Over the past 4 days, I guided at a number of venues along the Icefields Parkway.
Shades of Beauty
This route is in great conditions for early December. All pitches protect well. All top outs are surprisingly icy with good protection. P1 and P2 have dry lines. P3 is wet right now. Slopes below the route are below threshold. Crampons offer good purchase for the side hilling on the approach bootpack.
Tangle Falls
We fit four ropes on the main area using the tree and bolt anchors. Tangle filled in a lot in the last week and offered a great training venue. The right side also looked good with up to three lines but the top outs look thin.
Weeping Wall
We climbed Snivelling via LHS first pitch. It’s thin and interesting to get into. We climbed the LHS. Top out on the lunch ledge is wet and delaminated. You need to be far left to be on reasonable ice. We climbed the RHS on great ice. There sn’ice across the wall on any low angle terrain.
Balfour Wall
There is reasonable walking around the base in crampons right now. Space for 4-5 ropes on terrain from WI3-5. The right and left flows are wet.
Nothing but the Breast
Approach pitches are in good shape accepting good short screws. Crux pitch is hard, harder than Virtual Reality in conditions 2 weeks ago.
From the road:
Shooting Star looks good;
Dancing w Chaos looks good;
Near Death looks good;
Oh La Tabernac and upper climbs look good.
Of note, when returning from Shades of Beauty today, on the unnamed peak north of Cirrus Mountain (Bridalveil Falls and Panther Falls are on the south flank) had a size 3++ natural on the SW face.
Brent Peters
Mountain Guide
PeakStratagem.com
Info@PeakStratagem.com
