10-MAR-2007
Wake up! (nate)
We started at about 10 to 4 in the morning. I arrived at Nate’s place, who had awoke at 3am, we loaded up, and we hit the highway.
11-MAR-2007
@ 80km/h (Nate)
The ride was uneventful until, for whatever reason, I decided to get on the 400 north instead of hitting the 115 outside of the shwa. Here I am doing some map reading trying to figure the best route. Nate couldn't help but shoot this image.
11-MAR-2007
Saaaave meeeeeeee (nate)
Anyway, some route finding and snowy swerving at hardwood hills and Nate putting his climbing helmet on later we got to Bancroft. We hit up the Tim Horton’s which seems to be requisite when you go to the Eagles Nest, drove behind the plaza, and prepped for the approach.
11-MAR-2007
Harry and The Eiger
Due to the warm weather and the fact that the sun would bake a lot of the cliff Nate decided it would be a good idea to lead Dirty Harry (WI 4+), seen here, right away to ensure safe passage. I agreed. The north Face of the Eiger is noted, which was my lead after Dirty Harry.
11-MAR-2007
Nate on Dirty Harry (WI4+)
Here is Nate under the overhung, nasty ice on Dirty Harry.
He had some pins, a spectre, and some hope as gear. Seconding it
was awesome and pulling onto the ice was hard but fun.
11-MAR-2007
Nate topping out on dirty harry
Nate is almost at the anchor here after a bulge and squeeze between the ice and a boulder. The top wasn't as trivial as we both thought it would be.
11-MAR-2007
Dirty Harry summit (nate)
Preparing to rap Dirty Harry.
11-MAR-2007
contrived 1 (nate)
Next it was my lead. I saw ice up high (North Face of the Eiger) and a possible route up the slab of rock to gain it. It looked fairly trivial and I thought there were holds all over figuring I’d run up the rock to the ice and finish the lead quickly.
11-MAR-2007
snow is soft (nate)
With my feet 8 or so feet off the snow and not a bad hook with my left tool gained, I popped off and landed in the snow! Nate was awfully concerned! I was fine, though, and laughing. Although it was a head scratcher as to why I fell. I think I'll blame the pesky "lack of skill and gear."
11-MAR-2007
contrived 2 (nate)
I tried again to the right and ended up attempting to do something stupid, contrived, and mostly pointless, so I came back down, went up to retrieve a nut, and looked for another place to use up my turn. Here is the second attempt line.
11-MAR-2007
Finally, a Route (NF of Eiger)
For my third and final attempt Nate brought me around the corner to a dihedral with a line that he was interested in. I looked up and saw some poor ice and some tiny seams, but, with some encouragement, I tied in and grabbed the pin hammer and a small pin rack. Now, to give some background, I’ve pounded one pin on lead and I used the hammer I welded onto my tool, which is not that heavy, to say the least. It would be interesting to get on a difficult route and partially learn pitoncraft!
Nate made the first couple moves off the ground and I saw that there were some small holds that might bring me up enough to get to some gear and keep me off the snow covered, cooler sized boulders at the bottom. I got on the route and pulled on some small crap, hit a great hold behind a flake, placed my right frontpoint on an edge (right foot in this shot), and tried to get some gear. 10 or so feet up and a reasonable pin sunk I tried for the ice.
11-MAR-2007
Some thicker ice
A few more feet, another couple pins topped, and I was slinging a tiny cedar frozen in the ice. There was one screw below me – the couple I placed all hit rock after about 10cm so I chose one and tied it off! My one pick was beaten already from pounding on the ice below me so ice placements were interesting! My picks would sink, sometimes; the sharp one was fine, but the blunt one bounced out, off, and broke the ice.
11-MAR-2007
Finally a reasonable stick
The tiny cedar I slung is in this shot middle frame top.
11-MAR-2007
Top Vertical section of Eiger
After climbing through the tree the I slung I got a good angle in a seam where Nate said I could have got some nuts. I wasn’t really looking for nut placements, for some reason, and didn’t even think about them. Up some more and after pulling on some granite, which was warm and rough, I got to a bomber cedar (that I also pulled on! lol). I had 2 screamers, 1 webolette, and 1 3/4” cam on my harness and 25 feet of ice ahead, so I wrapped the tree with the webbing and started up the ice! The red webolette is seen in this picture mid left frame.
It was terrific! I was getting tired, but the ice was great. The 16cm went in after 5 or 10 feet, and a 12cm grivel sunk close to the bulge. As I pulled that bulge, my hands were failing, my tools weren’t sticking, I was beating away at the ice and having the tools glint off as my limp wrists struggled! Finally, I pulled over the top. 40 feet later and about 50 from the last screw I got to a decent tree to belay Nate from.
19-MAR-2007
Eiger topout (nate)
Uneventfully he came up, snapped a couple shots (one of me looking at my beaten picks) and we rapped from the rings on Dirty Harry.
11-MAR-2007
Rapping Dirty Harry (nate)
(I included this as i thought the rock looked nice in the sun!)
11-MAR-2007
More of the same
Nate was up next and we eyed the vertical ice in the shade in the Roller Coaster and Jetstream area. Nate racked up, ropes were flaked, and he set of for a thin line to the right of Jetstream pillar (WI 4+).
11-MAR-2007
Attempt
This didn’t work out as there was poor protection and delicate climbing on and over a detached curtain, so Nate settled on Jetstream proper.
11-MAR-2007
Thunk
Here is Nate making the final decision to abandon this funky ice.
11-MAR-2007
Jetstream left (WI4+)
Of course it was a good lead although the ice was a little funky. The temp changes were making the first inch or two of ice exfoliate with tool placements.
11-MAR-2007
Jetstream Left
Also, as this is one of the steeper more sustained climbs in the area it had been beaten out and healed making the climbing a little less inspiring. It’s always nicer to be running up a piece of blue ice that hasn’t seen a pick, but you can’t always win!
19-MAR-2007
Jetstream Sequence
Nate, here, is moving up the left side of jetstream.
11-MAR-2007
Seconding Jetstream
Here I am following jetstream with one trango and one of my own tools! Even without a grip i'm pretty happy with them. They aren't the end all tool but they feel solid and stick securely! I thought I'd get some evidence that they've been put into action.
11-MAR-2007
Top out
After this shot we rapped to the big ledge at the bottom of Curtain Call and Jetstream.
11-MAR-2007
Hollow Victory (WI4)
I ran up hollow victory with helpful hints from Nate when and where I should place screws ?thanks doofus! Nate came up and we rapped to the base but not before eyeing the mixed lines beside Jetstream. Nate couldn’t let them go so we soloed to a decent spot for a screw belay so Nate could lead some graded mixed climbs!
19-MAR-2007
Powered by Doughnuts (M6+)
First he got on Powered By Donuts (M6+). A great and inspiring lead by Nate this was. He got some great nuts sunk, slung a popsicle, and went for the gold. He pulled through the slightly overhung upper section missing a huge hold behind the ice opting instead for shallow ice placement. He topped out, lowered off a tree, and belayed me up to clean the gear and give it a go (next pic).
11-MAR-2007
Powered By Doughnuts (M6+) (nate)
). It was awesome. The first few mixed moves weren’t too bad with good hooks in fairly deep placements. The transition from rock to ice was hard, though, and thankfully I found a gigantic hook behind the curtain and topped out.
Nate then got on Max’s Route (M6) which can be seen on the left side of this image; the other major crack line (sorry, no other pictures). He toproped it to the tree dragging the other half rope so we could quickly rap to the ground.
11-MAR-2007
Sunset over Bancroft
The sun was setting as Nate was climbing ending our day in a red alpenglow. We rapped to the base of the climb, sorted our gear and walked to the car. A couple hours and a pitstop later and I was totally KO’d as Nate drove us home. I only wanted to sleep for an hour, but I woke up 2 hours later as we pulled onto Nate’s street. 30 minutes later I was sound asleep with a great trip behind me. Thanks, Nate, for getting me out climbing up there and for the solid belay and beta.
Sadly, I think the ice season for me is ended, but at least it went out the way it should have! Next year!!!