Andre and I made the long drive to Lake Louise for a little early season ice climbing. Tom and Mike joined us the next day.
Thursday: Andre decided we needed a short drive and a long hike to shake out the legs. We were up early and out in the -1 F temps to take a look at the Ross Lake Headwall. We got our money's worth on the approach, with a 1 mile road walk, 1 mile trail, frozen lake crossing, snow covered boulder hopping, and a frozen scree slope to the base of the ice. We climbed the fat line to the right.
The climb started with a short steep pillar.
The second pitch was a little more mellow. Andre enjoyed his first climbing on real waterfall ice.
He also looked pretty excited to rap off his first v-thread anchor.
After a couple more top roped laps of the upper section, we called it a day and headed back to the car.
Friday Another group at the hostel had mentioned that Shades of Beauty was in good shape, so we headed up the Icefields Parkway for a look. Beauty Creek is aptly names, as it cuts through the limestone.
We were interested in something a little drier, so we hiked up to the climb proper.
We climbed it in three pitches - combining the first two steps in the first, the steep pillar in the second, and the wet and wild step for the third.
Saturday Time for Andre to start leading something, so we headed over on the David Thompson Highway to Two O'Clock Falls.
After warming up on the first pitch, Andre takes off on his first lead of the second.
The thid pitch was his as well, and we reached the top in fine fashion. Nice view from the top.
We scrambled off to the left back to the base of the climb and bushwhacked back to the road.
Sunday For our last day, we were interested in a little alpine adventure so we headed over to Bow Falls. We climbed the line left of center.
Andre lead the first pitch then I took over from there. Here Andre is belaying at top of p2.
From there the climbing and the conditions became a little more entertaining. The winds were whipping over the top bring the spindrift along.
We topped out after one more pitch. Bow Lake and the highway are in the background.
Since Tom and Mike were climbing below us, we made the long, arduous descent by the second gulley and plowing through wind blown powder snow. We hung out at the base in the blowing winds watching them climb.
After they rapped off, we had a nice moonlit stroll across the frozen Bow Lake to end the trip.
It's your lead. Chop, chop.