What a crew…4 days with 6 amazing women, and 2 fabulous guides. Thanks Jen and Kris for your great guiding energy, thanks Sonja for your incredible camp manager skills, keeping us fed, full and happy, and thanks Claire, Mary Ann, Deb, Andrea and Clarissa for all your positive energy, and motivation towards 4 days of climbing! A very special thanks to Outdoor Research, for recognizing the significance of Women specific courses and giving every woman a new Rumor hoody!! The best all round climbing layer for both summer and winter climbing. Thanks so much for this support OR!!!
The week started with a movement day in Haffner creek. Having the place nearly to ourselves was such a blessing and allowed everyone to get on lots of steep ice and some fun mixed climbing. Trying to remind ourselves that we had 3 more days of climbing, we pried ourselves away from our tools and headed towards Mosquito Creek Hostel which we called home for the next 3 nights. Nestled along the icefields parkway, this great hostel, with a very hard working custodian, welcomed us with a warm fire, a sauna and tons of snow! We feasted on home cooked curry and nachos and headed to bed with dreams of tool swinging for the next day.
The following morning, Jen Olson, my friend and fellow guide arrived and we all headed to Balfour Wall for more climbing and leading skills. Jen taught the group some ice screw placing tips and some advanced foot work and pillar climbing techniques. The day brought snow and more snow, but this did not affect this group one little bit! Both Claire and Andrea even finished the day off with some ice leads!!
The following morning, we awoke to yet more snow and very snowy roads!! Kris Irwin joined us and the entire group headed to the famous Weeping Wall. Jen forged her way up the right hand weeping wall with Claire and Sonja, while Kris and I shared the left hand side with Deb, Clarissa, Andrea and Mary Ann. New snow and dense ice made the lines an extra challenge and everyone returned from the day excited and pretty tired!!
The final morning we decided to spread out and head to a few different climbs. Jen went with Deb and Mary Ann to Lousie Falls, Kris took Sonja and Andrea to SARS and 570 where Sonja lead the final pitch of 570…nice work!! And I joined Claire squared to 2 o clock falls where Claire led us up all 3 pitches!
We regathered for a beer and burger at the Post in Louise Falls and shared our days with each other, the laughs, the challenges and when we will all do it again!
Thanks again for a fun week…a lot of laughs, inspiring, memorable, and a highlight for sure…
For more pics go to my facebook albums
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