[MCR] Shades of Beauty and Rick Blak Memorial Route. Beauty Creek. Jasper National Park

Climbed the Rick Blak Memorial Route in Beauty Creek yesterday. The route is well traveled but is holding up quite well. The cold temps have made the ice hard and delicate and we found light swings and hooking were the best way to avoid bigger dinner plates coming off. Generally the ice on route is thin and big swings will have your tools bouncing off the rock below. We didn't carry any screws bigger then 16 cm and generally found reasonable placements with 13 cm and 10 cm screws. 1st pitch was very thin at the bottom of the steep ice but there was decent hooking to help give a little security until it budges out near the top of the pitch. Second pitch feels a little fatter and despite being only sightly overhanging at the start, there is good stemming to be had and easily took 13 cm screws. Hard snice at the top of the route on the transition exiting the route will likely become faceted out with the cold temps and not offer much security. Not much for daggers threatening the route. 

Both Shades of Beauty and Stanley Senior look fat and welcoming. Shades is very popular and well traveled but not much action on Stanley yet. 

Photo from yesterday available for Shades and Rick Blak available on the Parks Mountain Safety Facebook page. 

Jasper Visitor Safety 

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