Vertical Addict

Stanley Headwall

2008-11-12T19:19:00.001-08:00

Nemesis
Sinus Gully

Nemesis

Ranger Creek Oct 25

2008-10-27T18:51:00.000-07:00

Lake Louise

2008-06-24T21:06:00.000-07:00

Heart Mountain

2008-06-24T21:01:00.000-07:00

Mt. Indefatiguable Scramble

2008-06-03T19:21:00.000-07:00

Too much snow.

More Rats Nest

2008-06-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

Rats Nest Cave

2008-06-01T19:18:00.000-07:00

Valley of the Sun

2007-12-23T10:56:00.001-08:00

With final exams over and a brand new set of picks it must be time to climb. Brenden, Kevin, Kyle, Ryan and I went to the north ghost on Saturday. Plans were to do THOS but we picked the Valley of the sun to avoid conversing with other parties that actually listen to SRD road closures. I’m sure the trout thank your selfless trek to and from mile marker 39. Does head shaking and finger wagging keep your ass warm?

The climb was great except the last pitch on the side at the top which was super brittle and platey so we left it alone. It’s super cool that someone decided to steal one of the two hangers of each of the two lowest rap anchors. I have dreams about the day I catch somebody stealing bolt hangers…don’t let it be YOU! ‘cause stealing hangers is so not cool.

Way to go shoulder

2007-11-30T19:32:00.001-08:00

After more than a month off climbing I finally felt like lifting my arm above my head so Chris and I went to King's Creek. Cold enough that we both got the barfies but my shoulder was feeling great.

Accidents

2007-11-29T10:47:00.000-08:00

Accidents happen all the time and they invariably always lead to injuries. A sore shoulder has started me thinking about all the injuries i've had. It seems they pile up, some never getting worse but never getting better. But where do all these injuries come from, could they be related. It's not as though i've been in some terrible accident that has scarred me for life, wait a minute... there was that time, on that mountain road

...and we slid off
and rolled a couple dozen times till we got to the bottom of the mountain.

It's not that i forgot it's that we all walked away (sans seatbelts). I had a cut lip, no big deal. Then there was that time i t-boned an aerostar full of natives in my pickup at 80.

I have a sore neck. All the time, especially when i have to look up. So I don't look up. Now I find out I have a winged scapula. Sounds super cool I know, but its not. The PT i'm seeing says that my rhomboid and serratus aren't strong enough so i'm supposed to do stupid arm lifts to try and fix it. I try to do the lift, my shoulders hurt. So i don't do it. Turns out that winged scapula can be caused by nerve damage in an accident. So I guess it's off to the doctor. But i'm going ice climbing first.

Aid Climbing, Wasootch

2007-10-27T15:26:00.000-07:00

I tried aid climbing for the first time. Lots of fun but it takes forever. We only did one short pitch each, and i did it on TR. I don't think I can afford to start aid climbing, but all that gear sure would be cool. Used ballnuts for the first time, i definitly need a set of those.

Mt. Baldy

2007-10-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

Mount Baldy scramble, 5 hours. Richard, John Fell, Lilly Goga, and JP Borget

b

Mt. Indefatigable, Joy Route, 5.4+ slab

2007-09-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

I went to Kananaskis on sunday with brenden for the Joy Route on Mt Indefatigable. Great trad route, lots of easy pro placements, but we could have used more small TCU's and less nuts. A gust front came through in the afternoon. It is not a route you would want to be on if it was really windy, it was a little dicey crossing the ridge after the end of the route.

MSR Reactor

2007-09-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

After waiting since mid-february on back order, I finally got my MSR reactor stove today. Sometimes christmas comes twice a year.

SIV Course

2007-09-03T16:51:00.001-07:00

After a day climbing in the Bugaboos I went out to Mara Lake for the advanced manoeuvres course with Chris Santacroce. It was a lot to learn in such a short time, but they are good to know. I already can’t wait for next year so I can try and get better, wingovers and asymmetric spirals kick ass! I got 10 flights in over the 3 days I was there and didn’t really start learning to do the moves until the last day. On my last flight of the second day a gust front rolled in after Devon and I had launched. I got soaked with rain, but I managed to pull a B-line stall for a couple minutes and land in the middle of the lake. Devon went for an hour long ride, eventually landing in the field behind the campground. Unfortunately its back to school on Tuesday…fuck

Bugaboos

2007-09-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

This was my second time in the Bugaboos. Last time I felt like a bag of shit the first day hiking up, this time I felt like shit the whole time. Chris and I camped in the Boulder campground this time which is 10 minutes away from the Kain hut. We hauled ass up the approach trail and got it done in 2 hours. After a 4 a.m. alpine start the next day we did the snowpatch route on Snowpatch spire. Route finding was hard all the way up, we ended up taking a 5.8 variation near the top. My mind was totally blown and Chris had to lead the last 4 pitches. We topped out into a snow storm, one party on Bugaboo spire was forced to bivi the night away. Weather was deteriorating for the next few days so the decision was made to go home. I don’t think I could of climbed another day anyway.

Chris and I at the summit

The start of the first set of 5 rappels

The second set of four rappels is the corner system on the right

Full-on winter conditions on Bugaboo spire

Golden High Flight Course

2007-08-06T16:50:00.001-07:00

Next up on my paragliding lessons was the high flight course in Golden. I stayed there for 9 days, through the Canadian Nationals and managed to get 7 flights. Thats me on my APCO fiesta.

Canadian Paragliding Nationals

2007-08-06T16:45:00.001-07:00

I volunteered my driving skills for the Canadian Nationals in Golden. Learned lots, met some rad people. Jamie Messenger won the event, and one of my instructors, Keith, won for the Canadians.

Climbing 101

2007-07-12T19:28:00.000-07:00

Lindsey, Cody, Richard and Tyler

Heart Creek and Heart Mountain

2007-06-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Heart Mountain (Northeast Ridge): Canmore, Alberta

Went out to heart creek with Brenden for some sport climbing on saturday, super fun except for the bugs.
Brenden showing off his sweet new 4 Runner

I came back on today to do the scramble up the northwest ridge and down the northeast ridge. 4hrs 15min
View east down the valley towards Canmore/

Me and Cody on the summit
Some thunderstorms were rolling into calgary as we drove home and by the time we were in town the rain was coming down in the hardest rain i've ever seen. I had to drove through puddles 2 feet deep , the 14th street underpass underneath 16th Ave North was closed and probably had over 5 feet of water. Water was coming out of manholes in the road and the covers were floating away. This picture show the 2 block layer of bricks in Killarney.
And these two idiots are showing how to make a flood of their own. Sunlight dish liquid does not go in the dishwasher!

Grotto Canyon

2007-05-16T20:58:00.000-07:00

Grassi Lake, Canmore

2007-05-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Rock Season Cometh!

2007-05-09T18:50:00.000-07:00

Pete, Cody and I at Wasootch last monday

Random Icefields Parkway Pictures

2007-05-09T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Weeping WallBridal Vail Falls
Northeast face of White Pyramid, location of The Reality Bath

Ho Ho Hold me tight

2006-12-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've finally had some time to sit down and put up new pics. In preparation for going back to work i've been very motivated to get lots of climbs in. It's been an awsome month, thank you to all my climbing partners that made it possible for me to fullfill my dream of being a climbing bum. Merry Christmas ya'll!

"One method of getting loved ones to look more fondly on your climbing is to tell them that since you've started climbing you hardly do drugs anymore." — David Harris.

"Q: Why do mountain climbers rope themselves together ?
A: To prevent the sensible ones from going home !"

"1 - High pain threshold
2 - Bad memory
3 - I forget the third." — The three attributes of a good (mountaineer/ice climber/big waller).

"A climber's day always starts at the crux: getting out of bed."

"Vertigo I can handle alright — It's horizonto that drives me nuts." — Jim Lubell.

"The best climber in the world is the one who's having the most fun." — Alex Lowe

"A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave 5 minutes longer." — Ralph Walso Emerson

"Hey Brother, You're not fat Dude, you're just bomber !" — Karl Baba, reassuring Geoff on his % of body fat.

"Get into good physical conditioning by training (unless you are English)." — Chouinard's advice for ice climbing.

"Some of the world's greatest feats were accomplished by people not smart enough to know they were impossible." — Doug Lawson

and finally, my personal favorite

"Alcohol, firearms and a 4 wheel drive can go a long ways towards making a rain day into a fun rest day." — Frank Stock.

Grotto Canyon

2006-12-23T11:21:00.000-08:00

Ron and I went to the grotto near canmore. We climbed Grotto Falls 55m ll, WI 3 and the mixed route Mental Jewlery M6+, 12m.

Ron at the top of grotto fallsMe traversing on to the ice on mental jewelry

Ron top-roping up His

Bear Spirit

2006-12-23T11:12:00.000-08:00

Mark and I out at Bear spirit. We spent most of the day working on our mixed climbing skills on top rope.

These guys look like real posers, they aren't even roped up.

Avalanche Safety Training

2006-12-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Avalache Safety Training level 1, out at Bow Summit. You find that pack Brenden

Our instructor lookin' snazy in his european dancing boots (Scarpa F1's)

Look ma! 333,333.3 Kilometers

Wicked Wanda and Evan Thomas Creek

2006-12-18T17:42:00.000-08:00

Wicked Wanda II, WI 4+

Snowline 100m III, WI4

Chantilly Falls 100m II, WI 2

Canmore Ice Festival

2006-12-12T18:22:00.000-08:00

I went to the Advanced/Steep Ice Climbing Clinic during the Canmore Ice festival on saturday. Our guest instructor was Raphael Slawinski and we went out to Haffner Creek.

Ines papert was also around for the mixed clinic as was Sean Isaac.

Rounding out the most climbing talent i've ever seen in one place here is Guy Lacelle being belayed by Ian Parnell.

More pics from the day.

Planter's Valley

2006-12-12T11:01:00.000-08:00

Planter's Valley in the South Ghost
Weathering Heights 100m lll, WI 4

Chris on the top pitch of Anorexia Nervosa 130m lll, WI 4 R

The king his nipple and the holy beardsicle

2006-11-29T20:50:00.000-08:00

Ron, Grant and I headed out to King Creek AGAIN on sunday. It was a chilly -25 so a little ice cragging for the day wasn't a hard call. Climbs are finally filling out due to the cold snap

The main ice had water spraying out of the middle, which made a great water fountain when our nalgenes froze.

Here's ron burning his arms off on TR.

Grant showing off his mixed skills.Grant hanging out.
Holy beardsicle!

South Ghost

2006-11-29T19:50:00.000-08:00

Here we are in the south ghost about halfway up the approach trail.

The Joker (50m lll, WI 2-3)Why does everyone always give me the finger?

RC.com

2006-11-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

Ain't that a B

2006-11-13T13:17:00.000-08:00

One more early season weekend of ice down, one hurtin pinky to recover before next weekend. Saturday saw us in King's Creek for some tooling around. The flow is getting some thickness, Brenden said it lost some compared to last weekend due to warmer weather. One other climbing party was climbing a wicked looking bolted mixed line on the way out, don't know where it is? ...not going to tell you.

After getting out at 6am on sunday it was off the ghost (SWEET!) Talked to a couple climbers at the bottom of the big hill, they were headed south and we made our decision to head north. The real big drip as viewed from the bottom of the big hill

GBU is forming up
So are The Indifferent and Angel Eyes
As well as some flows to the right of GBU that i havn't seen before.

This house of sky (500m lll, WI 3-4+) seemed to have the best chances of being in so we headed up. We tied up Luger to a tree with some food on the ground before the first step.
Everything with thin, wet or both but the climbing was great.

This is a piece of ice that hit me in the pinky, next time i'm going to hide behind the belayer.

Ron's first lead of the year, and Brenden soloing up while he sets up a belay.
As if getting hit in the hand with a 20 pound piece of wasn't good enough, the ice in this pool didn't feel like holding me up. Both feet are on the bottom of the pool with water at my waist.SHIT, better take a picture of that. Then the ice breaks as i take a picture of the first hole, so soaked i just sit down and take my time getting out. Brenden's pirate language from up the creek tells me i'm not the only one drippping.

That was enough for me, after rapping back down the step we had just climbed, I fall in again. I just can't get any wetter so it wasn't that bad. We met up with 6 more climbers heading up the route,i would they didn't all come out dry. It was at least noon by then so it was only getting warmer, now if only Ron will fall in too I won't feel so bad
Remembering the beer we have back at the truck kick our asses into gear and we do some rapping. Ron fell through and got a leg wet, YES!. I come to the edge of the second to last step only to see my dog unroped and above a 15 meter vertical ice section I decide that if he looks that happy it can't be bad. Leason of the day was use a LOCKING beener to tie up the dog, seems he knows about crossloading a gate. He also has good routefinding abilities, we could see the tracks heading up the side and around the icestep. If i never have to get lowered while trying to hold 100 pounds of wiggling shepherd I will be very happy. Beers at truck were great, so was wringing water out of both boots. I thought gore-tex was waterproof? guess I broke it

Ice Rack

2006-11-08T15:50:00.000-08:00

R&D (50 meters lll, WI 4+) Ranger Creek, Kananaskis

2006-10-31T18:49:00.000-08:00

R&D was the first ice climb I went to in my first season. I didn't get to climb it that time but one year later it proved to be the best climb of my life. Finally getting to climb "in the zone" made a WI4 seem like nothing. The hardest lead I tackled last year was 3+ at most. This is definietly the start to the season I had hopest for whilst fondling ice gear on the couch praying for cold. Honerable mention should be given to my new DMM rebels which performed seemlessly on their first lead. Looking forward to a good 06/07 season.

First step to ski mountaineering

2006-10-26T11:09:00.001-07:00

Watching Scott ski down Mt. Joffre while trudging out through the snow for HOURS made me want to cry. I swore i would get set up for alpine touring. After checking out an ad at MEC for skis and skins I am the proud owner of slightly used Hagen 183 tour freeride's with G3 skins for the low low price of $100. Now i'm on the hunt for bindings and boots.

BAM!

Ice Hunt 2006

2006-10-24T23:15:00.000-07:00

On the hunt for ice Brenden and I went to check out R&D on sunday. Another stellar fuckin' day out in the mountains.
R&D wasn't built up enough for our liking so as a consolation prize we bagged a sweet 15 m WI 2.

Here's what it looked like on Sunday. R&D on the bottom left and Lone Ranger and friends on the right.

Close up of R&D with shepherd for scale.

Close up of Lone Ranger and nearby climbs.

Grotto Mountain

2006-10-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Fun day scramble up Grotto mountain (2706m, 8,878'). This was the first time I took Luger out hiking, he cut his paws a bit but seemed pretty happy not to be left at home.

Mount Joffre

2006-10-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Geared up and ready for Mount Joffre (3449 m, 11,316') June 23-25, 2006

Looking back at upper and lower Kananaskis lakes

Joffre from afar.
Myself, Brenden Ramsay and Scott Montgomery on the summit.

And the moral is: Don't drink all your water on the summit

Bugaboo alpine rock 2006

2006-10-24T15:37:00.000-07:00

First trip to the Bugs and definitly not the last.

Bugs Ahoy! Worst hike of my life, not enough sleep i guess.

Snowpatch spire as seen from Bugaboo spire.

Howser Massif as seen from Pigieon spire. I took this because we could see someone by themselves hiking out from the far spire. Turns out to be Janes Alez after a four day solo of All Along The Watchtower.

Hiking across the Bugaboo glacier to Pigeon spire

Clim-b-on

2006-10-19T21:05:00.000-07:00

Don't know why you would read about climbing rather than getting your ass out there, job you say?, well who's the sucker now. Maybe some kick ass pictures would change your mind.