Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is proud to be a part of the 42nd anniversary of the first ascent of Guide’s Route on the East End of Rundle. Alan Cole, Charlie Locke and Lloyd MacKay first climbed this route back in 1970 and on August 1st, Yamnuska guide Barry Blanchard joined Alan and his son Stephen on his return to the route.
Barry provides a recount of the day:
“What a cool thing to do, climb Guides Route with Alan Cole, and his son, Stephen, forty two years after Alan made the first ascent of the route with Lloyd MacKay and Charlie Locke. “Lloyd probably had the whole route figured out before we set foot on it. He was really good.” Alan told me half way up when I queried him on the route finding. It was great to relive the route with Alan and hear him reminisce on being up there in full mountain boots, wool knickers and knee high cross country ski socks. “I don’t know how we climbed this stuff in our big boots, but it was all we knew. Those boots were more comfortable than these bedroom slippers!” Alan observed, seven hours into our ascent with our rock shoes biting for last three. Our father, son and guide team topped out the route at 4 pm. Stephen got a call and learned that his eight year old son had taken a wee tumble on his mountain bike three thousand five hundred feet below us in Canmore that day. Got me wondering if that little man would ever be up here, three generations. “That’s the hardest rock climbing that I’ve done since 1970… the last time I climbed this.” Alan proclaimed. Time rolls on.”
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