Here some new photos from the Sam's camera about our climb of the Real Big Drip (M7, WI6). This is classic route in Ghost Walley. From Canmore you take the Trans Canada Highway towards Calgary. You take the exit to Morley and continue on the Bow Valley Trail  east. after few kilometers you take the left turn on the Forestry Trunk Road (40). The road take first north and gradually turns to the west. You drive on this road until it intersects with Richards road. After you take Richards to the north but just for few meter, and you turn again left on the Township road. This road brings you to the gorge of the Ghost river. You must cross the river, which is not so difficult during winter and continue south for approx 1 km. The Real Big Drip is situated on the east-north side of the Orient Mountain. Approach from the river gorge will take you about 1-1.5 h. Depends how much snow is there. Good luck! It is a must do ice fall in Rockies in my opinion!

Looking for the way on the Ghost river

remains of a wolf. We also met some alive! )

Physicked before the climb 

The Real Big Drip

On the first pitch of the Real Big Drip. M8 with quite bad rock

Arriving to the first dragger

Finally on the ice

Super comfortable first station 

Second pitch

Add caption

Olov leading the third pitch.

Back at the car!

Here we go! One week have past since we are in Canada. Olov, Sam and I arrived to Calgary on the 8th of December. After renting a big Jeep and buying some equipment in Calgary we headed up to Canmore to climb some ice falls in legendary Rocky Mountains.

At Geneva airport

Changeover in Ottawa international airport

Finally we are in Calgary

 We booked our first few nights at the Alpine Club of Canada hostel. This is very nice and cozy place to stay with small rooms and facilities for ice climbers, such as drying room and storage room for the gear. 

On the way to Rocky Mountains

View from Canmore ACC hostel

Moreover the atmosphere is amazing here. After four days of climbing today it is our first rest day when we don't climb at all. I worked on my thesis a bit and started to write a post about our first part of the trip... guys were just hanging around in Canmore. Now few words about ice climbing in Rocky Mountains. This place is really made for ice climbing, the only problem is quite long approaches. In our first day we climbed Replicant (V, WI5+, 145 m) where we had to do 3.5 h approach with trail breaking in deep snow. Anyway the climb was definitely worth it!

Approach to the Trophy Wall

Two hours of approach passed...

Finally we could see the Trophy Wall! But it is still way to go!

Second pitch of Replicant. Olov and Sam are enjoying the climb!

Olov is arriving to belay...

Sam finishing the last pitch.

Next day we decided to take it a bit slowly and wend to the Haffner creek. It's an awesome spot for drytooling and some single pitch ice climbing. We spent full day cragging there and also checked out the Stanley headwall, which looked really fascinating. At the moment parking to go to Stanley is closed and it will be open again after 20th of December. We definitely will send some classic routes over there. Many of the photos from Haffner are on the Sam's camera. So they will be here later. 

Next day on December 12 we decided to climb one of the classical waterfall in Rockies, which is called the Real Big Drip 200 m V, M7+, WI7. Driving took us about 3 hours to get to the Ghost Walley. From the parking we hiked up for about 2 h and saw this amazing line...

The Real Big Drip in its beauty!

And it is really a big one!!! Even though we were late at the base we decided to try it anyway. The first three pitches are the crux. I leaded the first dry tooling pitch (M7+) up to the first dagger, then you have to continue for another 10 m of steep ice. Here is the photo from the first belay station.

View from the Real Big Drip.

Second pitch is pure ice even though it is quite steep. Few ice mushrooms add some difficulties. Third pitch is mainly dry tooling with some ice before you reach the main icicle. Olov leaded this pitch showing nice and efficient climbing. At the end of third pitch we were hanging with Olov just behind the main ice curtain. At the time we arrived there it was already close to 5.30, so we decided to go down, since we had only 30 min before it gets dark. Even though we haven't finished the last two ice pitches the climb was definitely worth it and we enjoyed a lot! Some more nice photos on the Sam's camera.

The journey continues, and in the next post I'll upload some awesome photos from T2 (Terminator) route, which we climbed on the 16th of December.

After a long break my blog is back to life! Last Wednesday I successfully finished my thesis, and now I have time to come back to my passion. To prepare for our ice climbing and skiing trip to Canada my friends Olov, Samuel and I went several times for dry tooling close to Lausanne. Here just few pictures from Orbe

Olov sending D9 in Orbe

Myself on the same route with additional weight

Here some pictures from dry tooling weekend in Montana. Very nice spot equipped by Samuel Clavien offers various dry tooling routes ranging in difficulty form D8 up to D12. Enjoy the show!

Sending Living Rock (D11)

Olov sends Cheap Bastard, D10

On the Living Rock

Gaetan's first try on Dry Tooling Style (D12)

Gaetan makes it as light as possible

Here we go!! After submission of my thesis last Wednesday I finally could spend one proper weekend. By proper I mean only climbing and parting! ))) Last weekend due to the first snow my friends Olov, Matthias and myself decided to go to fairly remote spot from Lausanne. We went to Eptingen! It's amazing crag with some hard lines ranging from D9 to D13+, mainly equipped by Robert Jasper. The atmosphere was great! It was snowing all day, and wind was forcing us to climb harder routes. Just a few pictures available from this weekend and you can find them on the Olov's blog

Amazing powder at Les Mosses

Just a few weekends ago we had an amazing day of skiing with my friend Riis. Even though we had a late start (around 9.00) we could get an amazing runs in 1 m of fresh powder. We did three short but steep runs in the forest with Arash and his friend, whom we meet on the way up. At the end of the day we quickly run up to the top of Pic Chaussy. On the way up close to Lac Lioson we saw some winter divers sitting and drinking beer in their diving suites. The way up was not so long, but I was getting tiered after intense skiing in the forest. It was already getting late and the avalanche danger this day was 3 out of 5. Taking this into account Riis proposed to me to ski down the north face of Pic Chaussy. Without long hesitation we decided to give it a shot, even though no one dared to ski it this day before us. We skied down a couple of meters on the north-west ridge to pass the rocky section of the face. Riis traversed from the ridge directly to the middle of the face and waved to me saying everything is fine and that I can follow him. At the beginning I was a little bit stressed since it was quite steep. After few turns I could relaxed and enjoy skiing on the untouched powder. At the base of the face I saw Riis fulminantly flying down the face in two big curves. It was an amazing run! We finished such an awesome day sitting at nice restaurant with a glass of beer having typical swiss meal and enjoying warm rays of the sunset. 

Already imaging how it will be nice to ski this powder

Views

Winter diving

Ready for another descent.

View

Only our tracks!

Riis

On the top of Pic Chaussy

View from the Pic Chaussy

View from the Pic Chaussy

Riis already thinking about descent on the north face

View from the top of Pic Chaussy

Riis traversing the face

Our tracks!