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27/09/06: New Yamnuska Route
This
September, Jonny Red and I polished off our new route on Yamnuska that
we began working on last summer. This is both of ours first new Yam
route and are psyched to get it done. It is named Zigzag (5.12-) after
its not-very-plumb-line which tends to stray all over the frickin’
place keeping with the best of Yam tradition. Think Red Shirt but harder.
It tackles the vast terrain between Red Shirt and Excalibur with the
big prize being the big overhanging yellow headwall just left of The
Bowl. We put six days into it last spring, climbing ground up and drilling
on lead. The first couple days went well following our noses up mainly
gray rock. The learning curve was huge as we struggled to impersonate
Andy G with a Makita dangling from our harnesses. After five wandering
pitches, we smacked up against the yellow headwall. Not wanting to drill
a bolt ladder on aid in the wrong place, we opted to hike to the top
to scope the best avenue for last pitches. Scoping turned into drilling
but at least the route was rigged and ready to send. Our final day on
the route last fall went well freeing everything except a single hang
on the second to last pitch. With me training for my ACMG exam and Jonny
off exploring the Karakoram, we didn't find time to return until a whole
year later. I was in pathetic shape from short-roping 5.6 rubble all
summer but Jonny found the guns to fire the crux clean. Of course we
are biased like any first ascenionists so we think it is quality. In
my opinion, the last 5 meters before topping out are absolutely stunning:
5.10 jugs on an exposed headwall with big air below. This is only the
5th route to be graded 5.12 on Yam which doesn't seem right with the
amount of overhanging stone available for hard routes. Will Gadd is
close to finishing a long-term project between Balrog and The
Wild Boys through the oft-looked-at tired roof system. Once complete,
it will be not only the first 5.13 on Yam but the first 5.13 multi-pitch
in the Canadian Rockies. Long time coming…
I will post a route description and topo soon.
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