NEW MIXED ROUTES Please send new mixed routes and first ascent details to mixed@seanisaac.com. Guide book corrections, comments and criticisms are also welcome. This page will be updated frequently to compile new route information and make it available between guide book publications. Routes are listed geographically south to north in the same manner they are presented in "Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies, 2nd Ed". Kananaskis Country King Creek Curse of the Bambino M5, 25m FA: Shawn Huisman, Mike Meilicke, Oct. 04. This fun, moderate mixed corner is found about 100m before Magic Touch on the right side as your hiking up King Creek. Climb thin ice with short drytooling sections past 10 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor. Opal Creek Racially Motivated M5+, 55m FA: Erol Altay, Robert Rogoz, Nov. 03. Approach: As for Whiteman Falls. Climb the double steps of WI2 approach ice then continue up canyon for about 60m. The route climbs the obvious corner/off-width on the right. Gear: Standard mixed rack Climb snow for 15m then work up the steepening corner that sometimes sports thin ice on its left wall. A hand-sized crack on the right parallels the wide corner crack offering good mossy pick placements as well as protection. When the angle lessens continue up the gully then traverse right across a wide snow ledge to a tree belay. Descent: Double rope rappel from the tree. Red Man Jams M6, 35m FA: Sean Isaac, Mike Meilicke, Andrew Querner, Nov. 04. Rack: Set of cams from #.3 Camalot to #3 Camalot with doubles of #.75, #1 and #2. It was completed on clean gear except for the fixed pitons on the upper section of Red Man Soars. Climb the straight-in splitter hand crack on the slabby wall left of
Red Man Soars. Where the crack peters out at a small overlap
traverse right on good edges to the arête and continue up the ice
of Red Man Soars to the 2-bolt anchor in the cave. Canmore Area Grotto Canyon Above Hers (WI4) are two drytooling lines that end in the middle of the wall at lower-off anchors. Inverted Bi-Sexual M7+, 26m FA: Eric Dumerac, Dec. 03. The right-hand route follows 8 bolts to a 2 bolt anchor. Introverted Extrovert M8, 26m FA: Eric Dumerac, Dec. 03. The left-hand route follows 9 bolts to a 2 bolt anchor. Mt Rundle The Terminator Wall T3 M7 WI5+, 40m FA: Guy Lacelle, Rob Owens, Dec. 03. T3 is another unformed mixed start to The Terminator located left of T2. The first ascensionists only climbed the first pitch so it is still awaiting a complete ascent. Gear: Standard mixed rack. Climb 10 meters of run-out ice. Slopey drytooling above marginal gear (Knifeblades, RP’s) gains a slightly overhanging, 2 cm wide crack in a right facing corner with good gear. Ice blobs and splatterings lead past smooth rock to a roof crack (small cams) then onto the left side of the main ice. Climb difficult ice for 10 m up and right to a cave. Koji San M6 WI5+, 58m FA: Eric Dumerac, Philippe Phillet, Nick Rapaich, Nov. 04. Belay right of the beginning to Sea of Vapours, below the last
dagger out right. Climb up to a piton followed by two bolts under the
roof. Move onto the curtain and continue up steep, thin ice finishing
under a big rock overhang. Banff to Lake Louise Bear Spirit Yogi Bear M7+, 20m FA: Eric Dumerac, Nov. 04. This is the farthest left route. It ascends a steep wall past 7 bolts to a 2-bolt anchor. The only ice on the route flows from a depression low on the pitch. Spoiled Rotten M7+, 15m FA: Mike Charbonneau, Jeff Honig, Sean Isaac, Louis-Julien Roy, Nov. 03. Climbs first 3 bolts of Spoiler then straight up past 3 more bolts to the ice. 6 bolts total. Pilot Mountain Fog Bank M6 WI5R, 150m FA: Grant Meekins, Dave Thomson, Nov. 03. Approach: As for Sky Pilot / Dog Fight then continue right along the base of the cliff to Vapour Trail (WI6+R, 130m). Fog Bank is located 15m right of Vapour Trail. 1) M6, 50m. Dry tool to get to a free hanging pillar followed by more dry tooling with good rock gear to get on a second pillar. Steep, thin ice leads to a rock belay just to the right of a third pillar. 2) WI5R, 40m. Thin ice gains to a ledge at the base of a vertical step. Belay from ice screw anchor. 3) WI5, 60m. Climb the steep step and scratch up thin, low-angle ice over rock to a ledge. Move left and join the last pitch of Vapour Trail. Descent: Rappel the route from V-threads. After Burner M5 WI4R, 75m FA: Robert Lee, Grant Meekins, Nov. 03. Approach: As for Fog Bank (see above) but continue 100m right. The climb seeps out of a buttress halfway between Vapour Trail and Co-Pilot. 1) M5, 40m. Drytool onto very thin ice. Belay from ice screws at a ledge. 2) M4R, 35m. Climb thin ice
to the top of a small pillar that ends in the Descent: From the top of pitch 2, lower from V-thread with a quick link or carabiner since there isn't enough room for two climbers at the top of the route then walk off on a ledge that joins the route from the right 10m from the top of the final pillar. Protection Valley The Wicked Witch of the West V M6 R/X WI6 R, 190m FA: Guy Lacelle, Rich Marshall, Nov. 04. Approximately 400m left of Mon Ami is a wide ice flow that doesn't
quite reach the ground. Descent: Rappel the top 3 pitches from V-threads. The last rappel is
off a large slung boulder. Radium Highway Storm Creek Headwall Approximately 100m left (up valley) of Fleshlumpeaters are three parallel, thin ice lines. The left two were named after the first ascensionist’s hairless cats: Puzzle is the fatter and friendlier left-hand one while Xena is the thinner and nastier right-hand one. The third and farthest right one, Cosban, was suitably named after a dog. Puzzle M4, 80m FA: Meg & Sebastien Fortin, Andrzej & Raphael Slawinski, Feb. 04. The route is identified by a ribbon of ice leading up into a gully. Climb off-vertical ice into a narrow section (crux) to more ice and a 2-piton station on the right. Steep snow and some rolling ice lead to the top. Gear: Standard mixed rack. Decent: Rappel the route from V-thread, then fixed piton anchor. Xena M5, 100m FA: FA: Sebastien Fortin, Raphael Slawinski, Feb. 04. Raphael Slawinski says, “For the grade, Xena is one of the best mixed routes I have ever done.” Pretty high praise for someone who has done almost every mixed route in the book! It is the obvious narrow line 20m right of Puzzle. Virtually all the climbing is on thin ice, but virtually all protection is from the rock. Gear: Standard mixed rack. 1) M5, 50m. Scratch up very thin ice to slightly thicker but somewhat detached ice. From a ledge, a narrow ice vein (fixed pin on the right) leads to another ledge and a good belay on the left (fixed Spectre). 2) M4+, 50m. Continue on thin ice up the chimney above, exiting on moderate mixed ground to a snow slope. Tie together as much gear as you can rustle up for a belay. Descent: Traverse left and rappel Puzzle. Cosban M5, 100m FA: Josh Briggs, Eamonn Walsh, Nov. 04. Rack: Standard mixed rack. 1) M5, 50m. Thin, detached ice leads into a deep slot followed by low
Descent: Rappel Xena. The Real Slim Shady M5+, 130m FA: Sean Isaac, Raphael Slawinski, Mar. 2004. A large dagger hangs off the cliff halfway between Crash and Tinkerbell. The Real Slim Shady climbs the obvious streak of thin ice in a shallow depression some 30 meters to the left of the dagger. Almost all the climbing is on thin ice, but almost all the gear is in rock. Gear: Standard mixed rack. 1) M5+, 50m. Climb low-angle thin ice to below a roof. Good gear can be found in the groove on the left. A few strenuous moves over the roof lead to more low-angle thin ice and a fixed belay (2 pins) on the right. If the ice over the roof is too thin too climb, avoid it on the left via the above-mentioned groove. 2) M4, 40m. Climb more thin ice past a sloping ledge to a fixed hanging belay on the right below a roof (pin and wire). 3) M5, 40m. If there is enough ice, climb directly over the roof. Otherwise (as on the FA), step right into a well-protected rock corner and follow it until you can step back left across a smooth slab and into the gully above the roof. Climb the iced up corner to a fixed belay (2 pins) on the left. Descent: Rappel the route from fixed anchors. Stanley Headwall Drama Queen 170m M7 WI6 FA: Chris Brazeau, Jon Simms, Jon Walsh, Jan. 06. Drama Queen is located about halfway between French Toast and Extreme Comfort. There is a single bolt marking the start and the first belay. The climbing follows thinly iced ramps and corner systems to wild mushroom formations that grow below the twin daggers that the route finishes upon. The climbing itself is a bit scrappy and each pitch gets progressively harder with the crux at the top. The cruxes are generally well protected but there are some run-out sections in between. The route finding is straight forward and the first three belays are fixed. Rack: Standard mixed rack including stubby ice screws. P1) M5, 45m. Snowed-up rock climbing, or if you are lucky “sn’ice”
in the spring, along the left trending ramp system to a cave belay with
a bolt and a fixed Hex. Descent: rappel the route from a V-thread at the top then fixed anchors.
From the mid-station on P2, 65m will reach the ground. Dawn of the Dead M8+ WI6, 140m FA: Sean Isaac, Dave Thomson, Dec. 05. Approach: As for Monsieur Hulot across the snow ledge from the treed shoulder on the right. The route itself begins 30m to the right of Nightmare on Wolf Street. Gear: Small to medium Stoppers, Camalots #.3, #.4, #.5 and #.75 (1/2" to 1 1/2"), screws including stubbies, 20+ quickdraws including tripled-draws and screamers. 1) M8+ WI5, 40m. Begin just left of a 2-bolt anchor and climb past 2 bolts to gain a splitter crack (small to medium Stoppers). 4 more bolts lead over a small roof and past a hollow flake. Place a #.75 Camalot in a perfect crack to protect up to the big roof. Clip a bolt then lean out to place a #.5 Camalot near the lip of the roof. Commit to technical layback torques to turn the lip and continue up the narrowing crack to an alcove beneath another big roof (small Camalots). Clip 2 bolts out right before making awkward moves around the arete to the ice smear. 4 bolts protect the thin, steep ice blobs. Continue up easier angled but thin ice to a 2-bolt anchor on the right. 2) WI4, 30m. Thin ice leads to a snow ledge and a 2-bolt anchor behind the pillar. 3) WI6, 50m. Steep ice leads to a cave belay. 4) WI5, 20m. Continue up the final pillar to the top. Descent: Rappel the route first from V-threads then from the 2-bolt anchors. Rhamnusia M8 WI6, 160m FA: Shawn Huisman, Sean Isaac, Mar. 06. Rhamnusia is an independant line located 20m left of Nemesis. It is the drip just left of Aquadisiac and is visible on page 209 of Joe Josephson's "Waterfall Ice in the Canadian Rockies" guidebook. Rack: Camalots #.1 to #3, Stoppers, Ice screws including 1 - 10cm and a few 13cm. no pins required. P1) The Trad Pitch M7, 30m. A low-angled, iced-up chimney leads to a
steep splitter crack system up a black stippled corner. Pick slots and
torques with sinker gear climb this aesthetic feature to a ledge (2-bolt
ring anchor).3 bomber angles are fixed on this pitch to supplement the
gear placements. Note: Another unexplored option from the top of the chimney
is to climb straight up the left-facing corner then move left around the
roof to an iced-up groove. Either way will get you to the same place. Descent: Rappel from a V-thread then from 2-bolt ring anchors. A couple leaver biners were left on bolts on P4 to facilitate getting back to the belay. The other option is to rappel straight from the top of P4 to the top of P2. Killer Cave Left of the Killer Cave is a long, steep wall that sometimes sports a broad curtain of hanging daggers. Typically though, the ice is nothing more than thin tendrils. The routes are all equipped with 2-bolt lower-off anchors for when the ice is not present Distiller M9, 30m FA: Joe Buszowski, Louis-Julien Roy, Dec. 04. Begin with powerful pulls over a large roof to get into a crack system that leads to a tongue of ice seeping from under a big roof (not always present). From this slight rest, launch out the final roof to the ice and up to a 2-bolt anchor on an alcove. 11 bolts. Serial Driller M9, 30m FA: Joe Buszowski, Louis-Julien Roy, Dec. 04. Follow a gradually left-trending seam to a massive free-hanging pillar. Get on the ice and move around the backside of it then join Distiller at its second to last bolt and up to its 2-bolt lower-off anchor. 14 bolts. Rototiller M9, 35m FA: Sean Isaac, Dec. 04. An endurance test. Start at the first bolt of Nutbar but move left following discontinuous cracks staright up the slightly over hanging wall to a 2-bolt anchor in a corner. Alternately, continue up ice to the top of the cliff. 13 bolts. Caution: a 70m rope is required to lower from the anchor if the belayer
is standing on the ground. If using a 60m rope, tie a knot in the end
and belay from a 1-bolt anchor on the large scree ledge. In the 2005/2006, two more routes were added to this wall between Fruit Cake and Miller Swiller. It was a dry ice year for the Killer Cave so the upper ice grooves were not formed on these two climbs. Miracle Filler M9, 30m FA: Joe Buszowski, Sean Isaac, Louis-Julien Roy, Dec. 05. From the first bolt of Miller Swiller head straight up a left-facing corner feature past 10 bolts to a 2-bolt ring anchor. If ice fills the groove above continue another 20m to a ledge with another 2-bolt anchor. Caterpillar M10, 30m Scramble up easy blocky rock right of Fruit Cake to the ledge. Follow 11 bolts up the 120 degree overhanging wall to a 2-bolt ring anchor at a small stance. If ice is fills the groove above continue another 20m to a ledge with a 2-bolt anchor. FA: Joe Buszowski, Sean Isaac, Louis-Julien Roy, Mar. 06.
Haffner Creek Pomeranian Massacre M8, 15m FA: Eric Dumerac, Mar. 05. 7 bolt line between Half n’Half and Mojo. The Girl Without Tits M9+, 15m FA: Gery Unterasinger, Dec. 04. Between Mojo and Buzz Blank, follow 8 bolts to a one bolt chain anchor to lower off or continue up to a tree with a sling. Typically there is no ice on the route hence the name: A mixed climb without ice is like a girl without… Buzz Blanc M9-, 15m FA: Joe Buszowski, JD LeBlanc, Dec. 03. A line of 11 bolts between Mojo and Oscar that lead to a 2 bolt anchor just below the top. Swing Your Ding M7+, 10m FA: Gery Unterasinger, Nov. 04. Start on the same beginning holds of Swank then follow 4 bolts very near the left edge of Swank. Schwanz M8-, 10m FA: Gery Unterasinger, Nov. 04. Just right of Swank, 6 bolts leads to ice pouring off the ledge. Good Girls Gone Bad M8-, 10m FA: Shawn Huisman, Dec. 03. Start on the same first couple of holds as Schwanz then move right and climb past 6 bolts to a 2 bolt anchor on a ledge. Donkey Punch M8-, 10m FA: Sean Isaac, Louis-Julien Roy, Dec. 05. Right of Good Girls Gone Bad, follow a seam past 6-bolts to the ledge with a 2-bolt ring anchor. Sideburn M6, 15m FA: Gery Unterasinger, Dec. 05. This route is located between Minimum Impact and Maximun Impact. Climb rock past 5-bolts to the curtain which gains a ledge with a 2-bolt anchor. Maximum Impact M7, 20m FA: Guy Lacelle, Jyoti Venne, Dec. 03. This truly “mixed” route is located about 10m right of Minimum Impact and just left of the WI3 practice flows. Drytool past 4 bolts on a slightly overhanging wall with tiny holds to a curtain and a ledge. Continue up an 8-inch wide ice vein protected by 4 more bolts. Pull a small roof to a 2 bolt anchor just below the top. 8 bolts total. Piltdown Man M11+, 10m FA: Joe Buszowski, Feb. 05. Starts just right of Caveman the climbs past 13 bolts joining Neolithic for its last 4 bolts to its anchor. Neolithic M11, 10m FA: Joe Buszowski, JD LeBlanc Feb. 04. Neolithic is located right of Caveman in the Hoar House Cave at the back of Haffner Creek. 10 bolts worth of powerful moves reaches a 2 bolt lower off anchor at the top. Field Mt Stephen Untwisted M5 R WI4, 120m. FA: Rich Marshall, Abby Watkins, Dec. 03. Gear: Standard mixed rack. P1) WI3, 20m. Follow the first pitch of Twisted to an ice screw belay below a roof. P2) M5 R, 40m. Move left for about 8m on a snow ledge then up a thin ice slab to a crack with two fixed pitons to more thin ice. Belay on rock (good quartzite) on the halfway ledge. P3) WI4, 60m. A few rock moves and excellent protection lead to an ice dagger and fat ice to the top. Descent: Rappel on V-threads. Glen Morangie M6 WI5, 120m Gear: Standard mixed rack. P1) Same as Untwisted. P2) M6, 45m. Move left and up verglass, through an overlap onto more verglass to a roof, step left at roof (fixed piton) to more verglass and the halfway ledge (ice belay). P3) WI5, 55m. Climb thin ice and steep pillars to the top. Descent: Rappel on V-threads. Daggermeister M7, 20m FA: Jeff Relph, Jon Walsh, Nov. 03. Approach: As for Home Brew. It is located on the cliff below and right of Home Brew. It is well visible from the road. From a 1 bolt belay at the bottom, climb overhanging rock (4 bolts) to gain a big dagger and technical ice to a 2 bolt anchor at the top. Descent: Rappel the route. Pilsner Amphitheater One for the Road M8, 25m FA: Rich Marshall, Abby Watkins, Dec. 03. On the far right-hand side of Pilsner area, 7 bolts rise up through daggers and drips to a 2 bolt anchor. Icefields Parkway South Dark Savant IV M5 WI4+, 120m FA: Eamonn Walsh, Scott Withers, Dec. 03. This alpine-ish mixed route can be found on the peak between the Transparent Fool drainage and Totem Creek. Approach: Park 500m south of the parking lot for Transparent Fool. Follow a treed ridge to where the terrain gets steep at which point traverse left into a large drainage that houses the climb. A 10m ice step leads to a large snow ledge which is followed right to first tier. Climb another easy ice step to a big snow ledge and good cracks for cams.1.5 hours. Rack: Standard mixed Rack. 1) WI 4+, 25m. A short freestanding pillar leads to lower angle terrain
then a short hollow tube (good nut placement out left) gives access to
gully. Fixed rock anchor up and left. Walk up the low angle gully to the
second tier and belay out left in the snow. Descent: Rappel the route. Transparent Fool Area Good Friday M6 WI5 5.10, 35m FA: Joe Buszowski, Sean Isaac, Loius-Julien Roy, Mar. 05. Rack: Double set of cams to #3 Camalot and 1 #4 Camalot, stoppers, and stubbies. 1) M6 WI5, 25m. Climb a thin smear of ice in the corner to a leaning squeeze chimney (bolt). Wiggle and stem up and over a steep chockstone roof (fixed sling) then move left past blocks (#3 Camalot) to a ledge with a 2 bolt chain anchor. 2) 5.10, 10m. Jam finger and hand crack up corner and out the roof onto the overhanging headwall. Lower back down from the 2-bolt anchor just below the lip of the cliff. Note: This pitch was rock climbed with bare hands and rock shoes. It would involve hard technical torquing if drytooled. Descent: Lower back to middle belay from top anchor then rappel to the ground. Translucent Moron M6 WI5, 30m FA: Joe Buszowski, Sean Isaac, Apr. 05. This sometimes formed sliver of ice is found on the rounded buttress between Good Friday and Opaque Idiots. Gear: Stubbies, nuts and a couple mid-sized cams. 3 bolts gain the bottom of a skinny pillar which is followed to where it ends under a chockstone roof. Surmount this impasse (good rock gear) and wiggle into an easy squeeze chimney to a flake ledge with a 2 bolt anchor. Either rappel or continue up the chimney of Opaque Idiots. Descent: Rappel route from 2 bolt anchor. Mount Wilson Rivers of Babylon M6+ WI5+, 400m FA: Paul McSorley, Jon Walsh, Nov. 04. A 9-pitch traditional route on Mt. Wilson in the bowl between Mixed
Monster and Ice Nine. It is the central line of three ice
flows. No bolts were placed and the rock is generally excellent by Rockies
standards. The first 4 pitches were fixed then the upper pitches were
completed the following day. Rack: Standard mixed rack including double set of cams. 70m ropes recommended. 1) M6+, 60m. Climb a left-facing corner up a slab past ice patches to
a steep smear followed by a right-trending weakness in the rock to a ledge. Descent: Rappel route the to the base of pitch 5. Traverse left across the big snow ledge towards the middle of the bowl. One 65m rappel and one 60m rappel will reach the ground. Ice Nine Amphitheater Bacon M9, 30m FA: Sean Isaac, Feb. 04. Climb past 10 bolts to the left side of the first pitch of Ice Nine and up to the bolted anchor left of the upper pillar. This route has some of the best stone you’ll ever drytool on! Icefields Parkway North The Cineplex The Game M13, 25m FA: Ben Firth, Jan. 04. The Game is currently the hardest mixed route in the Canadian Rockies, if not the world. It is located between Rocky Mountain Horror Show and Orgasmo and involves multiple 8 foot dynos. 15 bolts. David Thompson Highway Nightmare on Sesame Street M6+, 20m FA: J. Mills, Mike Adolph, Brad Boychuck, Jan. 02. A bolted mixed line on left edge of Nightmare on Elm Street. The route gets iced over by mid-January if it is not climbed frequently. Approach: You can reach the climb from below by heading right or upstream
while above nightmare, past one narrow gully and descending a steep but
scree filled wider second gully. Bad Luck & Good Dreams M6+ FA: Mike Adolf, Brad Boychuck, Nov. 03. This is the unformed mixed version of Good Luck & Bad Dreams, which is located on Mt Stelfox in the first major gully when driving north. Approach: Park on the side of the David Thompson Highway near the heli-pad between the Cline River Bridge and the David Thompson Resort. Hike directly up to the route. 45 minutes. 6 bolts protect overhanging rock to reach the ice dagger. Descent: Rappel the route copyright
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