Having enough of long approaches and eager to get to the #1 on our checklist, we went for the (Lower) Weeping Wall on tuesday.
The plan is to alternate leading the multipitch, C1sc0 taking the first lead. The ice is less brittle than what we got the days before, not wet too, and the temperature is within the acceptable range. When you are standing right in front of it, the Weeping Wall looks less high, steep and threathening too. All very encouraging...
But after the second pitch, which I lead, and which has brought us into steeper and more brittle ice, C1sc0 doesn't feel like leading anymore. Following is alright he says, so we decide to continue, me leading. To ease our mind and stamina, and to diminish rope friction, we try to not make too long pitches. It has begun to snow lightly, but continuously - it won't stop anymore for the rest of the day, bringing us more than 15 centimeters of fresh snow..
The third pitch is a rather long one, bringing me on an almost hanging belay, with very little place to stand. The fourth pitch begins with some more steep and sometimes brittle ice, leading me onto a less steep snow field with lots of fresh snow on an unreliable crust of frozen snow, sounding a bit hollow. I find some good ice at the top of it, time for the fourth belay. The top seems to get nearer...
Looking up, a short piece of good looking ice leading to some kind of cave seems to introduce the final bit of steep ice under the top, marked by the small tree we have been focussing from beneath. While climbing this small tree has grown larger and larger, but never seemed to come nearer though...
The "good looking" ice turns out to be the most rotten crap I climbed on so far, and even while I'm not climbing straight up, C1sc0 gets tons of it. He tries to hide under the backpack, his only hope being a cleaned up way to follow.
I thought to make it to the top in this fifth pitch, but the crap makes me halt for a last intermediate belay in the little caveish thing I reach, the best belay so far, as I got shelter for the snow and wind now.
The worrying thing though is the last steep piece of ice. It looks like WI5 - and it probably is - but I know the top tree is near, and I've done it before. Before I start climbing again, I ask C1sc0 to keep silent, as I know even the best meant encouragement will piss me off while leading this.
Having cleared my mind as good as possible, I start off, traversing a meter to the left, and then up vertically. No Pockets to hook, and all I chop comes down. I can have it brittle, I can have it steep, but this combination after five strenuous pitches... it's too much!
I retreat to the belay. I remember what we saw from the last belay, and how the crust of snow and rotten ice has lead me to the cave, and I realize I must traverse to the left to reach little less steep ice. The traverse is awkward, my axes searching a hold on the vertical inhospitable ice pillars, my feet trying to find a grip in the loose crap. But after a few meters, I reach some cauliflower ice inviting me up, so I ascent the last meters to the snow slope at the top. There's nothing but rocks beneath this snow, so one last little challenge before I can walk to the little belay tree, which turns out to be a huge pine tree with half a meter diameter!
While I am securing C1sc0 up, my emotions are getting to strong.
Is a man allowed to weep on the Weeping wall? I am weeping... the snow, the brittle ice, the steep ice, the rotten ice, having to lead all the way,... I don't know. But I am glad I made it. This must be my most extreme climb ever, I don't need more than this!
Labels: Canada, climbing, ice, Icefield Parkway
