UKH

Hi

So I am booked for a couple of weeks in Canmore during January, and looking forward to a decent stretch of ice climbing! My main passion is Alpine, longer routes, however. I have some summer Alpine experience, and even some (limited) winter Alpine experience (on easier routes) - but I know nothing about the conditions out in the Canadian Rockies.

My instinct tells me there would be way too much powder to make is feasible - is this correct? Obviously there would be a lot of skinning up involved...but I would be grateful for any info!

Thanks,

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Depends where you go, the east side of the range is actually relatively dry, and people definitely get out alpine climbing over the winter, you would most likely need skis or snowshoes for the approaches though. however as a general rule of thumb, unless you really enjoy suffering there will probably be too much snow for a lot of the objectives, And it will also be totally baltic (much colder than European alps in winter).

Having said that, someone else might have better information, I lived there for 6 months, but unfortunately it was only over the summer. The ice climbing there is world class though, and i would have thought you would be better off enjoying what most people seem to regard as the best ice in the world, rather than scary, loose, and not (quite) as good alpine routes.

In reply to Ginger McGrath:

Thanks!

For some reason I love suffering and being scared, so I might get out for one route! But yeah I'm looking forward to some great ice! I've just never been ice climbing for such a sustained time, so I feel like I might need some recovery time...if an alpine route can be described as that!

Chris

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:




Not in the Canadian winter. It's a totally different situation to the Alps. Colder, longer approaches, more remote peaks, high avalanche danger, no tracks, few huts, no backcountry access other than your legs. Relatively few people do proper mountain routes in the Rockies in winter, and certainly not in January. March maybe, and into April.

I've climbed ice there a few times, late January to early March, and love it. If you want routes that are more alpine than ice cragging or the popular classics, then there are plenty of long (300m+) moderate ice routes that can take you quite high - This House of Sky (WI3( in the Ghost Valley is a classic example.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Don't expect your ego to be massaged by the grades and sharpen your picks and crampons.

As Damo has said, a proper alpine route would be anything but recovery.

Have a good trip.

In reply to Chris Ellyatt:

Try gravsports website for partners conditions etc and also
http://www.acmg.ca/mcr/archives.asp
For latest routes climbed and conditions
I'm sure u will find routes to suffer on and fun climbs within the vacinity of Canmore..