Ice Climbing - Sunday Feb. 20/05

[peter]

The season is running down, believe it or not, as the rains of March will soon be upon us.

Anyone interested in ice climbing with CNS, time is a-wasting.

I am in Quebec, at Festiglace, next weekend. Who wants to pull together a CNS Ice Day on Sunday Feb. 20/05?

High tide at Baxters/Hall's Harbour is at 9:30 a.m., so you should have a full day of climbing, if the weather holds.

P.

[climberwannabe]

Yeah I'd love to goto Halls Harbour next weekend (20th???). Might be a little hung over at first (due to Winter Carnival at the base, its a big party). Anyone else into going down???? I might be able to bring 2 others with me from here as I am off that weekend. Guess I missed out yesterday in Truro, sounded like a good time.

Steve

[Bert]

Hey I would like to go to hall's Harbour this week end. If anyone of Halifax want to meet at Steeve Oreno, we could start from there and join every one to hall's harbour.

Whitch part would you like to climb? to the right of the Docks, or to the left (same as two weeks ago). I think if we are not too many people, we could go to the right where it is higher.

Interested people from halifax can e-mail me.

Bert.

[rendog]

Yeah I'm in for sure.

I'm thinking the other side of Halls maybe as well this time. I'll meet you all there again...

[The Teth]

I prefer Baxter’s Harbour. Maybe it’s the boulderer in me, but I like having the anchors setup only twenty feet from the car! It means more climbing and less hiking. It takes 30 to 45 minutes off the setup time. By the time the anchors are set the tide should be out far enough to repel down and start climbing. Easy walkout when the tide is out.

There is a good photo of Baxter’s Harbour at:
http://members.tripod.com/novascotiacli ... y_ice.html
Just scroll down past the Hull’s Harbour (North) photos.

I guess Hulls Harbour is good too but it’s a long hike, it is harder to get to the top to setup the anchors, and then I have to conserve my strength so that I can make the top-out at the end of the day to take down my anchor and recover my gear. Maybe Halls is a bit higher in places, but I get to climb more a Baxter’s.

The Teth

[Bert]

I think few people would like Baxter this week-end. I personally would give it a try, but I don't know where it is. I look at the internet site and it looks awsome.

So if someone gives the indications how to get there, we would be few people from halifax to go.

I think it's pretty close to Hall's is'nt it?

Thanks for the info.

Bert.

[Bert]

Here is the plan for Sunday:

I leave Steve Oreno at 8h15 sunday morning to go to meet Daren at kentville. From there Daren gonna leed the way to Baxter Harbour.

So anyone from Halifax that want to leave with us are welcome to join us. We meet at Steve Oreno at 7h50 - 8h to leave for 8h15.

The only problem is since Peter will not be present this week-end, I don't know how to get the extra equipment he has with him.

So if anyone would know how to get the equipment, it would be highly appreciated.

Thanks.

Bert.

[The Teth]

I believe Peter was going to pass the CNS gear to his friend Tomb. I assume that means that Tomb is planning to come. I intend to be there this week. See you at Steve-O-Reno’s at 8:00am on Sunday. I will bring a rope and enough gear to setup at least one anchor.

Here is another useful link:
http://members.tripod.com/novascotiacli ... olive.html

Scroll down to the map. The Palmolive Bouldering area is just south of Baxter’s Harbour. See Baxter's at the top centre of the map? And, yes it is very close to Hulls Harbour. After you cross the top of the North Mountain, just where the road turns left toward Hulls Harbour, there is a paved road on the right. Follow that and take the first paved left turn. (The dirt road will get you there too, but is not as direct.) Turn onto the road leading north out of Baxter’s Harbour and immediately look for the dip in the road with a stream running through a big culvert.

Teth

[rendog]

I've also made arrangements to pick up the gear on Sat. I wouldn't mind heading into the city anyway on that day to go check out MEC so i don't have a problem with it.


See you all Sunday

[The Teth]

Just as long as someone is bringing the gear. It’s all good.

Teth

[ThomP]

Pete didn't mention having me pick up the gear; Saturday is looking pretty busy for me so it would be best if Rendog picked it up. I can return it to Peter after Sunday.

Thom

[climberwannabe]

Well Baxters does sound good and it looks pretty close to Halls so I am definately in... given that I am not to rough (big party saturday night). I'd be into meeting in Kentville at timmies. So it'll be roughly 930 or 10 am? Can someone give me some more info on exactly where in Baxters the ice is so in case I dont get up till like 9 I can go directly there? Are we gonna have enough rope?

Oooh gettin excited!!

Steve

[The Teth]

OK, look at the map at:

http://members.tripod.com/novascotiacli ... olive.html

See the little stream indicated just north east of Baxter’s Harbour? That is the big waterfall on the left side of the Baxter’s Harbour Falls photo at:

http://members.tripod.com/novascotiacli ... y_ice.html

It is just over the hill from the main intersection on the road leading north east out of Baxter’s Harbour. The road goes down, crosses a large culvert and goes back up the other side. Just turn around and park on the side of the road closest to the ocean.

My internet connection at home is down at the moment, so I will not be on this board again before we go. See folks at Steve-O-Reno’s on Sunday.

The Teth

[rendog]

I've picked up the gear from Peter's place.

all is set to meet at Timmies downtown kentville in the morning... I'll probably be there around 9 -915 am.

see you all then

darran

[rendog]

It was a decent day today.

7 people out climbing in Baxter Harbour. Thom and dave both showed up later on in the day, but took off with out climbing...

we had two bleeders on the same climb (guess it just wasn't meant to be climbed today eh Bert?!)

not really a whole lot of ice, but we worked with what we had and had a good time. Beer and food after at Paddy's as per new tradition. I swear that waitress has a crush on me. HA

[climberwannabe]

Yes I agree... good time had by all. My buddy Scott is hooked. Man I think I finally thawed out about 15 mins ago. Where are we going next week????

Oh and sorry Rendoggie, you must be mistaken... that waitress has a crush on ME. hehe

[The Teth]

Seven climbers came out to tackle the ice on Sunday, Feb 20th, 2005. It was supposed to be a high of -6, but my snickers bar was a lot harder than -6 would account for. We went to Baxter’s Harbour, which is sheltered on all sides, except for the side the wind was coming from. Despite the cold and wind chill a good time was had by all.

The main route, usually grade 4, was not completely formed, making for a very challenging mixed climb which I am not experience enough to give a grade to. Both Bert and Rendog demonstrated some fairly impressive dry tooling and each came within an inch of the transition back onto ice before they popped. Bert displaying some impressive moves, using figure 9 positions to try to ascend the icicle without any footholds, looked to be on his way to a top-out when he got pummelled by a block of ice the length of his forearm. Fearing concussion, he aborted his climb and asked to be lowered back to the deck for medical attention. After taking some pain killers and finding a bandaid, he was happy to man base-camp for the rest of the day and got some water boiling to defrost our frozen water bottles. Rendog was not to be outdone, and attacked the route as well until he too sported a cosmetic laceration.

The canyon (or cave) did form this year and made for a fun climb which was best described as exploring. It started with a travers into the cave on fragile ice to gain the top of a skirt, then climbing up a formation of mini stalagmites to a mixed assent to a higher ledge, squeezing around an ice pillar in the confined crevice, and stemming upwards with intermittent ice. The crux was enhanced by a mortal battle with pigeons while contorting to gain the good ice for the top-out. This route saw four accents.

A top-rope was also setup on a 20 foot nearly vertical ice flow which reached the ground on the right side and started about six feet off the ground on the left. Both sides were climbed. Using a stone ledge and a knee-bar behind the ice, several novice ice climbers got some good experience transitionning from rock to ice in a very pumpy, yet rewording, accent of the left face.

At the end of the day we ended up at Paddy’s Pub, where Sara impressed the waitress by claiming responsibility for Bert’s head wounds, and Climberwannabe scored extra fries on the house by claiming that Rendog had been given more fries than he had..

I am not sure who the waitress had a crush on, but Climberwannabe did get free fries...

My arms still feel pumped, so I would say it was a good day.

The Teth

[peter]

Hey Ren, it's not just the waitress. You're not allowed to pick up gear from my wife anymore, when I am not home. She was smiling when I got back from Quebec ...

[rendog]

Hey Ren, it's not just the waitress. You're not allowed to pick up gear from my wife anymore, when I am not home. She was smiling when I got back from Quebec ...

what can I say man...? I thought that "come and get the gear" was code...