Southern Ontario Ice Conditions 2011/12

SO-ICE Conditions 2011/2012 - things are alright!

Ice climbing is very dangerous. Even with proper instruction, you will get hurt and die. None of the observations below (they're all lies by the way), and I in no way, shape or form encourage you to ice climb. It's simply not that pleasant when compared to the joys of being stuck in bottom less white pow after going in for a face plant! This is all just meant for entertainment purposes only. For those STILL interested in trying ice climbing: better to go to your local climbing gym, stand around in bucket of cold water, tape cold packs to your wrists and climb a route once every hour... However, if you're still keen then read on! You are solely responsible for your own actions.

Feel free to send observations and non-stupid questions to akolosAAAAThotmailDOOTcom

(Image file names describe the route pictured.)

ACCESS NOTES

Consider becoming a member of the OAC and supporting YOUR access to the crags!

Do not believe everything you hear.
Do not desire everything you see.
Do not proceed to do everything you can do...

Overwhelmed (a.k.a. Scratch and Sniff) is found on the wall above the end of the first beaver pond at McCauley. Go up the left corner system. At the pedestal half way up, place some good pieces in a horizontal and step up. A liberated flake has left a great hook and pro placements. Move back right into the corner and continue to the top. Even though everything you need is there, it climbs harder than it looks. The name is retrospective and not in reference to feelings mid-climb.

The line to the left of Where Egos Dare. Climb up past the station, and another bolt to the big hanger at the top. Surmount and dance on top.

Found to the right of Turn for the Douche at Diamond Lake. Pass a slight bulge with some face climbing. Traverse left into a corner and up to the sheet of ice. Lower off the first shrub rather than challenging the vertical bushwack. If you find a long Lost Arrow in the snow, but likely deep in the fissure below the route, keep it handy for the climb.

Spent a few days visiting Danyo, climbing and kicking the tires on his truck. Conditions along the parkway are decent at this time of year, but the sun is strong. Patches of ice that are hidden in the shade, even if just a bit longer than the rest offer good ice. So on Weeping Wall for example choose WW Right, instead of WW Central... Other observations of note: Ice Nine touched down. Curtain Call was big, but a sneak route allowed one to bypass the 1 meter ice roof, by climbing a bottom less ice chimney to the rihght. Shades of Beauty and Murchison Falls were still nice and blue. In Kananaskis, Whiteman and Redman still offer great climbing. The roads in the Ghost offer good driving, unless you find a deep pool in a river. No not Danyo's 4x4, and yes that dark streak on the jeep's body is the water line at its high point :-(

We made the 21km approach to Roaring Brook (mandatory overnight) on day one, the shorter steeper approach to Chimney Pond on day2, climbed the Cilley/Barber (IV, WI4, 2,300') on day3 (descent in a zero vis storm), climbed Walk on the Wild Side (II WI5 200'+) on day four then did the whole 27km hike out to the van on day five. 65km total including climbs, approaches, descents. A true mini-expedition, complete with pig-hauling obscenities :-) Katahdin is spectacular. A true alpine amphithetre. Multiple 2000'+ technical alpine routes. It truly belongs in a greater range. Only here in the east could multi-pitch 5's play second fiddle.

A surprise cold snap made climbing ice hard work on Bear Lake's Frankenhooker. The ice has taken a beating from the sun and is pretty sun bleached. Surprise snow crusts made for slow going too. Livingstone Lake's ice on Lefty and Righty seemed pretty good from afar, reaching way down, but it's likely to be pretty rotten too, as it gets the sun in the early afternoon (vs. Frankenhooker, which gets it in the mid-to-late afternoon). The slab on the first pitch is good.

All the lines rae in. Blue Pillar looks thin and detached, but everything else was in good shape. Rumours of this winter offering a lack of ice is just that - RUMOURS! There's plenty of ice! Go get some!

Crown of Thorns – narrow initial pillar, but still quite sturdy; lots of snice and some thin spots in the middle section (starting to sound delaminated), but still taking decent screws; top was getting quite baked. Probably on its last legs (although it might last longer, as we’re not scheduled for a lot of sun this week).

Dirty Harry needs a 70 m rope to set up a top rope. It's in and good. Rest of the ice is fine! The west facing climbs are getting beat by the sun.

Heres a couple more for ya. We went to Sherborne today and climbed Highlander for my first time. It's harder than it looks ;) We then ripped over to Clear and did My Turn. Both places were quite brittle and hard at the first screw and got softer higher up.

The Curtain is blue and plenty fat. Rollercoaster should be accessed from the right to avoid private property. NF of Eiger and Blue Angel are looking white. Dirty Harry is nicely protected in the chimney.

It's that time of year again, where the sun is rising higher and higher in the sky, and the exposed ice is taking a beating. The Blue Max Wall is loads of fun. All great fun. TIOLI's initial pillar didn't grow over the course of the week, and a rather ambitious attempt ended up with a tail-tucked-bail. That pillar is larger up close, and doesn't have a big attachment point. Pretty unstable, wheich when liberated will race down the approach chute onto the belayer.

Wet. Real wet... The rocks aren't frozen in place, and the routes will fall apart if you pull down on'em...

Made it to Bear today and climbed Frankenhooker. It was fairly thin but in quite good shape. I think it is getting fatter by the day.

A snowmobile made an adventurous tour in as far as the Blue Max, so the trail is much easier going now. Continues to be on the lean side. Mr. Hide looked thin down low, but a few mixed moves got one to the mixed ending... TIOLI's initial pillar looks close to touching down. Blue Max won't touch down this season. Neither will the climbs to the right. Fishing for Hooks looks thin, but good.

Old Laughing Lady was in sorry shape. She was in mixed shape down low, leading to a sun-baked, crusty yucky finish. Not for me...

There was lots of snow, so it was challenging to see the exact conditions of the climbs. I met the lady who ploughs out the parking lot for Raven. She confirmed that the cottage association does indeed pay for the ploughing. The cottagers, however, weren’t around today to collect, so I left some cash at the second cottage (red, hidden in behind a point of land of your right).

Unknown Wall – very thin. Only Unknown Civilian is in. Bring some small nuts or small cams, if you do the upper half after the snow ramp; the ice in the exit corner is a dry detached sheet, but there’s a nice crack at its right edge. I, of course, didn't have any and as a result trashed my stubby. We left a sling and a maillon (quicklink) at the top out for rapping.

Is in fine mid-season form. Jetstream has never been thicker! Roller Coaster can be accessed from the right via a steep step, thus avoiding private property. NFofEiger and Blue Angel are in, but still subject to the weather. Dirty Harry looks committing down low.

Crown of Thorns is pretty thin down low and up high - we tried to be delicate.

Left of WED aka WPD aka Where Angels Fear To Tread aka The Last First Great Project of Ontario...... Has finally been freed to the top! Way to go Nate! The aesthetic line has been much talked about, looked at, tried and attempted; it even got climbers drooling from as far away as the dark corners of the Bivy in the Dacks (where skill, quiet competition, endurance and power abound)! The line was iced up a little more than in the past allowing passage to the unknown upper section, which was on-sighted to the big hanging dagger and topped out! Although this ascent may be overshadowed by Kruk's and Kennedy's efforts on Cerro Torre, which may earn them a certain golden ice axe (or at lthe very least a nomination), this acheivement is just as noteworthy as the line has withstood "nearly" as many efforts as the SE Ridge :-)

Also of note: Kermit's Finger has fattened up, and a new route was climbed 10 m to the right of A Turn For The Douche, surpassing a mixed start to gain a sheet of ice and a tree. Pictures to be added as they become available.

Not a whole lot was in a t McCauley other than Blue Esther, the Wailing, and the 3 Stooges. Gift By Omission and Lightweight ID are thin down low as per usual. Blue Max is nowhere near to touching down. Approach was hard: slop on lake, deep snow in woods, holes on beaver pond ice... Very disappointing in general.

I took Team Rouyn-Noranda for their second day of ice climbing EVER to Lac Waza. You were right - ice is awsome. We crossed the lake, but missed the trail in the dark Friday night and set up the canvas tent (with wood burning stove et al) 1km too far to the east. We'll do it right, next time we return: for Valentine's Day! Everyone is welcome to join us. The ice was good, but hard. Carry on Johnny!!!

The Snake up in northern Ontario is in great shape, although -30 temps have made the ice bullet hard.

Roaring Brook Falls looked bad from the road, but it was fine. There were water openings at both top and bottom, but ice around was great. Nice chill climb, I had never done it before. I like the walk off down the backside trail. Beautiful day. Crystal Ice Tower to White Line Fever was in super plastic shape, no doubt thanks to the positive temps. The top pitch was just slush in a corner and not particularly enjoyable... although memorable. The ropes are still drying. Lock Ness Crag is nice. I'm not sure what we did, some climbs have touched down and were getting tr'd. With the low snow, these routes won't be growing much from snowmelt re-freezing.

No climbing signs continue to indicate the landowner's liability concerns. The OAC is continuing to work with him and the town in this matter. Rollercoaster is accessible using the right hand start (around the corner of the regular start).

Rollercoaster - in.
Curtain et al - in. Ice is fat. Lots of running water.
NF of Eiger - not even close.
Blue Angel - nope.
Dirty Harry - good ice at the top, but mixed down low.
Amazing Glace - in.
Hidden Gully -first pitch is in.

We approached the climbs along the lake, but sticking close to the shoreline. Later we ventured further onto the lake. There were a good 3+ inches of ice everywhere we tested.

Distinct Society – touching down, but the icicles haven’t congealed and solidified yet
Guardian Angel - in.
Left of WED - thin down low. Hangers are missing on the left start, right start has the cracks iced up...
WED - there's ice in the corner the whole way up, but it's thin, just like on the FA? Careful with the big dagger that's hanging above your head!!!
BEW - very thin. Top looked dry.
WWD - looked to be in, but the topout would be thin.
Malachite Brochade - thin, but a climbable line can be pieced together.
Ochre Silk - in, but steep and narrow, would be committing.
Blue Velvet - in.
Aqua Plush - out.
Thunderdome - no.
Kermit's Finger - out. missing ice in the middle section.
Tammy Baker's Face - just verglass.
Zero Gully - trying to come in.

A little farther afield, but conditions are good! There was quite a dump between Christmas and New Year's, but I'd say this area holds the best ice on the east coast right now... On Gros Bras: All Fine is thin. Petite Tet is there if you can scratch your way past the rock slab start. Gaston is sort of there too... But they're all in hard shape. TiCul is fat. On Mont de l'Ours La Coulee Ricard looked fat, as Le Dome on Le Dome... Cap St Francois is huge! Ever since they diverted water from the top, all the climbs routinely come in, and come in fat! A great crag, right above the Saguenay River!

La Mere de Glace was mostly ice with very little snow. This made for an extra approach pitch to reach the first real pitch. Under such conditions the approach is wetter and less obvious. Given the short days, make sure you get an early start. With more snow, the approach should be easier. Small But Beaituful, just around the corner, looks to be in fine condition, but not faaat mind you.

Momo is in but a bit on the "tres mince" side, but still very climbable, for all to enjoy. Lots of water behind hollow ice on the middle, wide wall.

The Curtain is coming along nicely, still thin, but climbable. Hidden Gully has nice climbing for the first 10m, but then turns into snow over rocks... With the rain and freeze, it'll likely get much better!

What a cliff! Met John and Jimmy at the cliff - local climbers - who would have thought? Way to give'er boyz! They report the east face gully (not in guidebook) is in good condition. The north walls appeared fat from the approach trail. Pascal and I couldn't find Croa-Croa, but La Fracture is in interesting shape with a bit of chandeliers, although rumours are that it comes in waay fatter. In any case, it's a classic, and close enough to Ontario, that I'll include it in the classics section soon! Alpine steps lead one to the summit. Approach is 20 minutes.

Dec 18 - Eagle's Nest (Justin)
Still a little scrappy, but slowly coming. PLease access from the top.

Dec 16 - Lac Waza, Rouyn-Noranda
Why did I ever doubt this consistent area at all? Faces north and the ice is steep! Ice is great, featured and long! Great training!

Dec 11 - Eagle's Nest (w reports/pics from Ed, Ferg and Justin)
Lots of running water, so the Jetstream Wall is just a week of cooler weather away from happening.
The rest of the cliff is pretty much barren of ice, Dirty Harry has a small streak in it.
Please continue to access the Curtain from above and not by climbing Roller Coaster. The OAC is in contact with the landowner and the town, and optimisim remains high that everyone's concerns will be addressed in the near future.