Description

Fancy fine tuning your ice climbing skills? Itching to use those new tools you bought on sale at the end of last season? Or the ones you hardly got to use last year because the ice was no more by February? Well, here’s your chance to do all of the above, not to mention wow us with your ice climbing savoir faire!

The plan. Head out to Coleman glacier, Mt Baker
on Saturday. If the weather is poor, we can try again on Sunday. You can expect to leave Vancouver at 6am (or possibly earlier) and return by 11pm. Our first crux, thanks to some reliable beta from Werner, is crossing the creek 100-200m from the trail head. The bridge is out unfortunately. The stream is not pleasant to cross, it is a bear so it’s not for the faint of heart. But if you persevere, Werner said that as of Oct 8, the ice was good and as importantly, the glacier was still free of snow.

PLEASE, PLEASE, BE ADVISE THAT THIS IS NOT A CLIMBING CLASS. THIS IS A PRACTICE SESSION ONLY. However, if you want to teach me a trick or two, help is always welcomed! Hence my zeal to get out there, I need all the practice I can get.

You’ll need your own gear as the club does not provide ice climbing gear. Your climbing basics of course – harness, helmet, belay, crampons, lots of clothing, and spare clothing for when you go for a dip! You also need ice tools, screws, biners, draws, and anchoring material. We need ropes, preferably dry ropes. If you don’t have the gear, do what you got’a – beg, borrow or steal. Just not from me, it doesn’t do to upset the organizer.