The Canadian Rockies are residence to a number of the world’s most well-known ice climbs, from mellow intro routes to in-your-face test-piece classics. Under are 5 routes that may take a look at not solely your technical expertise, but additionally your hazard-reading know the way and mountain sense.
The grade WI6 is reserved for essentially the most extreme, troublesome to guard, and steepest waterfall ice climbs. The next 5 routes get the grade of WI6+, which implies they’re meant for seasoned ice climbers in periods of excellent circumstances. At all times verify avalanche circumstances within the Rockies right here earlier than heading out and observe native ice and blended circumstances on the Fb web page Rockies Ice and Combined Circumstances right here.
Riptide: This is likely to be the Rockies most well-known WI6+, which was first climbed in 1987 by Larry Ostrander and Jeff Marshall. Mountain writer Stylish Scott wrote in regards to the climb in Pushing the Limits, through which he quoted Marshall as saying, “It’s a five-pitch horror sporting sustained technical climbing on skinny and in any other case unprotectable ice. Definitely I climbed a number of the hardest pitches I’ve ever finished on Riptide. We had 5 actually onerous grade V pitches in a row, one after the opposite – skinny, shitty ice, sketchy gear if any gear in any respect, and big falls. We known as it a VI+ however individuals insisted it was a VII. It’s a psychotic ice climb. It’s approach on the market. Even when it’s fats it’s nonetheless onerous.” Right here’s Roberts and Michelle Pratt mid-way throughout a fats season.
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Completely satisfied Days: There are lots of world-famous routes in Jasper Nationwide Park, together with Completely satisfied Days WI6+. Discovered subsequent to the well-known Ice 9 WI6, the route doesn’t usually kind however when it does climbers line up. Watch mountaineering information Kris Irwin on it beneath.
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Blessed Rage: Bruce Hendricks was one in every of Canada’s main ice climbers within the Nineteen Nineties. He was extensively considered one of many boldest within the North America with onerous first ascents and solos. In 1992, he made the primary ascent, solo, of Blessed Rage, a 250-metre WI6+ above Emerald Lake close to Area, B.C.
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Les Misérables: In 1992, legendary ice climbers Barry Blanchard and Kevin Doyle climbed Oh Le Tabernac on Mount Wilson continued to a bowl far above the place they made the primary ascent of this now-famous WI6+, which is standard when totally shaped.
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Arctic Dream: Mount Quadra is thought for its intimidating winter traces. One of the wild is Arctic Dream WI6+, first climbed in 1992 by Joe Josephson and Joe McKay to beneath the higher serac. Serge Angellucci and François Damilano repeated it shortly after and climbed by means of the serac to the glacier above.
