Plan on spending at least four days climbing, with a one to two weeks being optimal.
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Canadian Ice Climbing Odyssey:
Special five-day, package adventure
Our Canadian Ice Climbing Odyssey is a truly magnificent ice climbing experience set in the awe-inspiring wonder of the Canadian Rockies. This five-day trip will take place in and around two lodges within the heart of this rugged mountain landscape.
First we will start off in the quaint mountain village of Field, British Columbia. The mountains and valleys near this small town are a mini-Mecca of ice climbs in the Rockies. Many of the routes are just minutes from town and most all are of very high quality. This is an excellent area to start our trip as we can ease our way into things on some of the many moderate multi-pitch ice climbs nearby. Guinness Gully & Guinness Stout, for example, make up a great 1,000 + climb of around grade 4 in difficulty. The best part (for some) is the descent, a full "otter slide" all the way back down an adjacent gully. You can not find rides this fun in an amusement park. After climbing we will come back to the comforts of the Kicking Horse Lodge , where a warm meal and wonderful hospitality awaits us. Perhaps the next day will see us testing our skill a bit more on one of the local pillars. The Pilsener Pillar (another climb with the beer name theme) is an uncontested classic freestanding pillar that is sure to get your forearms burning. If this is not quite your taste, then perhaps we will head down into Kicking Horse canyon for another romp up one (or more) of the multi-pitch climbs that lie minutes from the road. All are around grade 2-4.
You will probably not want to leave this town, but any trip to the Canadian Rockies just would not be complete without climbing (or just driving) along the world famous Icefields Parkway. The second stage of the odyssey takes place here. This is the big league of waterfall ice climbing. Along this stretch of highway between Lake Louis and Jasper lie dozens of ice climbs of world class ranking. Our base for climbing in this area is the classic mountain lodge, Num-Ti-Jah . The Num-Ti-Jah is situated away from any towns along the shores of beautiful Bow Lake. A short snowshoe across the lake and up the valley above the beyond lies Bow Falls, a wonderful grade 3-4 climb with several variations possible due to its immense width. After snowshoeing back home, a soothing wood fired sauna awaits us at the lodge and then a fabulous home cooked meal.
Twenty minutes up the parkway will see us below Mount Murchison, home to several fine climbs including the popular Murchison Falls, a 750-foot grade 4-4+. Another twenty minutes and we will be at the foot of two of the most famous climbs found anywhere, the Polar Circus and the Weeping Wall. The Polar Circus is a major undertaking, more alpine in nature than the typical ice climb due to its length, a mere 3,000 feet! The approach is pretty tough; it is about fifteen minutes walk from the car. If that is too long of an approach, then the five-minute approach to the Weeping Wall may suit your fancy a bit more. The weeping wall is a true vertical football field of grade 4-5 ice, about as wide as it is high (600 feet). Above this lies the more difficult Upper Weeping Wall also 600 feet in length.
Of course these are just a few of the numerous ice climbs to be found here. This will be just a sampling of what is here to do and you will likely add many other routes to your "hit list" after your visit. It would not be a stretch to call this the ultimate ice climbing experience.
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