The Real Big Tick

After a few frustrating days it has been good to get a couple of routes finished. Following our unsuccessful first visit we went back to redpoint the Real Big Drip: (more HERE)


The Real Big Drip; a totally brilliant route packed with great climbing.

Driving in to the Ghost Valley was not difficult as there is very little snow now, but a 4x4 or a lot of courage is required to get near to the rote (we have a 4x4). We followed our tracks in the snow from the previous day and got to the base of The Drip ready to go for it. As Ramon had put in the leg work to find the holds the previous day we decided that he should have first crack at pitch 1. This crux pitch is graded M7 in the Rockies Mixed Guide and I think this is a bit stingy! so a very good lead by Ramon got us to the first bolted belay.


Ramon near the flake on pitch 1

Pitch 2 (my lead) was meant to ramble up the ice shrooms on the left, but on closer inspection I was stopped by a rock band (the alternative, overhanging ice of the main pillar, didn't entice me!). Luckily some crimping got me to a bolt then some psychological pro in a ice bracket helped me back to more permanent ice. Now it was Ramon's turn for the M7+ pitch 3; climbing well he held on to make a cool onsight of the steep limestone wall. This pitch was physically easier than the first and holds were easier to find but it was still a good test. I followed Ramon up the small limestone edges then struggled up a rock/ice chimney with the backpack to a belay behind the final pillar. To start the final hard pitch I tapped my way up aerated vertical ice forming the back of the curtain, after clipping the tat extending from a piton I traversed left hooking a partially reformed horizontal crack that threatened to drop me and the curtain. Poor footholds focussed my attention as I turned round the edge of the curtain on to the face and some vertical ice to easy ground.


On the way round the curtain edge

Two more pitches got us to the top of the Real Big Drip as it was getting dark, on with the headtorches for some spooky abseils past weird ice features looming out of the darkness. Down on the ground we could relax a bit more but there was still the walk and drive out to complete without any trouble.


hmmmm.... I wonder if my tongue will freeze to that krab?

During the day temperatures were warm but the Drip was not thawing, this was not the case for snow covering the featureless forest floor. When we reached the trees our tracks back to the 4x4 had mostly vanished! I have got lost in Fontainebleau forest before let alone the Ghost, somehow by linking occasional snow filled depressions in the moss we found our truck and only missed one turning on the track back. Pizza at 11pm. 0700 start to collect a slightly battered Kristoffer Szillas for a look at Pilsner Pillar.


Kristoffer on his 3rd Wi6 of the weekend (2 previous routes had dropped ice on his head)

I made an attempt at Lucky Lager in the back of the cave behind Pilsner, it quickly beat me off with to many excuses to go in to here. Then, much to the disappointment of the damp Pilsner team, I set off up another mixed route on the right hand side of the crag (something in the Traditional Ale area where there are now 3 lines).


Some bolts, loose rocks, screws and pegs lead up to the hanging ice finale. (photo Kristoffer Szilas & Ramon Marin)


Leaving the Pilsner Amphitheatre to go home for a rest. photo Kristoffer Szilas

gone forever

missed the chance of onsighting Suffer Machine (by a long way) I was totally worked by the roof!! not my usual form so guess i must have been tired from 3 days in the Parkway and one rest day was insufficient. Should have recognised that i was tired during the skin in to SM (i have done that journey 3 times now) as i was struggling all of the way.

totally gutted to have stuffed the route up. Ramon almost onsighted the pitch but even this was taken away when he slipped on the slab. Will have to summon the motivation for a red point.

another rest day

then worse to follow...
failed at the crux of pitch 1 of The Real Big Drip (partly tired still, partly hidden holds, partly didn't want it enough)
failed 1st red point (couldn't see the big hold by my nose). Will have to summon up the motivation for another red point.

A walk in the Parkway

Since Nemesis we have been climbing every day; Bear Spirit for an onsight (and a nonsight), The Vision!, Cineplex (Musashi - 2 good attempts, the best reaching the psychological crux tork) then 3 days in the Icefields Parkway.....


Ice 9 (photo Ramon Marin)

Ice conditions seem a little lean this year and routes such as Ice 9, that I have seen very fat, are currently only thin pillars. Seeing how Ice 9 looked this year got Ramon and I to the base of the route and discussing who was going to lead the first pitch. It was obvious from the ground that to climb the pillar was going to require a confident approach, unfortunately as it was my lead I was going to have to fool myself to jump on the skinny pillar; I was only going to 'have a look'. As I climbed up the fat base to place a screw I started to get a close look at the climbing and immediately wanted to be back in the car, thick chandeliers guarded this side of the pillar, pressing on to get a good look at the front face I could see that the ice was completely different. The line to climb was heavily featured ice with lots of air pockets but luckily not those fine chandeliers that can be dug through without finding anything solid. But ... the sun had worked its evil magic on the ice and had left a layer snow/neve/frozen mush over the surface, acceptable for tools, not for pro.

As I was only climbing up to 'have a look' at the line when I reached the point where I felt that climbing down was not an option the tension built. Doubts about picks hidden in invisible ice started to crawl in my mind (lower down on the pillar deep pick placements had crunched, settled and held). Focusing on a slight easing in angle and a likely screw placement above a possible fracture line I made a few more moves to a point where I could relax.


Ramon on pitch 2. Fun in the sun with quick release ice screws

Day 2. A quasi-early start saw us beaten to Curtain Call so we went to take a look at Oo La La, an M8 two pitch mixed line on the Tabernac Wall. I had fight with pitch 1 of this very good route; it was steep straight off the ledge and me struggling with unnecessary figure 4's in big boots was good entertainment for Ramon.


a silly game!! (photo: Ramon Marin)


Ramon trying to force the route without ice.

The tenuous looking curtain at the end of the second pitch visible from the ground turned out to be no where near our route! Despite Ramon questing up to have a good look we could not finish the route.

Day 3. I was flagging by Tuesday and a 0530 start didn't help but at least we made it to the base of Curtain Call unimpeded.


The wild Curtain Call north of the Athabasca Glacier

I found pitch one easier than it looked (it needed to be!) and could weave through the crazy ice sculptures relatively easily. Seeing the screw holes at the belay there must have been a lot of teams on CC this season and pitch one was probably only Wi5. Pitch two however....


Ramon on the overhanging brittle ice crux.

After a little adventure to take a look at Call of the Curtain from below the roof and then get the ropes stuck we made it back to the car then Canmore for a rest.

Hi iso madness at the vision and other contrasts

Starring Rob Owens, Will Mayo, Gordon McArthur, Patrick Delaney (and dry flowers!)

It has begun....

From Calgary....


....to Canmore (well 'Stanley Headwall parking' really but it just doesn't sound the same) (Ramon Marin)

I have been here in Canada for a few days and spent a couple of days in Calgary then two days swinging the axes. Sort of warming up really but todays route was good value: Nemesis on the Stanley Headwall, apparently in Wi5 condition. Ramon and I climbed it in 2 and a bit pitches and avoided the easiest (non) line to ensure a genuine Wi6 tick (not planned this way though!)


Me skinning in to the base of Nemesis and unfortunately the approach is much steeper than it looks in this photo (Ramon Marin again, no way was I dragging my SLR up there this time)


(Ramon Marin)

Kandersteg Mini Trip

Following Saas Fee my energy levels were flagging after all of the no climbing that I had done, the 0300 finish on Sunday was the final nail in the coffin. Following a late start Sunday morning Steve and I had a short day checking out a route then Steve sprinted up a pitch of very wet 5.

The planned ascent of Buck Dich didnt happen today but the unplanned decent of the toboggan run made the walk up the hill worthwile.


Me on easy approach ice (photo Steve Johnstone)


The first mixed pitch on Buck Dich and my high point before the pump stopped play. (photo Steve Johnstone)

Small margins

It would be nice not so have to hunt for positives to take away from the Saas Fee competition but I'm used to it now after competing in 5 World Cup comps over 2 seasons and never making the final 8.

Today I tied with 3 others in 10th place (9 qualified from my group to go to the semi) the clip that would have got me through was clipped a couple of seconds after my 6 minutes climbing time was up. I feel it was my best climbing performance of the World Cup but clearly I need to be significantly faster/stronger? to avoid the possibility of failing by small margins.

The UIAA World Cup series has 4 rounds this year. 70 men and 25 women from 21 countries took part in the Saas Fee event. The top three climbers (Steve Johnstone, Malcolm Kent and me) from the Ice Factor (Scottish Tooling Series) competed at Saas, I'll let you check their blogs for a different take on this comp (links on left).

now..... how to get back on the real routes asap.....

4 x 4

Shortly after taking this photo I wanted to take some other shots so followed Mac's Opal Astra tracks from the previous day in to the Gasterntal. After rounding off two corners of my Land Rover I learned that a different driving style is required for a heavy 4x4, using torque and grip is much better than momentum.


To the Saas Fee competition next.

Kandersteg strikes again......
the M10 section! of an M10 at a new area (not really Kandersteg)
Michael M9 *** 1st rp (Uschinen)
Good but unsuccessful climbing on M7+ pitch of M8+ to right of Obsession (Kiental)
Necrophilice Wi 6- (Gasterntal)
Klara Winter M8 flash/done before? Matador M11 1st rp (did start last year). Powerbat M9/10 popped off after Manu Cordova on sighted the route (Uschinen)