Crowfoot Glades

 
April 8, got out for a few laps with the young guns. John, Colin and I had hoped to summit some peak, but the blustery conditions early in the morning had us change plans a few times. Ended up getting laps at Crowfoot Glades around noon. Always fun times with these guys. 

Skinning up to the upper glades.

Stormy skies all around.

Lunch time snacks 

Very likely my last turns of the season.

Lovely Parting Gifts - WI3 60m

Great canyon scenery on the hike up.

 

Our first view of Lovely Parting Gifts.

End of the Line

March 16, had a great day of adventure in the BATUS canyon in Peskett Creek near the west end of Abraham Lake. Cold start, was -20 when we left the highway and the temperature in the canyon never recovered with it hovering around -15 in the shade. The route up the canyon to the two ice climbs is spectacular and worthy of a trip on its own. We headed to End of the Line (WI3, 100m). I led about 20m up the route, but bailed. It was not in WI3 shape sporting poor quality technical ice with micro mushroom heads, straws and tons of excavation required to get poor quality ice screws. Too spicy for this old cowboy. We bailed and climbed Lovely Parting Gifts (WI3, 65m). LPG was flat and smooth ice, but as hard as concrete. Hard work to get good picks, feet and tough to get screws turning in the super hard ice. The line I climbed got us ot us to the top in less than 60m. Cold day in the shade, but a spectacular setting.

 

Gearing up for LPG.

Bulletproof ice.

Cool ice features in the canyon.

Fang and Fist - WI5, 400m (5 pitches)

Pillar on the bottom of pitch 1.

February 6 got out ice climbing with my old buddy Jason. We headed to the North Ghost and had a most excellent adventure on Fang and Fist. JW easily cruised the lower pitches, definitely solid WI5. We did the lower section in two pitches, one about 40m and the second about 55m; this took us to the top of the WI5 section. Easy plod up to the upper two short pitches. Warm and mostly calm, with the occasional strong rogue wind gusts. Great day out in the wonderful Ghost with an old buddy. Doesn’t get any better.

Great scenery on the hike in.

What a beautiful line.

JW having too much fun. 
He was cruising up this pillar.

 

Photo by JW

Photo by JW

Here goes the old guy.
Photo by JW

                                               

JW happy happy.
Above our second pitch, easy snow to two upper pitches.

JW on pitch 3. 

On our way down.

OSWB rapping on the top of pitch 1.
Photo by JW.

                                                 

OSWB at the end of the rap.
Photo by JW

Great day out.
Photo by JW

"Nomad Ridge" Tour and Turns

View of glades.

Got out January 28 with Curt for some cool backcountry exploration. I was originally thinking we could easily skin up to the hanging valley below the little unnamed peak, sometimes referred to as "Mt. Nomad". I thought the main upper Kananaskis Lake hiking trail would be a foot bashed in trail, it was, then the old road would be an easy skin, it was as well, but the steep trees above the old road was a very difficult uptrack. Lots of unconsolidated snow and we had to work hard to set a trail to the top of the ridge. Got in a great workout, and some great powder turns in the steep glades on the way down. Blue skies and calm conditions, resulted in a very enjoyable day out. 

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt

Photo by Curt