[MCR] Bow Valley Ice: Jan 2-6

The ACMG Assistant Alpine Guide Ice training spent the last 6 days climbing in the Bow Valley.  We managed to find quite a bit to do despite the cold temps and high avalanche hazard.

A couple of general observations
-We noticed were a lot of V-threads that were already showing signs of wear.  We removed/replaced a few but with much of the climbing traffic being directed to a few “safer” routes these days it might be wise to look at them with a slightly more critical eye than usual.

-Due to the rotten nature of this years snowpack, there seems to be an increased risk from loose snow avalanches (sluffing) in places you might not expect it.  We didn’t see any big enough to bury a person but certainly big enough to knock you off the ice.

Coire Dubh Integrale
The route is in good shape but we experienced very high winds and intense spindrift to the point we wished we had goggles.  There are hard slabs in the gullies between pitches which we were often avoiding by staying on the rock and scree to the side.  Instead of climbing the 5.6 corner on the right, we climbed a nice ~5.5 pitch about 20m left of the corner that is above the centre of the bowl.  It starts up a short gully then steps right onto the rock at a bolt and follows positive holds to the big ledge. 

Rogan’s Gully
We climbed it on a cold day after hearing that it had recently avalanched.  With the new snow, warm temps and strong winds, I would probably give this one a miss for now.

Louise Falls
Route is in good “hooked out” shape and as reported last week, most of the big daggers have fallen off.  

Guinness Gully 
Route is in good shape with the first pitch being much fatter than usual and most pitches being very “hooked out”.

Grotto, His, Hers, Mental Jewelry and Sketch and Sniff
Grotto is really wet and His and Hers are both climbable but thinner than usual.  Mental Jewelry is in but a little harder than usual as you have to do a few extra rock moves to get on the ice and Sketch and Sniff is a good TR right now but would be a bold lead as the ice is too thin for screws after the fourth bolt.

Today, Lilla Molnar and Sarah Heuniken skied in and climbed Whiteman Falls in K-Country.  The route is in really good WI5+shape with the first pitch being technical and the second pitch steep on hard ice. It was snowing lightly all day, and there was up to 5cm new snow when they left. Beware the side gullies along the approach pitches as they were starting to sluff into the canyon.  Redman Soars looked fat.   

-- 
Marc Piché
Mountain Guide




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