Hello Everyone, Myself and Carl Johnston spent the last 8 days with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures Ice climbing with the Mountain skills semester in the Ice Fields parkway, Bow valley, Ghost and Kananaskis.
Some Observations form our Venues we used.
Tangle Creek Nov 28- We were able to hang 2 ropes on the main flow Left side and 1 rope on the far right smears in the tree's. Wet and growing.
Balfour Wall Nov 29- Numerous pillars forming and 5 ropes hung that day. Steep and chandelier ice on all flows, Wet and growing.
2 O'clock Falls Nov 30- In excellent shape Bottom steep flow is capable of 5 ropes of Varying degrees of difficulty. The route as a whole looks to be in good shape, We only stayed on the bottom 30M and cragged all day.
Haffner Dec 1- Ice is growing rapidly in there but currently only 1 Maybe 2 ice lines are possible.A lot of large daggers are forming near the main flow which is looking to be a big curtain if it dose not fall down or get kicked down.
THOS/Moonlight Dec 2- In great shape with Pretty good conditions for driving and all ice pitches in excellent shape. Beware of thinly frozen pools below pitches of ice, One proved to be quite deep....
Moonlight is in good shape accepting 16cm screws throughout, Wet and brittle ice can be found throughout with the Bolted belay in the cave easily accessible.
Amadeus/Sinatra Dec 3- Easy travel to the route with Zero snow to walk through. Route is getting a lot of traffic and the ice is very well traveled. Zero snow above route currently.
Sinatra- Good shape and VERY wet.
Have a great season!
