The Canadian Rockies have lots of of pitches of mountaineering, from brief rambles and pillars to monster alpine traces. With freezing temps right here for the season, it’s an excellent time to make an inventory of routes you need to climb earlier than spring.
Near Canmore and Banff are a lot of enjoyable and mellow early season ice climbs, beneath are 5 of the very best. All the time be sure you verify the avalanche forecast earlier than heading out at avalanche.ca.
Grotto Falls WI2+ 50m
Discovered far up Grotto Canyon on the jap fringe of Grotto Mountain north of Canmore, Grotto Falls is a rambly 60-metre WI2 up a good canyon. Park right here and comply with the path west right into a canyon till a fork the place you’ll see two steep ice climbs (His WI4 and Hers WI4) and head proper up canyon to Grotto Falls.
Junkyards WI2/3 60m
Junkyards is the closest ice to downtown Canmore, and due to the newly improved Grassi Lakes parking zone it solely takes 10 minutes to succeed in out of your automotive. Park right here and stroll alongside the street south to a hydro station. Go proper up a metal staircase and left to the ice climb. Some of the traditional routes within the space is the Scottish Gully, examine it right here. Take a look at the brand new drytool crag, The Device Shed, right here.
Ghoster Coaster WI3 100m
Ghoster Coaster is tucked in behind Mount Girl MacDonald up Cougar Creek, a preferred mountaineering space. The method takes about 90 minutes, however the three pitches of WI2/3 are definitely worth the hike. Park right here and comply with a path (new for 2023 on account of dam building) into the creek after which up it for 45 minutes. Go left and head for a canyon on the left marked by a giant yellow wall. Head up the bushes to a gully and the ice.
Rogan’s Gully WI2+ 300m
One in all three routes on Cascade Mountain subsequent to Banff that provide good early season climbing. The primary pitch results in brief steps up a canyon to ultimate steeper steps. Park right here and method the central ice climb, Cascade Falls WI3 300m, and go left by means of the forest to the bottom of Rogan’s Gully.
Cascade Falls WI3 300m
The central ice route on Cascade Mountain and the obvious. The primary few pitches provide some WI2+ which is adopted by 150 metres of ice and strolling. The higher pitches are WI2+, WI3, WI3 and WI2+. The ultimate WI3 pitch is on the again previous the notch and lots of climber skip it and rappel from the ultimate WI3 pitch. Park right here and method the central ice climb. All routes on Cascade Mountain have excessive avalanche hazard, so verify situations earlier than heading out.
