Here some new photos from amazing route T2 (WI6, M5) at the Trophy wall we did on 15.12. T2 is a dry tooling variant of the famous Terminator route. This route consists of three pitches where the first one is the crux. It starts with a thin ice for about 10 m, then several meters of dry tooling where you can find one bolt and after you take a free hanging dagger on which you have to climb for 10-12 m before reaching a bolted belay station. The second pitch is a steep ice for about 50 m. Third pitch starts with a big free standing icicle for about 10 m and then continuous for another 30 m of nice and easy ice. That day we new already were to go and how long will be the approach, but it was freezing cold, around -16 C. We parked the car just before the beginning of the horse trail. Actually it is forbidden to drive there, but we took a risk since it safes us one hour. This time approach to the base of the climb took us a bit less than two hours, and it was much easier to walk up since we could follow our own tracks. I started with the first pitch. Up to dry tooling part everything was smooth. The dry tooling part is slightly overhanging and it starts with a nice vertical crack where you can find good holds for you ice axes. After few meters of climbing crack narrows down to the size when you can't put the blade inside. There it gets scary, since there is no more place to put the protection. At this point I could reach the tip of the hanging dagger. I knew that now I have to climb carefully to don't break the icicle, since I had only one good bold 5 m below me. I squeezed myself between the icicle and the rock, standing with one of my foot on the icicle and another on the rock. I climbed free hanging part slowly and carefully. I put two small friends at the end of the crack just for my head. They would probably have never hold me if I fall, but it was enough to stop thinking about falling and concentrate on my climbing. At that time I was pretty pumped and I still needed to go out on the icicle and finish the last ten meter without placing any protection. When I moved out on the icicle I was completely pumped and I had to take a quite long pause when I was at the end of the icicle, just before the belay station. Finally I arrived to the belay station, put on my down jacket and belayed Olov and Sam. Afterwards Olov took a lead for a full 50 m pitch. It started with a icicle and then 30 m of WI5 ice. Last pitch I leaded again and it was nice ice for 50 m. It was great experience and at the same time good training for my head! )

View from the base of the climb

Rockies

I'm climbing the first pitch

Going to the dry tooling part

Found the only bold on the pitch

Got on the dragger! A bit scary

Not so comfortable position

Nice clouds!

View from the top

Happy to be alive before the last rappel

T2 on the left.

Trophy Wall

Trophy wall 3

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