2012/2013 Ice Climbing Season

[theriault]

Luc And I officially opened the Ice season for NB this morning(Nov 30)! 2 lines where lead in Parlee Brook, Three Amigo's and KF Gully (I think) , 3 Horsemen was also plausible and the back wall was shaping nicely! Nothing is "IN" but if your like us and are eager to swing tools, its possible to climb Ice, required gear... stubbies, mix background and big balls! hahah

Good season everyone!!!

[Greg]

Four of us were into to the Glebe Road ice climbs today and conditions were better than expected. Four lines were led with good pro. Screws up to 16 cm were used and neither tools nor screws bottomed out on rock. Only average balls required.

[max]

Nice Marty, Luc and Greg!! Psyched you're swinging you tools!!

On November 26th a fellow NOLS instructor and I ventured into some new terrain while students were taking a rest day and put up a new route on Cerro Meliquina, 2602m in Aysen Patagonia. It was day 38 of our 45 day hike/mountain section. So being from NB and feeling a part of the community I opened the ice season though we didn't swing our axes in NB hahaha Our route started from a glacier camp at 1800m, we travelled roped up through breakable sun-crust for 1.5 hrs to 2100m at which point we simu-climbed 602m, up the SW Face, sustained 50 to 65 degree snow and ice in 60-80km hr winds with a bit of 5th class choss along the ridge got us to the summit. We then descended back to camp down the north ridge with one short rappel. Our outing took 10 hrs camp to camp and is quite possibly the nicest alpine ice route I have climbed. Pure Fun!

Soon I'm going to be visiting Cory in El Chalten to climb in one of the most spectacular Granite Alpine destinations in the world! Friday at the latest!!

Have a wonderful ICE SEASON!!! I'm hoping to be around for one sooner rather then later!

Climb Safe and Hard!

[Lucas]

Max, I know Cory is psyched for you to arrive in El Chalten. Hope you guys get a weather window and a shot at Fitz Roy! Good luck.

Cheers,
Lucas

[theriault]

Drove to Grand Falls, last saturday, thing's are shaping nicely up there, Ice should be ready shortly!

[Dom]

With Choss' help I made the Ice conditions sticky.

Like last year, post your reports on this page here and a moderator will update the ice condition sticky and add a snippet of your report.
This is a great tool to inform others of conditions so please if you use it, contribute. No need to write a lot. Location, date, conditions.

For conditions please, specify whether you think it's out, thin or IN.

Great quote from Shawn last year:

To describe an ice climb as "in" it should be in its "normal full condition". For climbs such as blue pillar and 3 amigos that would mean a considerable amount of well bonded solid ice consistently feet thick. Not 16 cm screws in certain spots. Climbable, thin, leadable, 5 climbs were led are all descriptions of conditions that are not necessarily considered "in" by its intended meaning. Harder climbs that are normally thin may be considered "in" in much leaner condition...but those climbing it will expect it. "Normal full conditions" is the key to calling something "in" vs "thin".

Also, I went to CL today to climb rock and WW barely had any ice on it. Way out!

[theriault]

Dec 23 : parlee brook is pretty much all In!!! Everything was taking 16 and 19 probably even 22's!!! Blue and Yellow are in great shape and the back wall has some interesting pillars!!! Three amigo's has both lines in fat conditions! Hullholmes was shaping nicely but will need a few more days. I was also there on the 21st before the rain and it was good but the rain made everything grow substancially!!! Lot of flow and lots of snow up there!!

Merry Christmas

[Greg]

Dec 23 : parlee brook is pretty much all In!!! Everything was taking 16 and 19 probably even 22's!!! Blue and Yellow are in great shape and the back wall has some interesting pillars!!! Three amigo's has both lines in fat conditions! Hullholmes was shaping nicely but will need a few more days. I was also there on the 21st before the rain and it was good but the rain made everything grow substancially!!! Lot of flow and lots of snow up there!!

Merry Christmas

Marty is right. Parlee is in great shape! Five of us were in today to enjoy an excellent day of ice. The following routes were climbed and all offer great pro:
Treesicles, Winter Warmer Wall, Three Amigos and Blue Pillar.
Hullholmes looks ready to go as well. Get out there and enjoy it folks!

[Greg]

Mike D and I got out to the Truancy area yesterday for our final climb of 2012. Was a great day - cold, lots of wind, spindrift and excellent conditions. We climbed Treesicles, Winter Warmer and Solo Slabs. We took a look at Truancy Falls and it is forming nicely. It will need about another 30 ish more feet of ice in order to touch down but it does look promising though. Treesicles has some even more bizarre formations this year. There is a solid curtain of ice that has formed near the top providing an interesting passageway through the final 15 feet of the climb. This is such a great route - super fun, great protection and unique! As an added bonus there is no need to rap this route because there is an easy walk/glissade to get back down to the base of the route. From the tree anchor step left (skiers left, climbers right) to a gulley. A 20 second slide will deposit you back at your packs - super fun! We slogged up the drainage after climbing Treesicles and climbed the Winter Warmer wall. This is another very cool place to climb ice. The wall is short but varied with longer, lower angle ice and shorter steeper climbs. We finished the day by climbing Solo Slabs. Cory assessed a grade of 2 for this route but I think it is easily a 3+. If you climb the longest, proudest line on this wide wall of ice you get three steep headwalls with lower angle ice in between and at least 40 meters of cimbing. This was a really fun and challenging climb. It is certainly harder than 3 Amigos and closer to Blue Pillar IMO. By the way kudos to Mike who seconded this climb like a champ after busting a crampon not long after leaving the ground. Finally, a few words on getting around back there. There is now a well beaten snowshoe trail from the Abbey into both Parlee North (Truancy Area) and the Amphitheater. This is great because there is a shite ton of snow back there! Winter is alive and well in NB folks, get out there and enjoy it!

[Joe]

Hampton is thin with only 2-10 cm of ice across the face.

[Joe]

Welsford is good with the three main lines taking good gear. But the snow is freakin deep!

[Stef]

Has anyone been into to Parlee via the top approach since we got all the snow? I am wondering how far the hike will be. Also Glebe Road?

Thanks,

S.

[Dom]

Welsford is good with the three main lines taking good gear. But the snow is freakin deep!

Musta been freakin' cold too.

Keep it up on the ice conditions report guys - I've been updating the ice condition sticky regularly. Finally starting to see some green in there.

[Stacey]

Has anyone been into to Parlee via the top approach since we got all the snow? I am wondering how far the hike will be. Also Glebe Road?

Thanks,

S.

Was into Glebe this week, there is a tramped path in (through the woods, the sleds have made the logging road an enjoyable hike), the waterfall rap was running to climbers left. MOUNTAINS of snow in there...

[*Chris*]

Was into Glebe this week, there is a tramped path in (through the woods, the sleds have made the logging road an enjoyable hike), the waterfall rap was running to climbers left. MOUNTAINS of snow in there...

What was the ice condition Stacey?

[theriault]

Jan3 : skied and climbed at waterfall wall today, all 3 lines are fat ( way more ice than all of last year!) and cave fever looks good (slab finish has good ice! ) also took a look at the quarry, everything looks in from the road!

[theriault]

. Finally starting to see some green in there.

Lets get more Green! I bet most is in right now! St John crew, someone should check out St Martins to see how the costal stuff i doing! Good job on the sticky Dom!!!

[michel martin]

Doug and I climbed Hullholmes today. Ice is nice and fat even the buttom first few moves.

[*Chris*]

5 of us into Glebe Rd. today. Plenty of varied routes are 'in'. A few areas of 'snice' but overall we climbed lots of well protected stuff. Snowshoes not needed for the road.

[theriault]

Jan 6 : We skied into the Quarry today, lots of ice but everything is detached from the rock.... we still lead a bunch of lines...I would call it "Thin" but "In" haha

[Dom]

If you use this thread or the ice condition sticky, please make sure a member of your party makes a condition report after you've been ice climbing to one of the areas that have not seen an update in a while.
"It's easier to take than to give. It's nobler to give than to take."- Joan Marques

[Greg]

We checked out Mt. Misery yesterday. The lower cliff is in okay condition but not great. Three lines were led with good pro but overall it is a long way from having all lines "in". I wonder if something has changed at the top of these routes in terms of flow. The upper cliff on the other hand is doing much better. Everything up there was in and quite thick.

[PeterA]

We checked out Mt. Misery yesterday. The lower cliff is in okay condition but not great. Three lines were led with good pro but overall it is a long way from having all lines "in". I wonder if something has changed at the top of these routes in terms of flow. The upper cliff on the other hand is doing much better. Everything up there was in and quite thick.

Mt. Misery has always been notoriously random

-PJ

[theriault]

Jan 8: A few of us had a Night session in Hampton this evening.... everything is super FAT up there!!!

[Dom]

Climbed a couple of routes at Eagle Rock today. lots of ice up there. IN

[*Chris*]

3 routes were led at the Quarry today.
Drain Pipe - In
Iced Cheese (right) - In
Cosmic Orgasm - Thin

Preperation H looked Thin but wasn't climbed. Everything else was still out.

[theriault]

Grand Falls is about 50/50, the pillars are either fully in and fat or just barely touching down! Lots of ice, everything should be in and fat within 5-7days

[Dom]

Climbed the middle line at Waterfall Wall today and despite the fact we were top-roping, I wouldn't hesitate to call the ice there thin. The last 2 days were particularly hard on it and there is lots of snice. With this forecast, I would say it will definitely be thin this week.
Nothing a cold spell can't fix though!

[Greg]

Glebe Road is still in great shape. I was in there both Saturday and today to enjoy beautiful plastic ice with a group of students. The only route not climbable is The Lampion which deteriorated today due to the temps and high water volume coming down the waterfall.

[STeveA]

Climbed at Hampton Marsh on Sunday. It was leadable but very wet. I suspect with the warm weather it will be out shortly.