[report by Don Chodzicki]
It's already November and it is hard to bellieve we haven't had a trip blog for so
long, so let me bring you up to speed.
In 2012 the Saskatchewan Section had
some of their most successful climbing trips yet. In January the club had such
a high demand to go ice climbing we were forced to organize 2 trips!
Choppers 1
The first ice climbing trip in February had a total of 23
people including the leaders. The large number presented real challenges during
the planning phase forcing a thorough review of options for accommodations,
climbing locations, gear rental, leader to beginner ratios, trip dates, and
other issues.
Once again Nordegg Alberta was the location for our
"base camp". Day 1 the group climbed at Balfour Wall. It is always interesting
to see how much the ice can vary from year to year, but once again beginners
were provided with an impressive number of route options and a beautiful view of
the valley. I personally really enjoyed going early with the leaders, hiking
around to the top and helping to set the anchors for the ropes.
Day 2
the group went to Two O'Clock Falls. 2 O'Clock is a bit smaller than Balfour
which during the planning phase I thought might present a few problems, but
somehow things ended up working out. Both days we had fairly decent weather. To
me 2 O'Clock always seems a bit cool whenever we go there but I know at least
one person felt shorts and a Hawaiian shirt were more comfortable so maybe it
was just in my head!
Choppers 2
For the 2nd ice climbing trip in early
March Choppers had 12 people and this time the base camp was in Canmore. Day 1
we climbed at Junk Yards near Canmore which meant both the drive and hike in
were much shorter than we experienced on the Nordegg trip. Temperatures were
pretty warm though which can help make the ice softer and potentially result in
a few areas of rock being uncovered.
If you are a beginner ice climber
and don't understand the advantage of soft ice (keep in mind I am no expert)
think of single swing or single kick and almost a guaranteed stick of the ice
tools or crampons, so you can waste a lot less energy. And also if you are a
beginner ice climber the concept of going ice climbing and finding parts of
exposed rock may seem less than ideal, but this offers you an introduction to
something called Mixed Climbing!
Day 2 the group drove further west
to a location called Hafner Creek. For me this new location was like magic. The hike
in had limited vertical and given that there was an existing path through the
deep snow we had it pretty easy. Hiking in involved going through a narrow
canyon with a stream running through it. Then when you reach the location
everything opens up and you are facing rock and ice walls all around you. But
not only was this a beautiful location it also offered me a really good chance
to try Mixed Climbing!
Mixed climbing basically involves the use of
ice tools to climb rock and ice surfaces. For me the really interesting thing
(like many situations with the Alpine Club) is how you start to look at
situations differently. Initially I never understood how you could use an ice
tool on a rock surface since you can't swing it and make it stick. But after my
introduction to mixed climbing I would look at a piece of rock and start to see
the 2 or 3 millimeter ridge and figure out that I could solidly hook an ice tool
or crampon on that ridge and all of a sudden it was game on! The idea of
placing ice tools rather than wasting one's energy swinging or kicking should
really appeal to a beginner. But what further impressed me was taking that new
mind set of identifying little surfaces that can hold a person's weight and
applying it during the club's annual Rock Climbing trip over the May long
weekend.
Thrashers Rock Climbing and Scrambling 2012
Once again the
beginner trip was to the Wasootch area south of Canmore. The location is
perfect for beginners and more experienced climbers due to the large number of
routes and easy drive/hike in. The logistics of running a trip to this location
are also a lot easier based on it being a repeat trip. Like always our leaders
were kept busy setting the top ropes, educating us on proper technique and
moving ropes to new more challenging routes as our abilities improved over the 2
days.
Although the trip isn't geared towards teaching lead climbing I
did have the chance to try leading my first 5.5 or 5.6! Let me tell you it is
always an eye opener when you don't see a top rope above you to protect your
fall! Needless to say I did survive it. Another bonus to this year’s trip was
I had an opportunity try to a little "Trad Climbing". With a top rope in place
I did a simulated trad climb which proved really interesting as I struggled to
figure out how to place the pieces of protection in little crevices and attach
quickdraws to them. Let me just say I was glad I was on a top rope the whole
time!
Returning to this year’s Thrashers was a scrambling component. On day
one scramble participants explored an un-named ridge east of Canmore, part of
the Mt Fable loop south ridge. For day 2 they climber to the North Peak of Mt Kidd. The most fun on that route was the opportunity to bum-slide almost all the way down. The addition of the scrambles to Thrashers worked out really well offering
section members who aren't climbers an opportunity to still come and socialize
with the climbers in the evenings.
To close things off I really want to
thank all the trip leaders we had for the trips. Thanks for setting the top
ropes, being patient with the newbies, sharing your knowledge and offering us so
many opportunities for adventure!
The Annual Mountaineering Camp was held this year out of the Bill Putnam Hut at Fairy Meadows, a significant step up in difficulty and logistics, but it offered the opportunity to spend a week on or near the Gothics and Granite Glaciers in the Northern Selkirks.
