The small and rare wind poppy, Stylomecon heterophylla.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Polar Circus Route Description - photo essay
Icefield's Parkway - Polar Circus
"Polar Circus is a popular and classic ice climb located in the Canadian Rockies off the Icefields Parkway. Climbers from throughout the world come to Canada to test their skills (and empty their bladders, sometimes unintentionally) on this incredible, 700 meter tiered frozen waterfall. Originally rated Grade VI, the first ascent of this route required eight days, fixed ropes, and substantial aid on the steepest sections. In what was to become a typical situation on this beautiful wall, the climb was crowded even during the first ascent, with two parties competing for the prize. The second ascent party, narrowly missing being the first to bag this great line, eliminated all but five meters of aid from the route. With the evolution of modern tools and techniques, "Circus" has since been downgraded to Grade V, WI5, and is typically climbed by competent teams in a long day from the Icefields Parkway."
With a 5 minute approach from the road this is one of the WI2+pitches that start up theCirrus Mtn Gully aka theCanadian water ice classic...."Polar Circus". Below: looking up the first of thethose early easy pitches in early Jan. conditions. The perfect warm up for the climbingto come. 1st step on the approach.
A bit more of easy climbing(appro. 200m) leads you to the first steep section of water ice. 2nd step on the approach below. And then yet some more rambling to get to the base of the first steep pitch on the route.
Below is going up the gully and turning right to start the first steep pitch. Chain and boltrap anchors on the right at the top of the pitch.
Below, looking down from the start of that pitch.
Polar Circus '80, in easy ice conditions...the first steep bit that blocks access to the upper gully. Depending on conditions any where from WI3+ to WI 4.
The same pitch in Feb and a bit steeper and more sustained.
Same pitch early Jan and much steeper than it first appears.
Late in the season,with safe avi conditionsand on warm, soft ice, Polar Circus can bean easy (WI4+/ 5-), and super classic one day ice climb. With an short approach and quick descent it is oneto go back to again and again.
The first snow section below:
Below is the last section of ice (WI2/3) before the snow gully and short ice steps below the Pencil.
On top of that pitch, again 1980 with bivy gear (the 80/81 winterseason turned Polar Circusfrom an over night climbto a one day route). This is atthe beginning of the long snow gully below the Pencil.
And the Pencil's snow gully below:
Below, turning the Pencil (which is obvious, directly above) on it's right hand side.
This is looking down the snow gully section just after turning the easy ice at the base of the Pencil which is on the right of this picture and just out of sight. Climber's right, then leftand up hill of this pictureis the avi prone slope.
Turning the Pencil just below and gaining the avi slope. Short bitsof up to WI4 and a lot of easy ice steps and easy snow terrain are below this. Spectacular position! The avi slope goes up and out to the right and then back left, up and then left again into the upper bowl above. That final level traverse back into the basin and the upper tiers can be really scary because of the sun exposure and snow conditions.
John Lauchlan in this picture and belowthearea where he was likelyswept away in an avalanche while trying to make the first solo ascent in the early winter of 1982.
Ray Jotterand photo 1979
The unformed Pencil's bottom stub.
Partially formed Pencil in early Jan.
Looking up from the firstright hand sectionof snow traverse above the Pencil. At the trees in the picture the track jogs back left, up and left againinto the huge upper bowl.
Below is the upper left hand traverse which can be a little spooky if the snow conditions are bad.
In thepicture below we are belaying the entire traverse..which is a new one for me. Likely we shouldn't have been there at all in those snow conditons. We made do.
Get there early while the traverseis still in the shade!
The last four pitches of the climb (or 3 rope stretching pitches with a 60 or 70mrope and some imagination) and for a strong party these might be the only pitchesyou rope up on in good conditions. In early Jan of '75 the first ascent partyclimbed 14 roped pitches of ice and taken 8 days up and down. Water fall climbing was stillnew and nothing this long or this cold had been done before. Charlie Porter, the Burgess Twins and Bugs McKeith were some of the most accomplished climbers of their generation at the time. The second ascent lead by Canadian, Laurie Skreslet, literally following in the 1st ascent teamsfoot steps, donein two days and all but the last short bit of itfree.
Huge admiration for both team'simagination,tenacity and skills. Ice climbing changed faster than anyone ever thought possiblebetween 1975 and 1980.
The upper bowl from lower on the route.
The upper bowl when you turnthe corner on the snow traverse. Good look at the first fun pitch on the first tier of the 3 uppertiers. The upper tiers are made up ofthis pitch (70M+), the Ribbon pitch and the final head wall of ice (2 pitches).
Below, the bivy cave used by allthe early ascents up to 1980.
Below, theRibbon pitch.
Difficulty on this pitch depends on the amount of ice some what but more importantly what time you get there, the temps and how wet the ice is. This pitch caneasily be running with water and nothing but rotten ice.
You are looking at entirelast set of tiers in this picture. The three climbers at the right side of the ice are at the base of the Ribbon pitch in fat, lateFeb '10 conditions.
Parts of the the last longpitch (or two short pitches)are shown here on the last tier. Fixed anchors on the right with a decent belay platform and rap chains. Climber here is on the last bit of steep ice and generally the crux of the route.
The final short pitch to finish the climb..steeper than it looks and generally sun rotted ice by the time you get on it. Perfect finish to a great climb! Picture is taken for the chained belay anchor and rap point.
For shortened view of the last tier. Chains on the rock are climber's right with a good ledge,one small stepabove the climber in the picture. The belay becomes pretty obviouswhen you are there. More so than in thispicture.
Looking back down the final pitch just below the last set of rap chains. Incredible piece of ice!
The always terrifing, free hanging rap off the Pencil on the way down. And not always the easiest rap station to find in the dark if it has been snowing. My suggestion is when in doubt "follow the water course" into thegully. You want thethird one on the far right. From the upper tier you walk to the first station(fixed pins and tat) that are on the left wall (looking down) where it narrows and steepens. The second setare fixed pins and tat again, this timeon the right hand side of the gully when facing down hill. The wrong gullies start outmuch steeper than the correct rap line. If it seems too weird and scary go north a gully...or two. You want teh tird gull on the north side of the bench.
A wonderful climb to be done over and over again just for the fun of it!
Polar Circus topo courtesy of Joe Palma copyright 2007
Some chainachors were replaced and new ones installed in the spring/fall of
Dbl click to enlarge the topo and check out the rap line, depending on conditions and daylightif might be a little confusing first time up the route.
Another topo here worth looking at as well:
http://lamountaineers.org/NAC/browserf/climbs/polarcir/topo.pdf
Gear Notes:
These days all but the lastrap anchorare bolts, fixed chains or pins and tat. You will rap straight over the Pencil so be careful there of you or your rope knocking anything down. 70m ropes are really much easier but 60m ropes will work as well. Take some tat for V threads but make sure someone hasn't beat you to it already. V threads get burried quicky on the upper pitches where you might need them so come prepared.
Be really careful on the avi slop above the Pencil...it has been fatal. It has three sections, a right hand traverse, a left hand traverse and short up hill and a final long left hand traverse which is a good sized slope show in the pictures above. A slides here will dump debrisinto the canyon below the Pencil.
Avi danger in particular on this route can be very high. Even small slidescoming out of the upper bowl while on the last 3 tiers will be serious.
Worth a look at the photos here:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit7a12/visit7a12c-3/Polar%20Circus.aspx
and no the photos arenot photo shopped.....
A dozen screws should be plenty for anyone capable of finishing the climb. In good conditions plan on anywhere from 5 to 3 roped pitches depending on the length of your rope and a lot of easy ice either soloed or climbed together.
A early start will get you off before the south facing avi slopes heat up. Or better yet do it on a snowy, cloudy and cold day. You can avoid the avi danger and soft, rotten ice on the crux pitch if you do without the sun. Don't forget 3 or 4 long screws just for that rotten ice late in the day.
8 or 9 hrs round trip, car to car, these days is a reasonable time with good ice and snow conditions. 5 or 6 hrs of climbing. A hook fest on hammered out ice will make it quicker. A lot of snow to break trail through or really cold, new ice canmake it a "slightly" longer day.There is a reason the climb is rated a V for over all grade and time.
Approach Notes:
On a good day 10 minutes up a boot packed trail from the road. Cowboy-up and start on the first easy ice available instead of walking up the snow slope to the left and beginning of the first WI4 pitch.
"Polar Circus is a popular and classic ice climb located in the Canadian Rockies off the Icefields Parkway. Climbers from throughout the world come to Canada to test their skills (and empty their bladders, sometimes unintentionally) on this incredible, 700 meter tiered frozen waterfall. Originally rated Grade VI, the first ascent of this route required eight days, fixed ropes, and substantial aid on the steepest sections. In what was to become a typical situation on this beautiful wall, the climb was crowded even during the first ascent, with two parties competing for the prize. The second ascent party, narrowly missing being the first to bag this great line, eliminated all but five meters of aid from the route. With the evolution of modern tools and techniques, "Circus" has since been downgraded to Grade V, WI5, and is typically climbed by competent teams in a long day from the Icefields Parkway."
With a 5 minute approach from the road this is one of the WI2+pitches that start up theCirrus Mtn Gully aka theCanadian water ice classic...."Polar Circus". Below: looking up the first of thethose early easy pitches in early Jan. conditions. The perfect warm up for the climbingto come. 1st step on the approach.
A bit more of easy climbing(appro. 200m) leads you to the first steep section of water ice. 2nd step on the approach below. And then yet some more rambling to get to the base of the first steep pitch on the route.
Below is going up the gully and turning right to start the first steep pitch. Chain and boltrap anchors on the right at the top of the pitch.
Below, looking down from the start of that pitch.
Polar Circus '80, in easy ice conditions...the first steep bit that blocks access to the upper gully. Depending on conditions any where from WI3+ to WI 4.
The same pitch in Feb and a bit steeper and more sustained.
Same pitch early Jan and much steeper than it first appears.
Late in the season,with safe avi conditionsand on warm, soft ice, Polar Circus can bean easy (WI4+/ 5-), and super classic one day ice climb. With an short approach and quick descent it is oneto go back to again and again.
The first snow section below:
Below is the last section of ice (WI2/3) before the snow gully and short ice steps below the Pencil.
On top of that pitch, again 1980 with bivy gear (the 80/81 winterseason turned Polar Circusfrom an over night climbto a one day route). This is atthe beginning of the long snow gully below the Pencil.
And the Pencil's snow gully below:
Below, turning the Pencil (which is obvious, directly above) on it's right hand side.
This is looking down the snow gully section just after turning the easy ice at the base of the Pencil which is on the right of this picture and just out of sight. Climber's right, then leftand up hill of this pictureis the avi prone slope.
Turning the Pencil just below and gaining the avi slope. Short bitsof up to WI4 and a lot of easy ice steps and easy snow terrain are below this. Spectacular position! The avi slope goes up and out to the right and then back left, up and then left again into the upper bowl above. That final level traverse back into the basin and the upper tiers can be really scary because of the sun exposure and snow conditions.
John Lauchlan in this picture and belowthearea where he was likelyswept away in an avalanche while trying to make the first solo ascent in the early winter of 1982.
Ray Jotterand photo 1979
The unformed Pencil's bottom stub.
Partially formed Pencil in early Jan.
Looking up from the firstright hand sectionof snow traverse above the Pencil. At the trees in the picture the track jogs back left, up and left againinto the huge upper bowl.
Below is the upper left hand traverse which can be a little spooky if the snow conditions are bad.
In thepicture below we are belaying the entire traverse..which is a new one for me. Likely we shouldn't have been there at all in those snow conditons. We made do.
Get there early while the traverseis still in the shade!
The last four pitches of the climb (or 3 rope stretching pitches with a 60 or 70mrope and some imagination) and for a strong party these might be the only pitchesyou rope up on in good conditions. In early Jan of '75 the first ascent partyclimbed 14 roped pitches of ice and taken 8 days up and down. Water fall climbing was stillnew and nothing this long or this cold had been done before. Charlie Porter, the Burgess Twins and Bugs McKeith were some of the most accomplished climbers of their generation at the time. The second ascent lead by Canadian, Laurie Skreslet, literally following in the 1st ascent teamsfoot steps, donein two days and all but the last short bit of itfree.
Huge admiration for both team'simagination,tenacity and skills. Ice climbing changed faster than anyone ever thought possiblebetween 1975 and 1980.
The upper bowl from lower on the route.
The upper bowl when you turnthe corner on the snow traverse. Good look at the first fun pitch on the first tier of the 3 uppertiers. The upper tiers are made up ofthis pitch (70M+), the Ribbon pitch and the final head wall of ice (2 pitches).
Below, the bivy cave used by allthe early ascents up to 1980.
Below, theRibbon pitch.
Difficulty on this pitch depends on the amount of ice some what but more importantly what time you get there, the temps and how wet the ice is. This pitch caneasily be running with water and nothing but rotten ice.
You are looking at entirelast set of tiers in this picture. The three climbers at the right side of the ice are at the base of the Ribbon pitch in fat, lateFeb '10 conditions.
Parts of the the last longpitch (or two short pitches)are shown here on the last tier. Fixed anchors on the right with a decent belay platform and rap chains. Climber here is on the last bit of steep ice and generally the crux of the route.
The final short pitch to finish the climb..steeper than it looks and generally sun rotted ice by the time you get on it. Perfect finish to a great climb! Picture is taken for the chained belay anchor and rap point.
For shortened view of the last tier. Chains on the rock are climber's right with a good ledge,one small stepabove the climber in the picture. The belay becomes pretty obviouswhen you are there. More so than in thispicture.
Looking back down the final pitch just below the last set of rap chains. Incredible piece of ice!
The always terrifing, free hanging rap off the Pencil on the way down. And not always the easiest rap station to find in the dark if it has been snowing. My suggestion is when in doubt "follow the water course" into thegully. You want thethird one on the far right. From the upper tier you walk to the first station(fixed pins and tat) that are on the left wall (looking down) where it narrows and steepens. The second setare fixed pins and tat again, this timeon the right hand side of the gully when facing down hill. The wrong gullies start outmuch steeper than the correct rap line. If it seems too weird and scary go north a gully...or two. You want teh tird gull on the north side of the bench.
A wonderful climb to be done over and over again just for the fun of it!
Polar Circus topo courtesy of Joe Palma copyright 2007
Some chainachors were replaced and new ones installed in the spring/fall of
Dbl click to enlarge the topo and check out the rap line, depending on conditions and daylightif might be a little confusing first time up the route.
Another topo here worth looking at as well:
http://lamountaineers.org/NAC/browserf/climbs/polarcir/topo.pdf
Gear Notes:
These days all but the lastrap anchorare bolts, fixed chains or pins and tat. You will rap straight over the Pencil so be careful there of you or your rope knocking anything down. 70m ropes are really much easier but 60m ropes will work as well. Take some tat for V threads but make sure someone hasn't beat you to it already. V threads get burried quicky on the upper pitches where you might need them so come prepared.
Be really careful on the avi slop above the Pencil...it has been fatal. It has three sections, a right hand traverse, a left hand traverse and short up hill and a final long left hand traverse which is a good sized slope show in the pictures above. A slides here will dump debrisinto the canyon below the Pencil.
Avi danger in particular on this route can be very high. Even small slidescoming out of the upper bowl while on the last 3 tiers will be serious.
Worth a look at the photos here:
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit7a12/visit7a12c-3/Polar%20Circus.aspx
and no the photos arenot photo shopped.....
A dozen screws should be plenty for anyone capable of finishing the climb. In good conditions plan on anywhere from 5 to 3 roped pitches depending on the length of your rope and a lot of easy ice either soloed or climbed together.
A early start will get you off before the south facing avi slopes heat up. Or better yet do it on a snowy, cloudy and cold day. You can avoid the avi danger and soft, rotten ice on the crux pitch if you do without the sun. Don't forget 3 or 4 long screws just for that rotten ice late in the day.
8 or 9 hrs round trip, car to car, these days is a reasonable time with good ice and snow conditions. 5 or 6 hrs of climbing. A hook fest on hammered out ice will make it quicker. A lot of snow to break trail through or really cold, new ice canmake it a "slightly" longer day.There is a reason the climb is rated a V for over all grade and time.
Approach Notes:
On a good day 10 minutes up a boot packed trail from the road. Cowboy-up and start on the first easy ice available instead of walking up the snow slope to the left and beginning of the first WI4 pitch.
Thanks, Miriam!
Sunday, September 19th - - It was a delightful day that was spent with one of my favs – Miriam Midkiff of Ancestories :: The Stories of my Ancestors. Miriam has already written about our day but I just wanted to add that it was my pleasure to be able to spend some time with her - to get to know her a little better and to meet her son and husband. Her son, being a teenager, didn't have much to say but her husband and I had several engaging conversations while Miriam was off doing something else. The pot roast was delicious. It was very nice to have a home-cooked meal for a change!
Miriam Robbins Midkiff and Becky Wiseman. Photo taken September 19, .. by her husband.
Even though I knew that Miriam and I probably wouldn't get together until Sunday, I arrived in Spokane about mid-day Friday. I had decided that this would be a good opportunity to have a couple of “down” days. I had to tend to some errands – get the oil changed in the van, laundry, grocery shopping – you know, things that “normal” people do on a regular basis ;-)
I also took advantage of having electricity at the RV park to work on the photos from August on the netbook. I don't normally stay at commercial RV parks (or resorts, as this one was called) because they usually resemble parking lots. But for some reason the state of Washington closed the campgrounds in some of its State Parks in mid-September so I had no alternative. This particular RV resort was actually kind of nice. There were some trees and bushes in between each parking space, which provided some degree of privacy. A rarity in an RV park! They also had wifi available but I kept getting kicked off the network after about 15 minutes online. Luckily there was a McDonalds across the street...and their wifi worked great.
My stop-over in Spokane was a nice break in my journey. Several tasks were accomplished and I got to spend some time with a friend. Thank you, Miriam! And I look forward to our next visit, someday!
Miriam Robbins Midkiff and Becky Wiseman. Photo taken September 19, .. by her husband.Even though I knew that Miriam and I probably wouldn't get together until Sunday, I arrived in Spokane about mid-day Friday. I had decided that this would be a good opportunity to have a couple of “down” days. I had to tend to some errands – get the oil changed in the van, laundry, grocery shopping – you know, things that “normal” people do on a regular basis ;-)
I also took advantage of having electricity at the RV park to work on the photos from August on the netbook. I don't normally stay at commercial RV parks (or resorts, as this one was called) because they usually resemble parking lots. But for some reason the state of Washington closed the campgrounds in some of its State Parks in mid-September so I had no alternative. This particular RV resort was actually kind of nice. There were some trees and bushes in between each parking space, which provided some degree of privacy. A rarity in an RV park! They also had wifi available but I kept getting kicked off the network after about 15 minutes online. Luckily there was a McDonalds across the street...and their wifi worked great.
My stop-over in Spokane was a nice break in my journey. Several tasks were accomplished and I got to spend some time with a friend. Thank you, Miriam! And I look forward to our next visit, someday!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
jjobrien
Forgive me for:
A. Asking your name more than once when we meet at the crag.
I want to get to know everyone but I'm not great with names.
B. Blogging photos of myself. I'll keep it to a minimum.
C. Plus the usual stuff, coveting neighbours asses, trespassing, etc.
The loss ofanother of our precious own last week re-enforces my quest to know and value every one of you out there.
We are bound by our compulsion to climb harder and higher. It's not a trivial activity. It gives meaning to life. Clint gave more meaning to his life and ours through his climbing.
Getting involved in your striving for excellence is what enriches my climbing.
Scott Hailstone and I got up early to get these shots.
"Black Leather Dungarees" 26 at Coolum Cave has been untouched for years. Such an impressive route.
It's high and steep.
Years ago I made a start on developing this route.
I couldn't make sense of such crazy terrain and calledon the expertise of Lee Cujes to map it out and send it.
Don't do this move.
Climbers, many things make us different butthis is what makes us the same.
We love the fight, the struggle and swinging around high off the ground.
Wardrobe: models own.
The T-Shirt features an ancient Buddhist text refering to the nature of the world as illusion.
Illusion or not, I'm in.
That shoe I'm putting in your facewould be the Red Chili Carona VCR
You don't have to watch the ads.
It's a big deal for me.
I am nowhonoured to be part of the Wild Country teamwith my own special pageon their UK site.
That's the Wild Country Elite Ultralite harness andHelium quickdraws.
It's just the gear you want for redpointing a route like BLD.
Radicallylightwith superior action.
Here I am representing Red Chilion the Expedition Equipment site.
Brisbane climbers, you can get this amazing gear from local rockstarOliver at K2
I know you wanted to see a kneebar.
This one is bomber, and I never thought to use it when I first sent this route.
Age brings cunning.
It also brings laziness, senility and incontinence, but we make the most of it.
All photos: Scott Hailstone
Scott is about to embark on a year long journey
through the worlds most amazing places.
Take care. Everyone.
Thanks Scott
Old Bridge Across Rio Grande River
This bridge used to be the bridge that vehicle traffic used to get from one side of the Rio Grande River to the other side. It is known as the Alameda Bridge. There are several bridges across the river in the Albuquerque area. The Rio Grande Bridge, and the Bernallio Bridge are the oldest. I know they were there in the 1940's but not sure of exact age. The Rio Bravo Bridge was built during the 1960's and the Alameda Bridge I think. I could be wrong on all of these. Probably could have looked up exact dates but I didn't. And the newest one is the Paseo del Norte Bridge which was build in the early 1990's. Of course all except the Paseo Bridge had been rebuild at some point. That is why we were able to walk out on this bridge. The Alameda Bridge was rebuilt in the early 1990's and someone had the good idea of leaving the old bridge for people to walk across on. People on bicycles, horses, and skates can use it, also. Anotherwords non-motorized traffic.The first photo is looking west, the second is looking east. The great views of the Rio Grande River is looking north. You can see the new bridge for traffic which is on the south side of the original bridge.
Most of the summer there had been lots of sandbars in the river but on this day there weren't as many. I don't know if the river was up due to more rain north of here or if they had stopped letting so much water into the irrigation ditches since it is now fall. Sometimes when I drive across the bridge I had briefly seen Canadian Geese, and ducks sitting on the sandbars or near the edges of the river, but not this day.
