>> Feburary - March 2000

Everest 2000 on CBC Newsworld
In March, Calgary native Byron Smith and his team of Canadian climbers, Mario Bilodeau and Brad Wrobleski, begin their attempt to be the first in the 21st century to stand atop the summit of Mt. Everest.

With the help of innovative satellite and television technology, their climb will be the first ever to be broadcast live with daily reports and interviews on CBC Newsworld and online at CBC Newsworld from March 15 to May 30. The televised adventure begins in earnest at base camp at the foot of the Khumbu Glacier. After the initial acclimatisation period, the climbers will attempt the South Col Route, by which the mountain was first climbed in 1953. <<

 

Alberta News

Sport Mix Craze Hits the Rockies, and Gadd Sends Power to Burn, Canada"s First M9_Sean Isaac
It took awhile for the temperature to drop in the Rockies but when winter finally came, everybody was chomping at the bit to bash ice. Or is that rock? Drytooling and sport mixed climbing is taking off in the Rockies. In a little over a month, over thirteen new bolt protected mixed routes have been drilled and sent, including Canada"s first two M9"s.

Will Gadd, Kim Csizmazia and Raphael Slawinski started by making the first ascent of a two pitch drip on Mt. Andremicci that tries to form every year. Armed with the motto "It doesn"t have to be formed to be formed,Ó the trio placed six bolts to reach the unformed pillar which was followed by beautiful grade 5 ice. At M6 WI5, The Icicle Fairy became an instant classic and received numerous repeat ascents.

Most of the action has been focused on roadside areas like Haffner Creek and Waterfowl Gullies. In the guide book, Waterfall Ice: Climbs in the Canadian Rockies Joe Josephson, described the routes in Waterfowl Gullies as "not great climbs" that "occasionally ice up." Gadd took this as a hint and put in six new test pieces with the help of David Dornian, Joe Buszowski and Raphael Slawinski. It was here that Gadd sent Canada"s first M9, Power to Burn, a sick series of powerful moves out a ridiculously overhanging cave (nine bolts) to an ice curtain. Slawinski quickly made the second ascent and confirmed the grade, making it Canada"s hardest mix route. Both climbers had to do a series of figure-4 moves in order to get across the horizontal cave to reach the icicle. Later, Ben Firth added an M9- variation dubbed Beer to Burn, which climbs out the same cave and joins Power to Burn for its final moves.

On either edge of the cave that Power to Burn climbs out, Gadd installed two other creations: Arriba! (M7) and Nobody Here But Us Chickens (M8). Both are superb safe lines that have seen many repeats.

The next gully to the left, Finishing Hammer Gully, saw three new lines as well. Finishing Hammer (M7+), Money for Nothing and Your Picks for Free (M8+) and Nine Inch Nails (M8+). All three routes begin with very steep bolt protected rock then launch up serious free hanging daggers. "Think quiet thoughts and practice front levers," Gadd advises would-be suitors of Nine Inch Nails. He warns that "the bolts would not prevent a ground fall from high on the stalactite."

Haffner Creek has seen much development as well, with the addition of six new sport mix routes for a total of nine bolted test pieces. Sean Isaac began the activity here two years ago with the opening of Half n"Half (M6+) and returned this season to add In Reverse (M7) and Swank (M8). A short, strenuous boulder problem, In Reverse climbs three metres of very steep rock out a cave with footless campus moves and drytool deadpoints to reach a thin smear of yellow ice. Swank pulls powerful moves out double roofs into a verglassed corner and finishes by swinging onto a short icicle.

Further up canyon, Dave Thomson and Guy Lacelle put up a trilogy bolted moderates near the waterfall, ranging from M5 to M6. Right across the canyon from these three parallel lines, Lacelle led a scary iced up corner on sparse natural gear resulting in Put It in Your Huggies at M6+ and Gadd sent Don"t Mess with the Nest (M7) on gear, showing that high quality traditional mixed climbing is still viable in the Rockies.<<

 

Ontario News

Sonnie"s Awesome Onsighting
The month of November, 1999, saw Ontario sport climbing sensation Sonnie Trotter onsight the 5.13b Bohica after a two month lay off, and then redpoint the five bolt extension Last of the Bohica (5.13d) on his second go. Not a bad start to his one month stay in the Red River Gorge, Kentucky. During the rest of his stay he continued to rip it up, climbing Omaha Beach in 7 tries and White Man"s Over-Bite over two days, both of which weigh in at 5.13d. These routes were coupled with two 5.13c"s and many 5.13b"s, making this a very successful trip for Sonnie, who is now traveling across the US in search of the hardest sport climbing he can do. Gripped expects to report more great things about Sonnie, who is quickly becoming one of the strongest rock climbers in the country. <<

 

6th Annual Banff Mountain Book Festival, 24th Annual Banff Festival of Mountain Films_Dave Dornian
Banff, Alberta, 3 - 7 November 1999
The annual Banff Festivals are important because they provide the one regular opportunity where climbers and their world can be presented directly to the Canadian public. At Banff, two and half days are devoted to the celebration of mountain books and films respectively. Significant cash and prestige prizes are awarded. There are many international entries and guests, opportunities for business to be transacted, and reason enough to stay up way past your bedtime for five nights running. The Festivals are always held during the Rockies' shoulder season, to protect participants from the pressure and embarrassment of actually having to engage in the activity they are there to promote. When the show is all over, a "Best Of" program is prepared and put on tour through the rest of Canada, the USA, and the world.

Predictably, Banff this year was top-heavy with Everest and the recent Mallory shenanigans. Dave Breashears, Conrad Anker, Eric Simonson, Audrey Salkeld, Jamie Clarke, Gýran Kropp, and Pat Morrow seemed to fill every corner of the program. (Though, to Pat's credit, he didn't mention the Seven Summits or the 'E' word once during his photographic tour around Kangchenjunga.) Canadian climbing big guns, like Will Gadd, were much in evidence. More than thirteen of the short-listed book entries dealt with the Big Ant Pile in one way or another. I didn't have the heart to tally the films. For the hard core among us, though, Jack Tackle delivered big with his presentation on climbing in Alaska and the St. Elias. Year after year of real alpine adventure there. Paul Pritchard inspired everyone with his unaffected acceptance of the bad hand dealt him by the Totem Pole. You knew he was taking his fee from the speaker's tour and salting it away to finance his next set of adventures, and you didn't begrudge him a penny of it.

But the real crown of the Festivals doesn't go to a book or film - it goes to a person. The Bill March Summit of Excellence Award is presented each year on the final night to an individual who has made a lasting personal contribution to Canada's mountains. This year, the prestigious prize went to Guy Lacelle - who has served as an example to us all simply by fully realising a life spent climbing, always with a simple ethos and a pure heart. He brought his dog onstage with him when he stepped up in front of the audience in the Eric Harvie Theatre to accept the plaque. It couldn't have gone to a better person.

The Books
Grand Prize - Phyllis & Don Munday Award
The Totem Pole: And a Whole New Adventure. Paul Pritchard (U.K.) Constable

Mountain Literature
Switchbacks: True Stories of the Canadian Rockies. Sid Marty (Canada) McClelland & Stewart

Mountain Exposition
Extreme Alpinism. Mark F. Twight and James Martin (USA) The Mountaineers Books

Mountain Image
Summit: Vittorio Sella, Mountaineer and Photographer, the Years 1879-1909 photographs by Vittorio Sella (Italy) The Aperture Foundation

Adventure Travel
Beyond the Sky and the Earth. Jamie Zappa (Canada) Doubleday Canada

Special Jury Mention - Biography
High Exposure: An Enduring Passion for Everest and Unforgiving Places. David Breashears (U.S.A.) Simon & Schuster

Special Jury Mention - Fiction
Darkness and the Azure. Anne Sauvy (France) Baton Wicks

Special Jury Mention - Design
Fat Tire: A Celebration of the Mountain Bike. Amici Design (U.S.A.) Chronicle Books

The Films
Grand Prize
Vision Man (Sweden, 1997) William Long, Lars Aby

Alpine Club of Canada Prize for Best Climbing Film
Oceans of Fear (South Africa, 1999) Nic Good, Charles Standing

Mountain Sports
118 Days in Captivity of Ice (Slovakia, 1998) Pavol Barabas

Mountain Culture
The Mountains of Yesterday (Spain, 1998) Jes�s Bosque, Guillermo Campo

Mountain Environment
The Magic Trees of Assam (Austria, 1999) Paul Reddish, Walter Kýhler

Peoples' Choice Award
(determined by foyer ballot)
True Fans (U.S.A., 1999) Dan Austin

Special Jury Award
From Nowhere to the Middle of Nowhere (U.K., 1999) Alun Hughes.<<

 

Nova Scotia News

Avast There! Halifax Boulderers Rip it Up_Ghislain Losier
Halifax is now the most important centre for bouldering in Atlantic Canada. Last season, a ton of high quality and exciting problems were established. Mild winter weather made it possible to boulder year round at a half dozen areas. In March, New Brunswickers Chris Jones and Ghislain Losier established some challenging problems at The Land of Confusion. Can't Trust Skinny People (V5), a slopey traverse; Snakebite (V5), which climbs an overhanging arete; and the short powerful Joe Boxer (V6) are just some of the lines that were put up over several short visits. Other classics to fall were Sean Therien's Bop Gun (V5) which climbs a nice vertical prow. In June, at Chebucto Head, Sean Cassidy, another strong local, completed a beautiful traverse which he named Tsunami (V8). During the summer Cassidy repeated many of the harder lines such as Joe Boxer, Sang-De-Dragon (V6), Piranha (V5) and others, then he put up another challenging traverse over at Crystal Crescent Beach called Aquaman (V6). Recent lines to fall like Top 6 @ 6 (V6), Du Bon Jambon (V5/6), and Crystal Light (V7) are a good indication that it is only a matter of time before harder and harder lines get established. Stay tuned. <<

 

BC News

The Power of Youth - Vancouver Young Guns Coming on Strong_Marc Bourdon
It seems that every time you open a climbing mag these days, the face of some teenager is sneering back at you. "So-and-so puts up a new testpiece at Tendon Wrecker Canyon" or "Little Johnny sends V blah in 3 tries!" Kids are redefining the game as we know it. Until recently, this flood had spared the West Coast, but lately some serious damage has been done.

The summer of 99 was 18-year-old Jordan Wright"s (see ISO) best season yet. This permanent fixture from the Edge Gym in North Vancouver went to work in Squamish. First to fall was Division Bell (5.13d). No problem! Next, he tackled the direct start, Pulse, at 5.14a. Here, Jordan got schooled on one big difference between the gym and Squamish-rain. Every time he got close, the sky faucet would open, spewing water all over his rig. After ten days of this, the frustration finally drove him all the way to the hardware store to buy a blowtorch. That"s right. And it worked. The next day he torched the route, then sent it. But that"s not all. Jordan managed the first flash ascent of Serendipity (5.13a) at Rogues Gallery and put up a V10 on the Squamish Boulders, The Backseat. He worked this problem with Chris Sharma and managed to snag the first ascent. Pretty good season, considering a year and a half ago his hardest climb was 12c.

Twelve-year-old Sean McColl is another Edge climber who"s caused a few jaws to hit the mats. This monkey with the grip strength of King Kong is now yarding his way up 5.13b redpoints in the gym, an ability that translated to a 1st at the Canadian Nationals. He also tied for 1st in the US with the little hotshot Ethan Pringle, shocking the tour regulars who had never heard of him. Sean is proving that plastic isn"t the only thing he likes to grab. When he made his first journey into the world of stone this summer, he managed to flash Face The Music at 5.12a/b and make quick work of Timber Queen 5.12c, both in the Cheakamus Canyon. Probably more impressive was his redpoint of Blackwater (5.12a) at Petrifying Wall in Squamish. This vertical techno route is known for its multiple cruxes and long, long reaches. All this from a 4"11Ó climber that first started scrambling only a year ago.

If I were you, I"d watch this space. Young heroes are crawling out of the plywood faster than you can say "I"m injured again!" Ten years ago, who would have thought a teenage girl would flash 5.14a in 1999. Kinda" makes you wonder what the next decade will hold. <<

 

Squamish Update: New Rock Climbing Strategy from BC Parks, New Long Route on Sheriff"s Badge_Kevin McLane
Looking back at the Squamish year, it has been memorable despite poor weather, with some intriguing shifts in local stone happenings. Not a bad way to end Y21/2 K (that's Buddha-time). New routes have been appearing at the same high energy level as ever (70 this season). The town now boasts no less than two new climbing stores, Brewpubs, and a new guidebook full of cool things to do. Many climbers have forsaken the rope for a crash-pad. Happy Europeans and Americans can be seen in greater numbers than ever, pulled in by the long climbs of the Chief, splitter cracks, and a cheap dollar. Squamish also gained its first wet weather crag, with the opening of George Hanzal's tiny bouldering cave in the back of his store. It was a busy place, too. Yes, Squamish needs a full-size bouldering centre. Any takers?

One of the most significant events passed with few climbers realising it. BC Parks, in conjunction with a volunteer group of climbers, developed a Rockclimbing Strategy (RCS) for the Chief and other Provincial Parks in this region. The objective was to find a balance between BC Parks' legislated requirement to conserve and protect their environment, and the often competing demands of climbers. This is no small matter, as BC Parks controls half of all the climbing in the Squamish area, and this process may well set a precedent for other Provincial Parks in BC. With a process like this in place, other government agencies ,such as the BC Forest Service and the District of Squamish, may well adopt similar plans. There will be a public review process of the RCS early in 2000, when climbers can have input into the final draft, scheduled for later in the year. So read the RCS, attend the review, ask questions, offer input, and write as if your last new route depended on it. It covers a lot of terrain, including trails, falcons, commercial use, new route development and cleaning, fixed pro, and the use of bolts.

The Squamish Estuary Management Plan may sound distant to climbers, but we better start paying attention. It's a wide-ranging plan developed largely by government and BC Rail, the major estuary landowner, which carves the estuary into conservation and industrial-zoned areas. What is of significance to climbers is that the expanse of mudflats in front of the Malamute will become part of BC Rail's holdings, which they are considering eventually developing into a second deep-sea port. So the view may change one day, provided of course we can get to the Malamute and look at it.

On the new route front at the Chief, Andrew Boyd and Mike Stewart completed Brain Damage, 5.12c, a dramatic arete that borders the right side of the big 10c corner of Milk Run. A second pitch on the upper arete is yet to be completed, but is likely to be harder. Boyd also completed a new 8 pitch aid wall on the right side of the Sheriff"s Badge, I Shot The Sheriff 5.6 A4, which required surprisingly little drilling. He also redpointed Zombie Roof at 13a, which had never been freed as a flash or redpoint. Jim and Jola Sandford spent many days in April and May working the moves on Uncle Ben's. They freed a considerable amount of rock on top-rope, and Jola led the dihedral after the hook pitch at 12a/b. Although Ben's could yet become a stellar 5.13 wall, a few A0 moves may be the price.

The long route of the year was undoubtedly Borderline, a six-pitch climb up to 10d/A0 or 11c up the left side of the Sheriff"s Badge. Developed over the previous couple of years by David Harris, Eric Hirst and Susan Bolton, it opened up an entire new area of the Badge. A couple of linking pitches this year joined it to Angel's Crest, giving Squamish one of its longest climbs, around 16 pitches, all under 5.11 with a bolt or two for aid on pitch two.

Further north, around Whistler, climbers have constructed two major river crossings to reach tantalising new crags. Gary McFarlane's tyrolean stretches over the Cheakamus to some fine basalt columns south of Calcheak, and Jim Franken and friends have an epic tyrolean over the Green River near Suicide Hill south of Pemberton. New climbs continue to flow, mostly from McFarlane, Franken & Co., with Tyrone Brett putting up a clutch of short hard sport climbs at the Sport Temple near Chek. The unstoppable Robin Barley put up 46 new pitches this year, almost half of them at Green River Bastion. All in all, there's about 70 new climbs along the Squamish?Whistler corridor with about 110 pitches, and some major projects underway. For a complete listing of Squamish new climbs 1999, check Elaho Publishing's website: www.eloha.ca.

An increasing amount of energy is being focussed on refitting old climbs with new hardware. John Howe cleaned up Overly Hanging Out (11b) Chasing Rainbows (10d) and Mushroom (5.9). Jeff Thomson has been especially diligent at restoring climbs. Refitting will become a significant issue for climbers over the next decade. Similarly, re-cleaning overgrown but once-good climbs is catching on too. The prime examples this year were the Upper Black Dyke, now a good four pitch route up to 10b, and Calculus Crack on the Apron. Experience from this year demonstrates a dire need for caution when cleaning long routes. There was at least one serious stonefall incident caused by careless trundling.

A welcome shift in local habits occurred when the bouldering scene above Psyche Ledge really took off this year. Vast amounts of energy were piled into scores of new problems, as well as consolidating the popularity of many existing ones. Next year promises a spanky new guide to all the bouldering from Peter Michaux, and it should be loaded with photos and details on hundreds of problems. We'll be lining up within a year or two. At the start of the trail to the Chief, that is.

Jim Baldwin would be happy. We've come a long way in 40 years.<<

 

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