Women's Ghost Rock Camp! - Sarah Hueniken Alpine Guide

Wow…is really all I can say after this 4 day trip to the Ghost Wilderness area with 6 motivated and enthusiastic climbers! It has been years since I ventured into the Ghost in the summer time and I rediscovered a love for this great area during this time. In the past we ran winter Ghost camps for the proximity to amazing ice classics…but this was the first year trying it in the summer, and for sure this will become a yearly event. Thank you Laura for the great idea!

The crew started the bumpy drive into the Ghost after meeting up in Morley. Lilla and I had been in a week earlier to scout the area out, but upon arriving at the bottom of the big hill, we realized that the water levels had once again increased!

Felt kind of exciting to be a group of women driving around in 4wd!! It personally scares the crap out of me, so I was happy being a passenger!!

We arrived at our would be home for 3 nights and got ready to make the most of the day cragging at a near by cliff. Crossing the frigid water became one of those love/hate relationships daily…you kind of hated the anticipation of it, but the relief from it being over was wonderful and after a day of climbing your feet probably appreciated it. The first day we went over gear climbing and everyone did a bunch of mock leads with Claire doing her first ever trad lead! whoo whoo!

After a fun day of cragging and narrowly missing some huge rain showers, we headed down and set up camp. Soup, appies dinner and desert had us all rolling into our tents satiated and tired…ready for the next days adventure!

The following morning Kris Irwin joined us and went with LeeAnne, Laura and Sonja to Consolation, a 3 star route in the North ghost.

Meanwhile in the South Ghost, Claire, Diane, Andrea and I ventured up Bonanza…another classic 3 star route…that was first put up in the early 70’s…which explains the old school grade of 5.8! Super fun chimney start with amazing limestone crack. Claire even got her trad lead on, on some of the middle pitches!

Smiles all around at the campfire that night. Great days had by all and everyone went to bed with dreams of more limestone cracks dancing in our heads. Sadly though…as night fell so did the rain. And it fell and fell and fell. Our morning wake up time was delayed by 2 hours and as Lilla rolled back in from her drive from Canmore, we started to get the coffee brewing. Everyone wondered what the day would bring…a good book? Rescue skills in the trees? A wet hike?…..nope…by 10am the sun started to shine and the three groups were off to the original agenda…Kris Laura and Sonja to Bonanza, Lilla, Andrea and Diane to get their trad leads on, and Claire, LeeAnne and Sarah to Macadiamia.

Some surprisingly high water on some of the trails….we felt like moose! Once again everyone returned from the day on a high. Andrea and Diane both led two trad lines and the other two groups had fun on 3 star classic multipitch routes. Stories were shared around the fire as Kris amused us all with his attempt at removing a cork from a wine bottle by hitting it against a tree. Hmm one needs to question what they see on U-tube…

With only one more day left, we got up early, packed our stuff and once again tromped off to tick off some more classics. Andrea, Diane and Kris hit up Consolation, LeeAnne, Claire and Lilla to Pecan Pump and Sonja, Laura and Sarah to Macadamia.

Thanks Kris, Lilla, Laura, Sonja, LeeAnne, Claire, Diane and Andrea! What a great week, in an amazing place with amazing people….here’s to doing it again next year!! And a super HUGE thanks to Outdoor Research for supporting these women’s courses by giving every woman on the course a new Ferosi jacket, and Sterling Ropes for the cordalettes!!