Ice Climbing East of Revelstoke, B.C

Information on this climbing in a small area called Greeley east of Revy has just been shared with me by a very generous guy that use to live and climb in Revelstoke. Here is a basic idea of some of the good moderate routes in the area, sounds so great! As I climb and adventure here a little more I will add to this mini-topo. Gotta get out on this stuff while its still cold enough. So awesome that people are so willing to share what they know. We could have a real good amount of information about ice climbing for this area by the end of winter to share for years to come! SWEET, ENJOY!

Link: Greeley Ice Mini-Topo

EL SALTO - Epic Mexican Sport Climbing!

Most climbers by now have heard of the epic sport climbing at El Potrero Chico near Monterrey, Mexico. El Salto is located in the same vicinity but it offers a very unique experince compared to that of Potrero. El Salto is really off the map, the climbing is steep and strenuous and the quality is amazing. Be prepared for an epic just getting to this spot, but if you make the effort you wont be sorry. No phones, no materialistic attachments, just sick climbing and a true experience of Mexican culture. Really steep, long bolted routes is the norm here, and if you climb 5.11+ and above this is a really nice side trip if you are climbing at El Potrero for a while! Most people I've met have fell in love with this place, gorgeous streaked limestone full of tufas, stalagtites and edges. If you meet some friendly local climbers, they are usually super helpful and they will give you some good beta. Included here is a vague topo of El Salto, but forwarned this is just a description of the routes and some general knowledge of the area, it will take some effort to get here. Have fun and experience everything the awesome country of Mexico has to offer! The photos are courtesy of my college friend and super duper climber Leslie Timms.

Link: El Salto - Mini Rock Climbing Topo

Music!

Time for yet another installment of great music! This group is called Band Of Horses, they are from North and South Carolina and their music is really awesome. It's a indie rock/alternative sound that is very original. The first time I actually listened to these guys I recognized their music from several cool movies,  they sound soo good, they have a certain vibe that I can't explain! I will throw on a few songs so everyone can get a good listen. Hope you enjoy it!

Song: The Funeral - Band of Horses
Song: The Great Slave Lake - Band of Horses
Song: Our Swords - Band of Horses

SITTING BULL AND THE SUGAR CUBE - High Alpine Rock Climbing In Alberta's Rocky Mountians!!

This little pristine area is located above Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway near Helen Lake in Alberta. With a magnificent view, atmosphere and ambience the climbing here is truly unbeatable. If you climb 5.11 this is a place well worth the visit. Picture two giant boulders sitting all alone in the alpine looking over the Rocky Mountains with huge exposure, sick routes and no people!!! You have 'War Dance' which is a super arete 11c sport climb, 'Mystery Machine' a 3 pitch 11a trad route that are both classics worth the visit alone! Enough of trying to coax you into coming here. The hiking route to Helen Lake is already a classic, how about throwing some stout climbing in to up the ante! Haha! A true Alberta Rockies experience. The guide included here is really good, nearby there is some really good camping at Mosquito Creek that should put you within minutes of the area. Enjoy!!!

Link: SITTING BULL - SUGAR CUBE Mini Rock Guide

Ice Climbing In Malakwa, British Columbia

Driving east from Sicamous all of sudden you enter a much deeper valley and poof! 4 really good ice routes and a whole bunch of cliffs rise above the Trans Canada Highway. On the north side of the highway there are 3 areas with ice up to WI5 and on the south side, a big blue WI4 hidden in the forest. There is definitley potential here for many more routes with some exploration and even though the season is probaly short, it is a really beauty place to spend a day close to home. The routes have little or no avi hazard and they all have short approaches. Along with the routes around 3VG, there is enough here to enjoy a good few days of ice climbing. Although the climbs are on Crown Land, make sure to ask permission first from the locals seeing how some of the approaches pass over private property. Mini-topo included here, keep on exploring and i'm sure it will grow! Please tread lightly and play safe!

Link: Malakwa Ice Mini Topo

Music!

A man and his energetic band from the country of Mali in Africa amazed me one day with their authentic sound and amazing instruments. The first time I saw him in Banff, AB, at the Banff Center of Performing Arts, where he had built a reputation from his previous shows, no one could resist dancing the entire show. If you would like to hear something a little different listen to this, you will love it!! I will include 3 songs to really get a feel for their music. Everyone in the band plays multiple instruments, enjoy!

Song: Titati - Habib Koite & Bamada
Song: Namania - Habib Koite & Bamada
Song: Massak - Habib Koite & Bamada

R.I.P Guy Lacelle!

This is a really sad loss to the Canadian climbing community. Guy was an inspiration to many and achieved things that most of us would never think possible. The climbing community has lost a hugely inspirational figure and an icon whose achievements and style will leave an impact that will last for a very long time. Such a sad day to lose such an accomplished climber who was so unassuming and accepting of others, no matter their level of ability. You will be missed immensely Guy.

Here is the press story:
The Associated Press
Date: Friday Dec. 11, 2009 8:27 AM ET

BOZEMAN, Mon. — World-class ice climber Guy Lacelle died Thursday when an avalanche swept him off a mountain in southwestern Montana.  The Canadian was climbing a gully when a team above him triggered a small avalanche, said Doug Chabot, director of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.

"A small pocket of snow pulled out and caught him," Chabot told the Bozeman Daily Chronicle. "It hit him and took him off the cliff, down the ice."

More than 20 rescuers responded to Hyalite Canyon to retrieve the body. Deputy Chief Coroner Dan Springer said the 54-year-old Lacelle died from the fall.

Lacelle, a tree planter by trade, was the first to solo link the extreme ice routes the Terminator/Sea of Vapors and the Replicant in fivehours, Weeping Pillar and Polar Circus in a day, French Maid, Curtain Call, La Pomme D’or in Quebec, and lastly Hydnefossen in Norway. Notably, La Pomme D'or is a 1,000-foot WI 5, with sustained sections of vertical ice and a thin crux. The remote route is a serious undertaking even for a roped team. Lacelle's solo, though mindblowing for most people was typical for him. He was known for several notable ice ascents and won the Ice Competition in Ouray, Colorado, in 2000 and 2001, as well as the Festiglace Competition in Quebec in 2004.

John Irvine, the sports marketing manager for the climbing equipment company Arc'teryx, called Lacelle a "fanatical ice climber" and said his death is a "huge, huge loss."

Irvine said Lacelle was a foreman for a tree planting company in British Columbia during the summer and took the winters off to ice climb.

The Hawkesbury, Ontario, native started climbing while earning a physical education degree at the University of Ottawa in the 1970s. The Banff Centre for Mountain Culture said he later led Outward Bound classes and taught at the Yamnuska Mountain School in Canmore, Alberta.
Lacelle is survived by his wife Marge Lachecki.

Rock Climbing In Sicamous & Mara Lake, B.C

There are quite a few motivated locals in this area that are putting up many new routes. The potential in this area is phenomenal! More rugged than the Okanagan, great views and there seems to be rock everywhere you look. Haines Creek, Syphon Creek, Mara Crags and many others host many classic lines! The Salmon Arm/Sicamous area is located right off the Trans-Canada, why dont you check it out! This mini-guide is now available to the masses, and although the routes are limited, bring your boulder pad and brushes, lots of potential for new problems. See you in spring!

Link: Sicamous & Mara Lake Mini-Guide

Music!

The most amazing live band played in Vernon, Bc the other night, FIVE ALARM FUNK. And although I have seen them before, they still had me dancing in awe! A 10 piece band that plays with The Wassabi Collective and now resides in Nelson, BC, their funky style will make you smile! Check out this song, it features some solos that give you an idea of their sound!! If I ever need to a jump start to my day, I put these guys on the stereo! ENJOY!

Link: Five Alarm Funk - Don Mega

'A Guide To Select Rock Climbs In Alberta's Rocky Mountains'

Right near the end of my time in Banff, Alberta during the summer of 09', I compiled this guidebook to encompass a group of areas and routes worth doing from Kananaskis to Jasper. Many of these areas are unknown to many people travelling through the area. Jasper, for example, does not even have a guidebook, and in this guide two of the towns' best climbing crags are included . My goal was to draw a little more attention (or make them at least known) to many of these amazing destinations and give people the opportunity to climb many of their classic routes. If the summer is ever too hot in BC, take a visit to the rockies and climb you wont be sorry. Places like Black Feather Canyon, Lost Boys and the Grand Sentinel, should be on any serious rock climbers list!!!

On a side note, I would really like to know what people think of it.......It took me lots of time and effort and although this copy is available for your free download, it will be revised in the future and maybe just maybe, I will turn it into a better hard copy. I have separated the guide into seven parts; an intro, outro and the five general areas, so that the download would be faster and easier, and maybe you might only like to print a certain section. Enjoy everyone, I just wanted to share a little piece of the great experiences I was privledged to enjoy in this great part of the world.
ALLEN

The Seven Parts' Links:
The Intro/Cover Page
The Kananaskis
Canmore
Banff
Jasper
Lake Louise
Outro