I guided an ascent of Louise Falls today, Dec 7th. The route is about as hard
as it gets right now and is sporting some death daggers. We found a sheltered
ground level belay in an alcove in the middle of the first wall. The first snow
ledge is a nervous place to be right now and I stretched our 60 metre rope to
gain a rappel tree belay on the left via some mixed frozen turf climbing. Our
belay was safe and out of the fall zone of the daggers, but it was spicy
regaining the ice (probably easier to step down there and across rather than up
and across). The pillar is in WI 5 shape right now and climbs well with a
chimney rest against a curtain at the top. Be delicate pulling onto the upper
snow ledge as there are horizontal fractures and curtains left and right that
could shear. Above the upper snow ledge was Louise as usual. We walked off.
Happy trails,
Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com
Louise Falls Dec 7th. Our first belay was under the exposed rock in the middle
of the first wall.
Death daggers.
_______________________________________________
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