[MCR] West coast ice conditions, the real one

Hello all.

Its a bit late but..

Went out ice climbing with Kai around Lilloet on Friday and Sat .

This is what we did.

 

Marble Canyon

Climbed Deeping wall. It was in similar shape to how the guidebook describes it. Quite good overall. Then we finished on Icy BC.

The middle pitch was in its usual shape (wet hole in the middle) But climbable on the left. The top pitch was totally strange and we both have never seen it look the way it did. The center was a giant open book of ice and water. The ice "pages/ walls" stuck out about 15+ feet from the rest of the climb. These features looked very scary as if they could come of at any moment. We climbed quickly out to the right to a nice belay away from any threat of falling ice.

 The upper pitch was climbed on the right side (the only place you could) and we encountered good grade 5 climbing and pro.

 All climbs on the lower wall were in and looked to be in reasonable shape. Nothing else was "in" on the upper wall.

 

On Sat we trekked up and attempted to climb "Hanging on a Heartbeat" We found the crux pillar about half the diameter of the photo in the guidebook ( about 1-1.5m). As well the 1m ice roof now has a very large hanging dagger that would have to be knocked off ( we didn't think we could) or rode on to get to the roof. Because of these conditions and brittle ice and what looked like difficult pro, we bailed.

 

On the way home we climbed "Closet secrets". The route is in very good conditions. It is pure ice however one small cam (0 or #1) or nut is use full in the start.

 

What we saw:

 

Most climbs on the Duffy had melted out alot compared to what was on the Internet in the previous week.

 

Shreddy is touching down, however it is only a few feet thick at the base. It would be climbable by climbing the ice blobs that are covering the "prophet wall"  (and using these bolts) and then getting on the real ice about 30 feet up. It looks like the easiest I have seen it in years...but that's not that easy.

 

 

Rambles looked fat.

 

Carlsberg looks climbable but thinner and wetter than normal.

 

The Swillar Pillar looks very fat.

 

Tres Burly was non existent. 

 

Red Wall Wanderer looked in.

 

Loose lady is in

 

Syncronicity was very fat.

 

Serendipity was not quite in.

 

the strand is in.

 

Honeyman falls is not in.

 

There was alot of ice plastered on cliffs were there hasn't been in years, so hopefully things will continue to grow and not fall down with the forcasted warm temps then arctic front. 

Have Fun. Craig McGee, Mountain Guide

 

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