01-JAN-2007
Go-Mar left at P2 anchor
Go-Mar Falls (WI3, embellished to 85M)
The main, right, Go-Mar Fall is apparently 85M high, which is likely close to true if you count the extreme base to the farthest tip of popsicle sized ice on top. We found most of the climbing was over after about 60M or so. Regardless, Nate was up and he chose to climb the smaller falls on the far left. He nor I know what this is actually called or if it is still “Go-Mar” but it is away from the main flow. The first pitch climbed the steepish and at the time very hollow left hand side. Nate made an anchor off of some small cedars and continued.
01-JAN-2007
Go-Mar left upper pitch
The second pitch of the climb was really interesting. The crux was not sustained but was only a couple moves that were made mandatory for me because of screws on both sides of a cave with a delicate sheet of ice in front – I couldn’t escape to the easier ground right or left! When I did reach the top Nate had protected his traverse across some mud to a small rock ledge where the messed up belay/rappel tree was. The traverse for me was a little more interesting as I had removed his uppermost screw and was in for a cedar eating penji if I messed up.
01-JAN-2007
Perspective
And I messed up, but thankfully it wasn’t the penji. Nate got down just fine reaching the ground with a few feet of rope to spare. But I left the rap station having only clipped one of my tools to my harness, even after Nate had emphasised not leaving them - twice. I had to climb about 10 feet of rock with one tool but the edges were pretty good and I say it would have went at about M4 or so! I burned to the base ready for my lead and the only evidence that I actually climbed ice on this trip!
01-JAN-2007
Go-Mar Main left side - by Nate
Go-Mar left variation was probably around WI3 or so. There wasn’t anything too strenuous but a few bulges and some early season chandeliered ice to navigate. It was terrific! Not scary other than some thin ice and bottoming screws. After the lip it was low angled ice to the left anchor where I ran and set up a belay. Nate arrived shortly thereafter and we rapped the final route of the trip. I took in the stunning views of Orient Bay, threaded the rope and rapped.
01-JAN-2007
Again, 2 feet higher! (nt) -by Nate
01-JAN-2007
Near the lip (nt) - by Nate
01-JAN-2007
Looking north from Go-Mar (nt)
01-JAN-2007
Go-Mar base and Sunset
Nate arrived at the bottom and looked at his watch. 4:40PM. We had 1 hour until it was dark. He looked at me and said, “what do you think about finishing up in the dark?” I grabbed my headlamp, threw on my puffy and belay mitts while Nate grabbed a couple extra screws and jumped on the ice again!
An hour later or so Nate yelled down that he needed 10 more feet of rope to make the belay. I was sitting there warm in my parka thinking, “ok, I guess I’ll start climbing then!” I got about 15 feet up and immediately relieved myself on the wet part climb. I didn’t want to go on the rope while belaying and this was a number 1 emergency. The yank on my harness told me I was on belay and without changing my mitts or removing my parka I headed up. The handles I made swing surprisingly well with mitts on! I thought it would have been impossible but it was great! I took my gloves off to clip gear to my harness and remove screws as the sun and temp dropped. At one instance when I tried to pull my shell’s hood off my helmet I came face to face with battery pack for my lamp. I got it back on avoiding a true climb in the dark. I arrived at the lip and Nate commented how I “looked like Steve House.” If only my girlfriend would compliment me like that! The obligatory summit shot never occurred as I ran out of memory so I rapped our cables and rung out my pack that had gotten into the path of some water diverted above! We threw our gear in our packs and walked out turning off the lamps and going by moonlight. It was beautiful walking through the forest with snow heavy branches and the moon casting our shadows on the ground. A mile later we were at the car, the safe and successful end to the climbing on the trip and the start of the drive back to our families.
On the way home we spent a cold bivy in the car once on the side of the highway at about midnight, and again in Marathon in a parking lot waiting to fill up with fuel. The ride home is always so long but we made it, albeit slowly due to traffic and poor roads.
There is no doubt that this was a great trip, the finale being a moonlit climb on some excellent Nipigon ice and then the serene walk out. I still have some unfinished business up in T-Bay and some day I’ll go back and get on Alpine Outing. Maybe it will be with Blake (who I bailed with the first time!) which is probably the way it should be. Thanks to Nate for taking care of things for me, being safe, and being able to share this trip!!!
