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Looking for the ice of the beginning of the season in the Canadian Rockies
December 13th - December 24th 2023
The adventure of our Ambassador Claudio Migliorini to conquer the Canadian ice falls: a travel diary that takes us to the discovery of wild and unique places where you can test your desire for verticality.
Rocky Mountain Canadians: over the years I have always looked and read with great curiosity for these places and certainly they were, but they are still after this first visit, on the to-do’s and see’s list. The idea begins to take shape at the beginning of November together with his friend Francesco (Rubbiani): despite the intentions, The commitments of each other in recent seasons have always led us in different directions, but this time it seems that everything fits perfectly to be able to live an adventure together. A trip of this type is well suited to a larger group and we will also leave our friends Matteo Guardini and Alessio Tait, Nicola Castagna and Paolo Valentini.
In Canada, the ice climbing season usually starts as early as November. The idea is to make the most of our free time window in the second half of December; we are hoping to find ice lines already well-formed and not too much snow on the ground, We are ahead of the winter snowfall. The danger of avalanches should not be underestimated: slopes above many waterfalls or during approaches are often potentially dangerous. It will be 12 days, in which I hope to visit more different valleys unknown to me: a nice apartment in Canmore will be our base and a powerful Ford Explorer 4x4 our means of transport.
We flew to Calgary and from there in an hour and a half we arrived in the middle of the night at Canmore. In the first two days we visited areas with easier and shorter access, so to get rid of the fatigue of the trip and start understanding how to organize logistics every day. Valuable were the information of friends who had already been previously in this area and those found on site. The days, except for some occasion, always began before dawn: hearty breakfast and away. They followed km and km of car to reach the various areas: long and wide roads in an extraordinary environment, He would stick our noses to the windows so that we wouldn’t miss a single glimpse of what was in front of us. The approaches to the waterfalls have always been done on foot, only a couple of times we used ski mountaineering. We found temperatures not too cold: we were often between -5 and 0 degrees. Only in the last two days we climbed with temperatures more appropriate to the area and the period: the -13 to the car are a good indicator of what awaits us.
At some times of the season, you can easily reach even colder temperatures, but it is impossible to climb below them. The "mild" temperatures found together with the good conditions of the routes have definitely allowed us to "suffer" less in terms of cold.
Adventure in the adventure: The first thing to do is visit the Ghost Valley, famous for its ice lines and a little "feared" for its approaches by car. Normally, left the main road, you need to tackle in car icy and snowy trails for 15-20 km, face a couple of fords of the river and have a good orientation to get rid of the many junctions that you meet: essential a good 4x4 and be a good driver. For some other areas, a normal car would be sufficient. In the North Ghost Valley, the ice falls Hydrophobia WI5+ V 150m and The Sorcerer WI5 V 210m were tackled.
The Hydrophobia ice waterfall, hidden in the back of a deep canyon and surrounded by majestic rock walls, looks like an imposing ice cascade, It attracts the most daring adventurers with its inaccessible appearance and beauty. This natural wonder requires careful preparation, as the ascent involves crossing a frozen stretch to reach the heart of the challenge: a steep pillar of pure ice. The course develops along three exciting pitches, requiring not only excellent screws for protection but also a strong determination. The real magic of Hydrophobia is revealed in the ascent: each movement brings you closer to the beating heart of the ice, with conditions that vary depending on the season, making every ascent a unique experience.
The Sorcerer is a spectacular, secluded ice waterfall set in breathtaking surroundings within a canyon surrounded by towering rock faces. This training offers a WI5 grade ice climbing course that stretches for about 700 feet (212 m) divided into four main pitches, with an optional fifth, Offering an exciting challenge for experienced climbers. Climbers start with a moderate ice climb, followed by a short and steep pillar, then continue on the right-hand slope. The subsequent shoots include snow and ice that lead to a vertical main column, culminating with a crossing out of a large cave and a long climb on ice increasingly inclined.
Thanks to a good determination we were able to climb every day. The group has become more and more close day after day and everyone has had the opportunity to fully live this experience. Once again the group was the key to the success of this trip and also, in addition to the alpine goals achieved, Sharing these experiences with other people is always a great source of enrichment, being able to learn something from each other at any time.
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