This last weekend, (Jan 27th to the 29th), a great group of woman got together to do some ice climbing around Rampart Creek Area. Many smiles were had climbing, new friendships were made and great food was enjoyed by all! What a great idea for Anne Drew to organize a weekend like this where women could get together to climb and learn from each others knowledge and experience!
Friday morning a few of us left Calgary early to go and head up the David Thompson to Cline River Gallery. With very little snow, the trail was a bit tricky to find. Two of the girls veered left on the trail after about 20 minutes of walking to head to the top of the climbs to set up some top ropes, while the other two put on crampons and walked the ice flow down a small drainage to the base of the climbs. After some difficulty finding the climbs, we managed to still get in a full day in awesome weather and packed up the car and drove back to Rampart Creek Hostel just as it started to get dark.
Upon meeting the other girls at the hostel, discussions were had over delicious food and great company as to where to climb on Saturday. Based on the avalanche conditions, how busy we thought the climbs would be as well as the skill level of the group, it was decided that Balfour Wall would be the destination for Saturday!
Getting an early start from the parking spot for Balfour on Saturday morning, we were able to get to the climbs for sunrise and had the whole place to ourselves for the day! With many big trees above Balfour Wall, we were able to have four top ropes for the day. All of the girls got in lots of climbing and were able to work on skills and technique. In the warm weather, we were even able to take a break from climbing and go over how to clean ice screws, v threads, anchors and multipitch systems. Many laughs were had and lots was learned by all! After returning to the hostel, we had the most delicious potluck with a ridiculous amount of fajitas, salad, soup, cheese, and ice cream.
After supper on Saturday, with our bellies full we decided on a climbing spot with a short approach. With the intent to get in a full day on Sunday before the drive home we decided on Tangle falls for Sunday. Once again, with an early start we had the whole place to ourselves. A short approach it was indeed- the ice was essentially spilling across the highway into the parking lot! With some nice leads by Tiff and Susan, we were able to get some ropes up and get in lots of climbing. With the amount of snow that was coming down, we decided to hit the road early around 3:00 to ensure a safe drive home. Great times were had by all!
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