The next story was written by skilled Rockies-based ice and rock climber Rory O’Donnell about his solo ascent of Sky Pilot, a hardly ever shaped ice climb on Pilot Mountain in Banff Nationwide Park. Joe Josephson described the 100-metre WI6 route in his e book Waterfall Ice Climbs within the Canadian Rockies as, “This can be a stellar route on the northeast aspect of Pilot Mountain that has totally shaped a few instances. It’s seen simply for a brief distance alongside the Trans-Canada Freeway at some extent 3 km west of the Sunshine Village overpass.”
Sky Pilot by Rory O’Donnell
Sky Pilot….. sky pilot
How excessive are you able to fly?
You’ll by no means, by no means, by no means, attain the sky
– The Animals, “Sky Pilot”
The morning of Jan. 14 noticed me coasting down the Trans-Canada freeway in direction of Banff underneath yet one more darkish and countless sky, stars shining brightly. I arrive on the car parking zone in good time, it’s 7 a.m. and nonetheless very darkish exterior. I don my headlamp, comfortable my pack and depart the automobile behind. It grows ever smaller as I transfer rapidly down the path.
After a untimely flip into the forest and a few navigational corrections at midnight I lastly attain the department off from the principle path. Fortunately a celebration a number of days prior had put a very good path in. The method is surprisingly civilized with minimal postholing. 2.5 hours later and I discover myself on the base of the climb, the pillar laid out earlier than me in all it’s icy glory.
I throw my jacket on to maintain heat whereas grabbing a snack and replenishing some electrolytes. I flake my ropes and step into my harness the place I’m quickly traversing throughout the method cone, discovering myself standing nose to nose with the pillar. Stepping over and all the way down to a snowy platform slightly below the pillar’s bottom I reflake my ropes neatly in a pile and clip one finish to my haul loop. Wanting up my eyes examine the route of ascent meticulously.
Swinging my arms, I heat my fingers, after which begin my vertical dance in opposition to gravity. Slowly tapping my instruments upwards, I’m aiming for a big gap with a small ledge midway up. It permits entry into the higher half of the route across the hanging curtains, and for a fingers free relaxation. Shaking out, trying up on the roof, I visualize my path via it. Climbing till my passage lifeless ends on the base of the ice roof, I traverse out with a number of good sticks, my again chimneying in opposition to the opposing curtain. Stemming out on twin daggers, making a number of extra strikes, I lastly commit. Pulling over the lip of the roof permits me to settle into a very good stance above. The publicity is sensible.
Some extra steep however simple ice brings me to the ultimate part of the climb. A pair hundred ft of simple rolling ice. In a brief time period I stand on the snow slope on the high that feeds the route beneath. Feeling content material with my efforts, I stare out on the mountains soaking within the magnificence and remoteness of my present place.
With haste I start my descent again all the way down to the bottom. A couple of full size rappels discover me again on the base the place I pack my ropes into my bag and head off again in direction of the street. A short while later and I’m again on the automobile, smiling and sipping a chilly beverage.
Comply with O’Donnell on Instagram beneath.
