[MCR] Ice Climbs in the Jasper and Icefields

Subject: [MCR] Ice Climbs in the Jasper and Icefields
Date: Thu, 24 Mar 2016 16:22:56 -0600 (MDT)
Happy long weekend everyone,
Visitor safety technicians went for a meandering walk up Sunwapta Falls in the Beauty Creek area. The climbing is generally in good shape, good plastic-like ice and, wet but not soaking. We started early and we were well off the climb before 12:00. Ended up with one surprise boot-soaker in a pool below the second pitch on the way down and would expect more as the day progressed, we were glad to be off it early. 

Many of the climbs in the Jasper area are holding up to the spring transition fairly well...

-Climbs in Maligne Canyon are pretty much cooked. Lots of water and significant de-laminating at the top of all climbs, best to avoid. 
-Kerkeslin Falls I would expect to be in similar shape to Sunwapta Falls but we haven't received any recent reports.
-Shades of Beauty and Ric Blak seem to be holding up fairly well. Shades is wet all season long, expect it's a little worse.
-Wings and the Stage - Ice looks good but I've never trusted the large overhead cross-loaded features above. 
-Curtain Call is looking very weathered and fragile at the finish. It appears quite de-laminated above the cone, I'll be surprised if it survives the weekend, better give it a miss!
-Melt-out looked good.
-Tangle has a large and continuous crack across the bottom, seems bad...
-Harder than it Looks - Seems to be hanging in though I've never been desperate enough to get on it.
-Panther and Bridelveil - ?? 
-Mix Master - done for the season
-Weeping Wall - Photo attached taken 24/03/2016; gets a lot of sun, might have a line or two still viable for the early birds. 
-Weeping Pillar - Done. Bottom pitch looks like it's melting-out fast.
-Polar Circus - Looks pretty good. The pencil is the most formed it's been this season; not climbable and I'd feel very vulnerable if I had to hang out under it for any length of time. Upper pitches look great.

On the other hand, rock climbs on Juno wall and Morro Peak are dry, and warm. Watch out for ticks! 

Play Safe, 
Jasper Visitor Safety

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