>> June - July 2000
BC
News
'Excessively Nasta' Winter Season in
the Rockies Ends with Two New M9+ Routes_Ben Firth, Sean isaac, Rob Owens
In
Haffner Creek, Sean Isaac completed one of the hardest mixed routes in the
Rockies and, indeed, in North America: Caveman (M9+). He had saved it until
the end of the season because he feared it would injure him and put him down
for the count for the rest of the year. It tackles a 10m horizontal roof caked
in verglas and requires six figure 4's and much campusing.
The Guhlag is in the Welcome to Canada gullies on Mt Rundle. Will Gadd says that "this crag could have the highest concentration of hard mixed routes in the world." The routes lie on a 25m-30m overhanging cave. It has a 1.5 to 2 hour approach. Presently it hosts an M9, an M9+ and a project that Ben Firth describes as "excessively nasta!" Animal Farm (M9+) by Ben Firth and Raphael Slawinski is one of the hardest mixed routes in North America. It requires 15m of extremely overhanging drytooling to reach a 5m ice goatee. Svabodnee (M9) was bolted by Jyoti Venne, but by the time he was ready for the redpoint, the cave had filled with so much avalanche debris that he didn't need a rope!
This was one of the most important years in recent history for the development of Rockies winter climbing. New routes of ever-increasing difficulty were constantly being completed, eclipsing the standards of the past decade. An example is Rob Owen's variation on the Replicant, Stuck in the Middle (WI6 M7). Even two years ago this would have been a major ascent and garnered much attention from the climbing world, as was Alex Lowe's Troubled Dreams, which takes a similar line. Today it's just another day in the Rockies.
For more info see: www.gravsports.com <<
Reducing the Impact in the Cirque of the Unclimbables:
The Cirque 2000 Project_Steve Brewis
In recent years,
the Cirque of the Unclimbables has become an increasingly popular destination
for climbers. As a result, concerns have been raised about the human impact
on the fragile alpine ecosystem of Fairy Meadows. Impacts include human waste,
garbage, over-zealous bolting and the development of braided trails. Due to
the sub-arctic environment, decomposition is very slow and answering the call
often involves braving a vast scatological minefield around the two main campsites.
In response, the Cirque 2000 project was born. Originally the brainchild of Warren LaFave of Kluane Airways, the project has evolved to include climbers, biologists and human waste management specialists. After a series of assessment studies, the following suggestions will be implemented in the 2000 season:
- An educational campaign through leaflets and the installation
of an information board at the existing cabin on Glacier Lake. The emphasis
will be on the nature of the Cirque environment and challenges to its conservation,
and it will be printed in seven languages.
- The construction of a modest, removable, centrally
located pit toilet in July of this year, the contents of which will be incinerated
at the end of the season.
- Exit surveys, conducted by seasonal interpreters, to gain sociological data, determine toilet usage and gauge project success.
For further information about the project, contact John Young at 828.681.1305 or via e-mail at jmyoung@skybest.com <<
Alberta News
The Canmore Second International Ice Festival, February
18-20, 2000_Roger Chayer
Rocky Mountain Ski Lodge
presented the Altitude Sports Canmore Second International Ice Festival. Mike
Meilicke, owner of Alititude Sports, and Aaron McConnell, Altitude Events
Co-ordinator, organized the event on a small and intimate scale. This year's
attendance, however, was greater than expected. On Friday night at the "Ice
Breaker" at the Kabin Restaurant. Over 300 people saw up-and- coming ice/mixed
climber Rob Owens' slide show on classic and cutting edge climbing in the
Rockies.
Saturday's events included a mixed clinic by Doug Heinrich of Black Diamond and local mix-master Sean Isaac in Grotto Canyon. Participants quickly realized the difficulty of putting ice tools and crampons to rock, and then moving back on to ice. Yamnuska Mountaineering School put on an ice-climbing intro course and in the afternoon, a women's climbing clinic was hosted by Margot Talbot and Kris Docksteader of Black Diamond. Sue Nott was scheduled to lead this clinic, but had to cancel due to a previous engagement. Back at the 12m ice wall, people were trying out ice-climbing for the first time with gear provided by Black Diamond and Altitude Sports. Also in the afternoon, the highly entertaining qualifying rounds for Sunday's open speed climbing competition were held. On Saturday night, understated local great Tim Pochay gave a slide presentation after dinner at the Grizzly Paw Inn. He followed up with an advanced clinic in Grotto Canyon the next morning.
The main event on Sunday was the speed comp. For the finals, the competitors climbed a heavily mushroomed wall with lots of hooking. The weather was unseasonably warm and the sky was clear, and the crowd was treated to several exhilirating matches and individual performances. Most memorable was Eamonn Walsh's 29 second ascent! Once the awards were handed out and the prizes disbursed, smiles, final handshakes and chit-chat filled the air. Everyone left with thoughts of what a good time they had had, and looking forward to next year's Festival.
Speed Comp Results:
Women:
1. Kris Docksteader
2. Shelley Hulsman
3. Margot Talbot
Men:
1.Sean Isaac
2.Eamonn Walsh
3.Sylvain Vanier <<
Southern Ontario Ice: Best Season in a Decade
Ontario
ice climbers may have forgotten over the past decade that there are actually
some pretty good routes when they get a good year. This year was one of the
best in the last decade with good ice forming throughout the region, even
in the usually extremely dodgy Hamilton area southwest of Toronto.
Bill Piekos and friends climbed a few new routes at Skeleton Lake near Lake Rosseau including the really good pillar of J and B on Ice (3+). At Tasso Lake Dave Britnell, Don Collier and local ice keener Don Pearson climbed a good three pitch mixed route at Tasso Lake, Saving Ryan's Privates. They didn't grade it but subsequent ascents suggested about M4-5. Also following the mixed sensation, Ed Reinhardt and Chris Ferguson pre-protected and then climbed Max's Route which they graded M6. Although it awaits an on-sight it is the area's hardest winter route to date.
Norbert Kartner and Morris Manolson discovered several worthwhile new ice routes in Killarney Provincial Park, and developed them over the last years.
Issues of access continue to be significant, and you should check out the Alpine Club Toronto Section website for details before you make any plans for next season: www.climbers.org <<
Chris Pegalo Sends long-time Metcalfe Problem_Chris
Pegalo
Chris Pegalo, who climbed his way into the hearts of
millions on the cover of last summer's MEC catalogue, added a couple of good
new routes to Metcalfe Rock in May. Rigour Mortis (5.11d) climbs the wall
between the now popular Ninth Academy (5.11c) and the never popular Peter
Croft route The Asshole that Killed Liberace (5.11b). Both of these routes
were left out of the last sport-climbing guide, probably because they're dangerous
overhanging trad-fests. Chris' route is the safest way to access the upper
wall. He also replaced the bolts on the earlier lines. Most importantly, Chris
freed the long-standing problem Vox Angelica, adding bolt protection and describing
the climbing as brilliant. This old aid line follows a thin crack to a difficult
bulge and had resisted a free ascent for decades. He tentatively rates it
5.12c. <<
Foreign Affairs, European Vacations: Canadians Send
European 5.14s
In late February and early March Canadian
export Nick Sagar and Ontario local Sonnie Trotter teamed up with American
Tommy Caldwell for a European sport climbing vacation. The trip was very successful
with Tommy flashing Hydrophobia 8b+ (14a), in Montsant Spain. Nick also sent
the route in four tries over two days. Still in Spain Nick managed to flash
8a (13b) which was a break through for him.
Sonnie, who was recovering from a rather nasty hand injury incurred while practicing a new, but ill advised, belaying technique in the Virgin River Gorge, (See Gripped 2.2) was able to return to earlier form by onsighting and flashing many 7c+ (13a) climbs as well as putting in a strong effort on Chouca 8a+ (13c) in Buoux by sending it in a day. While in Buoux Sagar also managed to make short work of one of the cliff's most famous routes, La Rose et La Vampire (8b). Sounds like the boys had fun, and you can be sure that we will be hearing more from them soon.
Sonnie Trotter followed up his European trip with a strong outing in Utah at the Virgin River Gorge. In the space of a week Sonnie managed to climb Planet Earth and Present, both 14a, as well as Hell Comes to Frog Town 13d.
Sonnie also had a strong showing in the Phoenix bouldering comp. This year's comp featured a dynoing portion, which may prove to be the new bouldering format at the X Games. Torontonian Steve "Manboy" Townsend placed third in this comp. He felt that his manly dynoing powers made him a force to be reckoned with, but his boyish strategizing meant that he wasted far too many chances on low percentage problems and not enough time doing the easier ones. <<
