• 1 403 678 4164
  • About Us
  • Our Team
  • Calendar
  • Booking Info
  • Location
  • Contact
  • Blogs & Videos
    • Guides Talk Video Series
    • Tech Tips Video Series
    • Trip Reports
    • Gear Reviews
  • Group/Corporate
    • Movie and Film
    • Youth and School Groups
  • Photo Submission

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Mountaineering, Rock Climbing, Ice Climbing, Backcountry Skiing

  • Avalanche
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 – Canmore/Calgary
    • AST 1 (Classroom Webinar/Rockies Field Day)
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 for Ice Climbers
    • Avalanche Skills Training 1 Refresher
    • Advanced Companion Rescue Course
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Canadian Rockies
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Rogers Pass
    • Avalanche Skills Training 2 – Purcell Lodge
  • Mountaineering
    • Beginner Programs
      • Scrambling Skills and Safety
      • Snow and Ice Long Weekend
      • Intro to Mountaineering
      • Women’s Intro to Mountaineering
      • Youth Mountaineering Course
      • Wapta Ice Hike
    • Intermediate and Advanced Programs
      • Yoho Peaks
      • Intro to Alpine Rock in the Bugaboos
      • Intro to Alpine Ice at the Columbia Icefields
      • Lake Louise Classics
      • Moraine Lake Alpine Classics
      • Rogers Pass Alpinist Camp
      • Bugaboos Granite
      • Tonquin Valley Alpine Climbing
    • Canadian Rockies 11,000ers
      • Mount Temple
      • Mount Willingdon
      • Mount Cline
      • Mt Woolley & Diadem
      • Mount Hector
      • Mount Athabasca
      • Mount Andromeda
      • Mt Joffre Expedition
      • Mount Victoria
      • Mt Edith Cavell
      • Mount Forbes
      • Mount Assiniboine
      • Mount Robson
    • Fast and Light Series
      • Castle Mountain
      • Mt Louis Kain Route
      • Bugaboo Spire – North East Ridge
      • Mt Sir Donald – Northwest Ridge
      • Mt Aberdeen
      • Mt Stanley
      • Mt Fay – West Ridge
      • Mt Temple – East Ridge
    • One-Day Crevasse Rescue for the Alpinist
    • Navigation 1 (Back to Basics with Map & Compass)
    • Navigation 2 (Digital Trip Planning & Electronic Navigation)
    • One Month Summer Mountaineering Program
    • Private Mountaineering and Guiding
      • Climb Mount Athabasca
      • Bugaboos Climbing Guides
      • Climb Mount Assiniboine
      • Climb Mount Robson
  • Skiing
    • Instructional Backcountry Skiing & Boarding
      • Intro to Backcountry Skiing & Splitboarding
      • Splitboarding Intro
      • Backcountry Freerider
      • Ultimate Steep & Deep Clinic
    • Guided Steep & Deep Programs
      • Rogers Pass Powder Skiing
      • Signature Series Splitboarding Camp with Justin Lamoureux
      • Kootenays Powder Adventure
      • Backcountry Powder Pass
    • Ski Mountaineering & Classic Traverses
      • Intro to Ski Mountaineering
      • Crevasse Rescue for Skiers & Splitboarders
      • The Wapta Traverse
      • Bow to Yoho Advanced Ski Week
      • Remote Ski Camp – Freshfields
      • Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Ski Traverse
    • 11’000ers Ski Programs
      • Mt Hector
      • The Lyells & Mons Ski Descents
      • Mt Columbia Ski Expedition
    • International Ski Trips
      • Troll Peninsula, Iceland Ski Safari
      • Rishiri Island Skiing in Japan
    • Navigation 1 (Back to Basics with Map & Compass)
    • Navigation 2 (Digital Trip Planning & Electronic Navigation)
    • One Month Backcountry Ski Program
    • Private Ski Guiding & Splitboarding
  • Rock Climbing
    • Rock Climbing Level 1 – Outdoor Rock Intro
    • Rock Climbing Level 2 – Learn to Lead
    • Rock Climbing Level 3 – Multi-Pitch Climbing Course
    • Rock Climbing Level 4 – Trad Rock Leader
    • Rock Climbing Level 5 – Rock Rescue
      • Foundational Rock Rescue
      • Advanced Rock Rescue
    • Signature Series Rock Leader with Sean Isaac
    • Hot Rock
    • Ghost Rock
    • El Potrero Chico Rock Road Trip
    • Beginner Experiential Rock Climbing
    • Multipitch & Instructional Rock Climbing
  • Ice Climbing
    • Ice Climbing Level 1 – Basic Ice
    • Ice Climbing Level 2 – Top Rope Management
    • Ice Climbing Level 1 & 2 – Ice Evolution
    • Ice Climbing Level 3 – Ice Leader
    • Ice Climbing Level 4 – Multi-Pitch Ice Leader
    • Steep Ice and Mixed Climbing Clinic
    • Drytooling Clinic
    • Rampart Creek Ice Camp
    • Ghost Ice Climbing Camp
    • ‘Hot’ Ice Climbing
    • Signature Series Ice Climbing with Sean Isaac
      • Early Season Ice Camp with Sean Isaac
      • Ice Leader Camp with Sean Isaac
      • Mixed Master Camp
      • Steep Ice Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Mixed Climbing Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Ice Lead Clinic with Sean Isaac
      • Multi-pitch Systems Clinic with Sean Isaac
    • Southern Ontario Ice Climbing
      • Southern Ontario – One-day Ice Climbing Essentials
      • Southern Ontario Ice Leader
    • Avalanche Skills for Ice Climbers
    • Beginner Experiential Ice Climbing
    • Private Multipitch & Instructional Ice Climbing
  • Mountain Semesters
    • 3-Month Mountain Skills Semester
    • 1-Month Summer Mountaineering Semester
    • 1-Month Ski & Splitboard Semester

January 28, 2016 By Sylvia Watson Leave a Comment

Classic Canadian Ice Climbing – ‘Hot’ Ice

MargaretImai-Compton_HotIce-compressor‘Hot’ Ice Trip Report
by Margaret Imai-Compton
January 20, 2016

YMA Hot Ice
January 16-18, 2016

At the risk of sounding uber patriotic, the Canadian Rockies have the best extreme ice climbing in the world. It’s common to come across ice climbers from Europe, USA and other countries, who have made the pilgrimage to climb classic ice routes in the Canadian Rockies.

Reading about Yamnuska Adventures’ Multi-Pitch Winter Ice Climbing Trip, I was immediately captivated. I was drawn to the description that the camp is designed to give ice climbers the opportunity to experience the best of Rockies ice, at a level tailored toward one’s ability, strength and previous experience, all under the leadership of Yam’s certified, professional ACMG guides.

Day 1 Haffner Creek:
There’s always an element of suspense when one is meeting up with a new group. For me, I have doubts about my abilities; whether I’ll be the weakest link; questions about my technique and experience; whether I’ll be able to “keep up” with the group. As it turned out, my four fellow ice climbers were lovely, supportive and friendly men who were out for their annual “mountain men weekend”.

Yam’s Hot Ice climbing trip is designed to showcase the best of Rockies’ ice climbing, so to prepare for subsequent days of multi pitch climbing, we started with a warm-up day at Haffner Creek. Our Yamnuska lead guide, Darren Vonk, reviewed basic techniques to make our climbing more efficient and precise. Then for the balance of the day, he coached each of us individually, pointing out correct stance, efficiencies in tool grip, how to find a flat foot position to rest our burning calves and how to retrieve a fallen tool (that was me!)

Day 2 Multi Pitch Classic Ice Routes:
Our group headed out to different destinations.  The four mountain men and their Yam guides, Jean and Takeshi, tackled the classic intermediate routes, Moonlight and Snowline in the Evan Thomas area of Kananaskis. “Snowline was a challenge but the best ice I’ve climbed” enthused Todd.

Meanwhile, Darren and I opted for a mellow two pitch route called Waterhole on McGillivary Slabs near Exshaw.  Afterwards, over coffee and sweet treats in Canmore, we debated whether the highlight of the day was the ice climb itself, or the yummies afterwards!

Day 3 Lake Louise Falls:
On our last day together, we approached the ever popular and classic four-pitch Louise Falls.  For safety, Darren and Takeshi’s ropes took different sides of the frozen falls  (left and right) and climbed up two pitches to a magical cave at the foot of an ice pillar.  For maximum thrills and chills, one then exits the ice cave and traverses onto the face of the pillar – a daunting few moves even for those of us who relish exposure – and straight up to the gnarly last pitch which ends in the trees, then a walk off through deep snow, down a narrow gully.

Reflecting back on our three days together, I realize my initial trepidation was unfounded; the guides expertly tailored the climbing objectives to our individual abilities and experience. They certainly delivered on providing a classic Hot Ice experience, and I’m now looking forward to Yam’s summer Hot Rock program.

Well done Yam guides Darren, Takeshi and Jean. And thanks to Steve, Todd, Evan and Patrick for a thoroughly enjoyable time together.

Filed Under: Trip Reports Tagged With: hot ice, ice climbing

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Yamnuska is also on

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Contact Us!

Toll-Free North America: 1.866.678.4164
Phone: 1.403.678.4164
Contact Us

Button_GiftCertificate

Search

Safe Travel Stamp

ACMG_logo_RGB

Partners

Patagonia

Sponsored By

K2

K2

Sponsored By

Julbo

Sponsored By

Dynafit

To learn more about how we use your information, please read our Privacy Policy
Copyright © 2023 · developed by Artmann Comm on Genesis Framework