Ryan Patteson on the loose start to pitch 7 on the FA. Notice the turf ball clearly visible at the top of the corner. This is located at the bottom of the upper gully.
Tourist Turf 250m, m4R
Follow the red route line, or alternately the potentially easier blue line beginning at pitch 4 traverse so as to avoid the M5+ pitch 5 black corner.
April 9th, 2022
Ryan Patteson, Justin Guarino, Ian Welsted
Starts at the west end of Rockfall Wall on the south side of Lake Louise, the ultimate in tourist turf. The route features many sticks into solid turf, very unusual for the Rockies, and quartzite.
Skin up the snow-cone between Kaleidoscope Pinnacle and Rockfall Wall. The climb is defined by lower angled ledges leading up and left from a triangular snowfield aiming for an upper snow-filled gully which is very obvious when viewed from the lake but much less so when on the climb. Ironically, we left the skis just below a very old, bleached quickdraw that looked as though it had been there since the 80s, on what must be one of the shortest sport routes in the Bow Valley.
The first pitches trend left overall, aiming for a ledge system below a steep wall. While on the first pitches aim for the top of a blocky ledge system that borders a much more planar rock wall to the right. At the top of pitch 5 traverse left to spot the corner/chimney system that has a large grass clump at the top, which is the bottom of the gully. This crux pitch takes gear in the corner but requires face climbing on the arete to its right on quartzite that is not beyond reproach, earning it an R rating. The roof and gully system on pitch 9, the last of the technical climbing, has a lot of very loose blocks, so carefully sheltering the anchor below is of utmost importance (ie. move the anchor into the gully below the roof).
In a low snow period one has to climb through rock to get to this highpoint on the hanging triangular snowfield, in a bigger snow year it is easy to walk in from the right or climbed easily from the left..
Pitch 1 (M3, 30 meters) : Start up the easiest of the snow ledges, belay at the crest of a higher snowfield. We usually leave skis/ extra gear below a steep triangular overhanging rock crag that can be turned on the left or right.
Pitch 2 if you count the approach pitch as pitch 1, which sometimes requires climbing to reach the apex of the hanging snowfield, where a short steep wall is encountered in lower snow years.
Pitch 2 (M4, 35 meters): Head up a steep short wall to the first turf, into a small alcove, turn this on the right up right leading cracks and steeper steps to belay at bottom of left to right snow gully.
Pitch 3 (M4, 50 meters): Start left on slabby feet with difficult to find pitons, head to right facing chimney at 8 meters with a clump of turf at the bottom of it. Head straight up the chimney/corner, exit left onto a small ledge with a very small tree and climb a steep three meter wall to top out on a larger snow ledge. Head left to below three parallel chossy chimneys. Next pitch heads up the middle of the three chimney systems.
Pitch 4 red line: climb straight up into the middle of three chossy chimneys for a short pitch to arrive below a black rock corner with cracks. Alternately, blue route line, traverse left past large block at top of snow gully to find a fixed two piece rap anchor in a dish of black rock. This second option might lead to an easier face-climbing pitch 5 than the slightly overhanging black rock corner pitch 5.
Pitch 4 (M4, 20 meters): Two options. If following the blue route line, as on the FA move the anchor left 30 meters on an ascending leftward ledge past a large block at the top of the snow gully and find a fixed two piece rap anchor in a dished alcove of black rock. Better is to head straight up the middle of three chossy chimneys, find a rap anchor below the steep cracks in black rock of the next pitch.
Black rock corner of pitch 5, red route line.
Pitch 5 red route line (M5+, 30 meters): Careful of the large loose blocks at the bottom of the black corner. Climb awkwardly slightly overhanging cracks on the left of the wide corner crack. Top out at 20 meters and head left up snow to the middle of a snow depression avoiding steeper ground on the right. Make the anchor below the next rock step with a gully heading up and left.
Pitch 5 alternate blue route line: Potentially face climbing above the left two piece rap anchor after the far left traverse on pitch 4 looks like less steep ground. Might be more in keeping with the overall M4 grade of the route.
Looking at the potentially easier rising ramp for pitch 6, blue line. Or as on the FA head hard left along a horizontal leftward traverse.
Pitch 6 red line: Traverse hard directly left along an exposed ledge system to pass a slight arete at 35 meters to below a less steep chossy wall on the left side of the arete above.
Pitch 6 alternate blue line: Potentially head up and left in a lower angled ramp from the top of pitch 5, rather than the horizontal traverse. This will lead to joining the usual Pitch 7 of the FA at the bottom of the wide chossy corner crack system.
The loose face climbing to start pitch 7.
Photo taken from rap anchor at 35 m.
Continue past rap anchor to upper turf ball at 20 meters for a much more comfortable stance.
Pitch 7 (M4R, 60 meters) : Face climb with loose rock 15 meters to the bottom of a chossy wide crack corner, rejoining the lower angled ramp alternative coming in from the right. Wide pro in the corner with ledges on the face to the right and an airy arete out right. At 35 meters find a rap anchor, but continue up another 25 meters to a large turf clump and a much more comfortable belay stance.
Pitch 8
Pitch 8 (M3, 40 meters): Easily chimney 8 meters above the anchor into the snow gully. Tromp up the gully keeping in mind snow on your belayers.
Roof on pitch 9
Pitch 9 (M4, 50 meters): Head for the very obvious large chockstone at the top of the gully. It is actually a 5 meter sideways roof featuring large blocks in the gully below it, so moving the belay up to a shelter in an alcove ( rappel anchor) just below the roof might be preferable. Good pro through the roof traverse, pull around the right side on good feet.
Red route line begins at start pitch 2, as in low snow conditions first pitch requires climbing.
Yellow are belay anchors, not fixed. Blue line is potentially easier alternative to pitch 5 black rock corner M5+ of FA.
Foreshortened view from below showing the approximate path to the bottom of the snow gully, no longer apparent from below.
***Essential to check all fixed gear before rappelling, bounce test and hammer pitons while backed up to a gear anchor before committing to them***
Rappel: Purple dots are rappel anchors. Off tree at top, fixed nuts in chimney below roof of pitch 9, midway pitch 7 long rappel to skiers’ left of arete to two piece anchor in black dished rock at end of alternate pitch 4, then 50 meter rap to a 2 meter wide ledge go skiers’ left to above a large tree in a corner below, then to the ground (be careful of trees snagging your ropes on the way down) directly to the climbers’ left side of the triangle of rock you left your gear at.
Ryan, the king of the moment successfully having fed the rat of run-out desire, feeding from vending machines, the only thing open in Lake Louise at 1:30 am.
We rappelled the route, 6 raps. Standard Rockies mixed route heavy on the pitons.
Although the climbing up to and above pitch 5 is very moderate, the crux lead by Ryan Patteson required a steady head. On subsequent climbs we have found the balck rock corner to be more difficult than initially assumed, now given M5+.
