Guiding the Canadian Rockies for the past 5 years (and climbing here for over 25) the most common question I am asked is how to get into alpine climbing. With the growth in popularity of ice climbing, and high profile movies like The Alpinist, it seems more and more people are wanting to get after it. When I was first in the Rockies, I was faced with the same quandary. I came to climbing from hiking and adventuring. Looking up at a mountain in awe, I had the burning desire to get to the top of it. In contrast, what most people seemed to be doing was either climbing very steep ice pillars, or drytooling at sport bolted caves. People had gotten so good at ice climbing that the cutting edge was drytooling onto hanging daggers, combining the two. There was a proud lore of big alpine routes in the past, so I knew it was possible to climb the big faces that were staring me in the face, but I had to figure out how it was done.
Ice climbing is inherently restricting, as waterfall ice only forms in limited spots, and often in avalanche-threatened gullies. Alpine climbing on the other hand is almost limitless. Also, once a climber reaches a certain familiarity with ice, the technique becomes somewhat repetitive. Ice climbing for the most part feels like 5.9 climbing to a seasoned veteran, until the ice gets thin, airy, or rotten and won’t accept good screws. So, ice climbing goes quickly from easy and safe to hard and dangerous. This is likely the reason that in the 90s the interest among Rockies locals switched to bolt protected drytooling. There was an open debate as to whether this trend would make it easier and therefore more common for climbers to climb alpine routes.
Recently, drytooling in its own right has become the most popular option for folks looking to get out in the winter. Unlike ice climbing, it is safe and bolted, essentially sport climbing with tools and crampons. On any given day in the Rockies more people will be found at a few crags than in the whole rest of the range. Drilling pockets for the tools has become the norm, as sport climbers want to make the moves bigger, more dynamic, and don’t want to be limited by having tools slip off the holds. With drilled pockets, however, the fine balance and finesse required to keep a pick on a thin edge often goes missing. We have come a long way from developing the skills required for getting up a big snowy mountain face.
As a final reason for going “winter” climbing in the alpine in the Rockies, as Barry Blanchard has pointed out, limestone is often better when it is frozen together! As “winter” conditions here can often be found any time of year, we have a long season in which to take advantage of this. Also,the Rockies are great training for bigger alpine objectives around the world. Our American friends often point out that the rock is more committing than in Alaska, where solid gear in granite makes harder climbing seem more reasonable.
Considerations:
So, what skills, apart from the strength developed at the drytooling crags, do we need for winter alpine climbing?
-Avalanches: First in importance is learning to understand the threat avalanches pose in the Rockies. The range has infamously killed some of the top alpinists in the world. This isn’t Chamonix, with easily obtained local knowledge of conditions. Talking with more experienced climbers, taking avalanche courses, patience, and a strong appreciation for the risks involved are essential. Often when avalanche danger is high the gullies that hold the big ice climbs are out of consideration while rocky faces can be safer.
-Natural Protection: I have occasionally been hired to guide climbers who are stronger climbers than me but who are unable or unwilling to climb above natural protection. I will go so far as to say that on almost all alpine climbs in the Rockies, at some point you will be heinously run-out above questionable gear. Both learning to place gear and to keep a calm mind and accept the risk involved are key elements to alpine climbing in the range. The gear is similar whether placed in rock in the summer or winter, so summer alpine climbing away from bolts might be the easiest way to acquire this skill. The good thing is, in the winter the choss is frozen together so often the gear is actually better once placed in the winter.
-Pitons: Pitons deserve their own category. In limestone, very often if you only have a rack of nuts and cams your pro will be very widely spaced, to put it mildly. The first time I climbed with Raphael Slawinski I was amazed by how much safer he made the climbing by finding thin cracks that accepted knifeblades. A standard rack on almost every alpine outing is three or four knifeblades, an angle or two, and a few small to medium bird-beaks. If the climbing is going to involve long pitches of rock with anchors made on rock this might be augmented.
-Balance: Drilled pockets at the crags are great for large moves on overhanging terrain. In the mountains Mark Twight’s advice in Extreme Alpinism, to traverse when faced with difficult terrain, means that we aren’t often on the kinds of overhangs found at the crags. Instead, fine balance on crampons, and scratching your way up on thin edges, is more the name of the game. With the popularity of the crags this is harder to find, as former slabs turn into pegboards.
Seeking out newer crag routes that aren’t as steep, or simply starting on the easier end of the list of climbs here is probably the best way to get some of the mileage required.
-Bailing: Getting into alpine climbing with a solid background knowledge of self rescue or simply rappelling is a minimum requirement. If you know how to make anchors for the way up…you know how to bail, you just have to “trust the process” of building a two-piece leaver anchor backed up to a full-strength anchor that gets removed by the second down. You don’t have to memorize all 200 pages of Andy Kirkpatrick’s latest offering, Down, but being confident enough in building gear anchors to retreat means you can feel good about going up. Obviously, having enough rope and cord to do the rappels required is essential.
-Weather: Learning the intricacies of mountain weather is a life-long pursuit. Definitely looking at the bog-standard forecast on your phone in the morning is not good enough. Lots of more precise weather resources are available to help get a picture of the bigger scale weather affecting your outing. After you have an overall idea of what to expect in the area, a more precise pinpoint forecast for a given elevation can confirm your initial assessment. The easiest of objectives can be completely out of condition if the weather is not on your side. The Mountain Weather Forecast from Avalanche.ca is a great place to look.
-Skiing: We are not talking shredding, just basic survival striding. Snowshoes are ok for roadside jaunts, but for anything more than say a kilometer and skis will be much more efficient. As these climbs are not popular you won’t be following a broken trail, which makes skis essential. Most alpine climbers in the Rockies have a pair of skis with Silvrettas that accept climbing boots. Others choose to ski on a light touring set-up and carry their boots. One option is better for skiing downhill, the other is better when having to change boots in spindrift at the bottom of a face.
-Backcountry skills: If you are approaching winter alpine climbing from a sport climbing background, rather than a hiking and camping background, there are some essential skills required for just staying comfortable. Learning to layer clothing, how to efficiently pack a backpack, and what food you need for a long day out might take a few outings to perfect.
-Partners: Isn’t this always the crux in most climbing? At the crag you can accept a belay from just about anyone. In the alpine, you want to find a partner who has a similar risk tolerance. If you are lucky enough to know someone who has a lot more experience, don’t fall for the expert halo in decision making, but this experience can likely help you accelerate into the climbing. I have over the years been surprised by how eager a lot of experienced alpinists are for new partners, as even if they have a core group they climb with often schedules and objectives don’t match. It never hurts to ask!
As a guide I would be remiss if I didn’t point out that there are a number of excellent local alpine guides working guiding climbing in the area.
-Grades: A touchy subject. I refrained from calling this “beginner alpine climbs” as a certain depth of climbing and mountain knowledge is useful before heading up these routes. This is reflected in the grading system, where traditionally a commitment grade made up the first quoted grade for a route, followed by a technical grade. There is so much more to these outings than just the physicality of the most strenuous move. Having said that, some boldness on the part of young climbers often goes a long way in getting them up these routes. Being strong enough that the technical crux doesn’t feel difficult certainly helps make the commitment grade more manageable.
Be very aware that the technical grades from the drytooling crag are of limited comparability to the grade in the alpine. Think indoor grade compared to trad grade, but even moreso. Some first ascensionists famously sandbag, the climbing is often very run out, and the techniques themselves are not directly transferable. Be wary of the tendency of alpinists to understate risk with comments in social media such as, “Oh yeah, fun pitch”, when in fact a fall could have serious repercussions. As I said, most classic Rockies alpine routes of quality will have spots where you are unbelievably run-out above questionable gear. You want to be very humble and solid at the grade you are on.
The good thing is, the grade here is not the reward, so pick an easier than usual grade to climb until you get some mileage, and enjoy the views, the surroundings, and the moment you are in until you build a body of experience so that you can enjoy the harder grades when you end up climbing them.
Self-rescue and personal responsibility: This is the wilderness, and although there is rescue in the mountain parks it is the responsibility of everyone who goes out in the mountains to be self-sufficient. Practicing rescue techniques so that they are second nature is good preparation before venturing off in the hills. An emergency communication device is now considered standard equipment. Have an emergency response plan ready for the worst case scenario, and know exactly who you are going to contact.
-Guidebooks: The amazing series of guidebooks by David Jones have more or less revolutionized Rockies climbing. Not so long ago a lot of time was spent perusing journals, trying to piece together the now out-of-print Select Sandbags guidebook with the similarly difficult to find Waterfalls guidebook. The waterfall book includes routes that don’t summit (Jones’ requirement for inclusion), so in combination with the Rockies West, South, and North books research is now much easier. When in doubt, it is always worth asking around to find out if the locals can help, whether that be online or at the crags or gyms.
Here are some suggested routes to start with, listed from east to west roughly, and south to north.
Coire Dubh: (WI3, 5.7, 700m) This is the uber-classic mixed route of the range, perfect for an introduction. An entry ice pitch leads to a snow bowl walk to the defining pitch, a 5.6 pitch of crack climbing on gear, to numerous possible finishes to the top of Loder Peak. Avalanche hazard is often minimal due to its position in the front ranges, though upslope storms can dump surprising amounts of snow in the bowl above the ice pitch. Don’t be put off by the stated length of the route, a lot of it is uphill walking.
Doors of Perception (III, WI3, M5+, 400m) To the left of the 5.6 Coire Dubh corner crack pitch starts this rock route which has become a drytooling classic. Look for plenty of bolts, and when in doubt as to route finding…look for the bolts. Stated grades have been all over the map, but the close bolting and often continuous cracks makes the climbing quite reasonable. This is a good introduction to straight rock climbing with tools as it has received a lot of traffic and the holds are never difficult to find. The first ascent was almost assuredly on natural gear in the summer, before it got bolted and claimed as a winter route, so if you want practice placing gear with gloves on this might be a good place to start, as you can always revert to clipping the bolts.
Other Loder Peak routes: Local guide Jay Mills has established and reported various other climbs in this amphitheatre, but they are all on gear and much more serious than the previous two mentioned. Save these others for when you have more mileage.
Klatu Veratu (WI3 M6, 200m) On the north face of Wedge Mountain, graduate beyond the Wedge Smear where so many climbers have been introduced to ice climbing Beware of Slawinski grading and do not go to the right hand of the two gullies on the face, as this is The Maul, a stiff M7. The bowl leading to the base of the face can be loaded.
https://www.gravsports.com/ice%20pages%20folder/Route%20Descriptions/Wedge_Alpine.htm
The Manhole (M5, 300m) The very obvious gash on the north side of The Fist in K-Country. The first pitch sports a few bolts to get to an ice smear, while the rest of the climb follows cracks in a gully. Gear is good throughout.
https://raphaelslawinski.blogspot.com/2017/10/before-snow-flies.html
The HOle (M6, 300m) On Mount Lawrence Grassi directly above Canmore, a central gully goes through a 8 meter hole in the wall. Hike up the Ha Ling trail, traverse to the top of The Miner’s Gully backcountry ski run, and descend the gully until you can traverse into the base of the line below the hole. Beware that this traverse in on slabby rock so should not be attempted except in early or late season conditions. The more direct gash in the face, exiting higher and through a roof, is Slawinski’s Tainted Love, a different thing entirely.
https://www.ianwelsted.com/ianwelsted/2015/11/above-canmonix-sitting-down-mid-pitch.html
Unnamed Direct (WI3, M4, 500m) On the north outlier sub-peak of Storm Mountain, this is mostly a snow gully with an entrance pitch of ice and a few mixed pitches to join the Northeast Spur (Greenwood-Lofthouse) route.
https://www.ianwelsted.com/ianwelsted/2017/11/planting-flag.html
Sick Day (WI4, M3, 300m) As Naoise O Muircheartaigh wrote about the FA, located in the next cirque north from Unnamed Direct,
The route is clearly visible from Hwy 1 at the Radium junction. It's in the cirque just north of the Arnica lake cirque and initially ascends a wide ice flow which we climbed in 2 pitches. This is followed by a snow gully (About 140m) before another pitch of ice with a mixed exit (pic3) leading to the summit slope.
Worth noting that, with more snowfall, the summit slope would pose a risk of avalanche. About WI4 M3.
A Gentleman’s Day Out (IV, 5.8 mixed) Listed on page 211 of Joe Josephson’s Waterfall Ice: Climbs in the Canadian Rockies. This route and its neighbour, the equally mysterious An Elderly Man’s Day Out (IV, 5.7 mixed) are described as past Killer Pillar and roughly parallel to the Stanley Headwall mixed climbing venue. The rock wall on the left side of Stanley Peak, and below the glacial bench, has a number of gullies that in early season are good venues to get alpine-style mileage and are often climbed by those who approach the headwall proper looking to check out conditions.
Whyte Noise (AI3, M4, 430m) Above the Lake Agnes teahouse, a moderate couloir on the north face of Mount Whyte featuring an entry ice pitch, some couloir hiking, and a moderate but real mixed pitch that takes the climbers to the upper ridge and a descent down Mount Niblock.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/rockiesiceandmixedconditions/posts/231454882355842/
Janoline Couloir (AD, 50 degrees, 350m) If you aren’t too proud to climb a route that has been skied (admittedly with a few rappels) this couloir on Crowfoot Mountain would be, in the early season, a good introduction to Rockies snow and rock climbing. Just off the Icefields Parkway, this face of Crowfoot Mountain has almost limitless possibilities for this kind of climbing.
C-Train (M6, 200m) Further north along the face of Crowfoot, just above Bow Lake on the northern buttress of the tail end of the mountain. Don’t be put off by the M6 grade as it is for a short-lived section of slightly over-vertical well protected climbing. Ski across or around Bow Lake in a short hour. On an early attempt in spring a cornice collapse almost caught the climbers, so beware on these eastern faces of the accumulation from dominant west winds on the Parkway.
https://www.ianwelsted.com/ianwelsted/2019/01/c-train-200-meter-mini-alpine-moderate.html
Columbia Glacier Icefields Area
Traditionally this has been the center of Canadian Rockies alpinism, for good reason. Short approaches to the alpine makes for lots of possibilities. The outlying butresses of Athabasca and Andromeda make for great introductory alpine climbing.
AA Buttress routes: The lower part of the east buttress of Mount Athabasca, above the usual approach to the Athabasca-Andromeda col, is marked by a prominent X-shaped couloir system. Easily approached above the snowcoach road, often wind-scoured even in the middle of winter, these routes are often descended before summiting Athabasca. The routes are listed from climbers’ left to right. (Be wary of the route names, East Chimney vs West Chminey, I have yet to figure out how these cardinal directions correspond to their position on the map).
https://gripped.com/routes/new-moderate-alpine-chimney-on-mount-athabasca/
McKibben Route (II, M5) Takes slopes and rock steps to the left of the first of the x-couloirs.
Huismann/Isaac, Abdominal Drain Head up into the bottom of the x, then take the left hand branch to where you reach lower angled terrain at the top of the buttress.
Slawinski/Takeda, West Chimney (II, M5) Take the right hand of the x-branches. Can be used as a descent route with a fair number of fixed stations, or walk off as for the other routes to climbers’ left depending on avalanche conditions.
East Chimney (M5, WI3, 300m) Riding the right hand skyline of the buttress, it has the most sustained climbing of any of the routes on the buttress.
Other Athabasca/Andromeda routes:
Many of the routes in this area can be considered good introductory alpine ground. A solid appreciation of avalanche hazard should be practiced. The Practice Gullies, any routes in the Andromeda bowl area, Shooting Gallery when in icy condition, and even Asteroid Alley for a steeper option can be quite easy in terms of climbing difficulty, but the sad history of injury and fatalities in this area speaks volumes to the advisability of apprenticing on smaller routes.
Sidestreet (M4, 400m) On the left side of the approach to the famous Slpistream is a gully up Little Snowdome. There are only a few sections of climbing in the gully, depending on snow load and ice formation, but this has long been a good right of passage for Rockies alpine climbers.
