Ken and Tim are back…. I’m always excited to see these guys. Coming from San Fransisco and New York, this 4 day ice climbing holiday is often the only time they put their harnesses on and get to swing their tools. With that said, it is often some of the hardest ice guiding I do in the season! In years past we have climbed Bourgeau, Whitemans, Carlsberg, and Pilsner to name a few, and this year I was nervous with the brutal winter conditions we were having what we would be able to do. With high avi hazard, lots of wind and pretty cold temps we knew we weren’t going to tick off some of the climbs on the hit list. Day one however, we did have a great day out on another new climb(s) on the David Thompson Highway. This stretch of road is always a landscape of its own, with windswept mountains and a big valley.
The approach to SARS was happily straightforward and the climb was a nice addition to the day. Above the climb, we headed up another couple 100 meters to 570. A fun pillar followed by another 60 meter pitch. The hike down was surreal as we walked through burnt trees amongst a white carpet of snow.
A great day first day out!
