Summer 2007 - The Alpine Club of Canada

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Rockies’ ice climber tastes Scottish classics BY LYNN MARTEL With over 1100 established ice and mixed climbing routes, the Canadian Rockies are the dream destination of climbers the world over. But for Canmore’s Sean Isaac, who has spent half his 34 years ice and mixed climbing, authoring dozens of new routes and a guidebook—Mixed Climbs in the Canadian Rockies—in the process, the dream destination was Scotland, birthplace of technical ice climbing. In March 2007 Isaac got his wish, spending six days at the British Mountaineering Council’s fi fth Scottish Winter Meet. Held every second winter, with a similar event organized alternating summers, the gathering drew representatives from climbing clubs around the world, including France, Slovenia, Norway, Greece and even China. Although Isaac learned of the meet seven years ago, this year he was fi nally able to attend thanks to the Alpine Club of Canada, which covered his plane ticket, making him only the second Canadian ever to participate. “Ever since I started climbing, I wanted to go to Scotland,” Isaac said. “We live in a great spot for ice and mixed climbing, but Scotland is where it all started. It was an incredible week of cross-cultural exchange, with the best mixed climbing I have ever done.” With all expenses covered by the BMC once there, each day the visiting climbers joined a local host for a Scottish adventure. Activities were halted on two days due to stormy – even by Scottish standards – weather and extreme avalanche hazard, but for his fi rst outing Isaac climbed the classic Indicator Wall on Ben Nevis, a route that fi nished by climbing through a cornice and throwing a sling around a summit marker. At 1344 metres, Ben Nevis – taken from Gaelic words for poisonous or terrible – is Britain’s highest mountain, which attracts some of the nastiest weather anywhere as climbers test themselves on its 700-metre north cliff s. “It’s a great training ground, and a big reason why some of the best alpinists have come from Scotland,” Isaac said. 20 Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2007 “Hard technical climbing in full-on nasty conditions. You have to have your systems down.” Impressively, some of Ben Nevis’ classic routes were fi rst climbed at the turn of the 20th century, including the northeast buttress in 1895 – with a fi rst winter ascent a year later. With “Mr. Scotland,” Simon Richardson, a father of two and guidebook author with a full time job who puts up a new route nearly every weekend, Isaac was shown a “true Scottish wilderness climbing experience.” “We rode bikes for about an hour and a half, then hiked over the moors to a little quarry way on the backside of the Cairngorms,” Isaac said. “It was a fi vehour approach – a 12-hour day for three pitches of climbing – but it was a new route.” Th e fi rst pitch consisted of climbing vertical frozen grass, “With all four tools and feet stuck solidly in the turf.” Once actually on rock, the fi nal pitch featured an overhang and 70-degree snow. “In the Rockies, if you come across 70-degree snow it’s dry powder on loose slabs,” Isaac said. “Th ere the snow gets so solid, it actually squeaks.” Scottish climbers practice a unique style of winter – or ice – climbing, he said. Rockies ice climbing happens on steep, pure ice waterfalls, with mixed climbing consisting of climbing bolted dry limestone to access frozen icicles. By comparison, Scottish rock is granitic, laced with cracks and features that lend themselves well to traditional protection. “Plus it gets hammered by storms, it’s more like snow covered, rimed up rock,” Isaac said. “You go up and scrape off all the ice and climb the rock.” As well, Scottish style strictly adheres to a ‘no British ice climber Ian Parnell leads the fi rst ascent of Curly’s Arête, a new route on Scotland’s Ben Nevis named in memory of Canmore AB climber Karen McNeill PHOTO BY SEAN ISAAC bolt’ rule, as well as a ground up, on-sight ethic. “Which is a great thing,” Isaac said. “Th ey’ve got a limited resource, especially compared to what we have in the Rockies. Th at way they’re preserving what they have for future generations. Th ey’ve turned little mountains into big adventures.” For his last day, Isaac teamed up with British climbing star Ian Parnell for a fi ve-pitch new route on Ben Nevis, which they rated the equivalent of Rockies M7. “It was steep, technical, challenging, it took all day, and we topped out in the dark,” Isaac said. Th ey christened the route Curly’s Arête, in honour of Karen McNeill, who died last May on Alaska’s Mount Foraker – and her plentiful dark curls. “It was defi nitely an eye-opener for me,” Isaac said. “Climbing in Scotland takes skills, not just climbing skills, but navigation too. On Ben Nevis, you need a map and compass and goggles – always.” With plenty of evening entertainment, Isaac was invited to present a slide show on his home country, which left the Scots equally impressed. “Th ey were really psyched, we’re the envy of the
world for ice climbing,” Isaac said. “Especially this winter, since Europe has virtually no ice.” As always, he added, climbing in a new area meant he had lots to learn. “Th ey talk about double Gore-Tex days,” Isaac laughed. “I showed up in my soft shell and my underwear was soaked before we even started the route. You pretty much need a full change of clothes. I came home every day drenched.” After drying off , Isaac was schooled in the other classic Scottish tradition – singlemalt. “It was great to try a diff erent Scotch every night. I defi nitely got an education in Scotch.” Reprinted with permission from the Rocky Mountain Outlook. 2007 National Volunteer Awards Congratulations to the following dedicated volunteers for their outstanding contributions to the National and/or Section levels of the Alpine Club of Canada. Award recipient biographies can be found on the ACC website at www.AlpineClubofCanada.ca/awards/recent.html Distinguished Service Award Tom Knott, Calgary Section Robert Brusse, Vancouver Section Kevin Lohka, Unaffi liated Larry Forsyth, Toronto Section Eric Brooks Leader Award Neil Bosch, Edmonton Section Don Forest Service Award Elfrieda Bock, Ottawa Section Brenda Critchley, Calgary Section Kevin West, Calgary Section Many thanks to the Awards Committee members for their commitment to this endeavour: Paul Geddes (Chair), Tom Haslam-Jones, Dave McCormick, Rod Plasman, André Mahé and Mike Th ompson. Th e Club extends its generous thanks to Gerta Smythe for her past service to the Awards Committee. Alpine Club of Canada ● Gazette ● SUMMER 2007 21
Page 1 and 2: PUBLICATION # 40009034 Vol. 22, No.
Page 3 and 4: The Alpine Club of Canada Publicati
Page 5 and 6: New ACC Executive Director “exact
Page 7 and 8: Th e course ended with the instruct
Page 9 and 10: Munday biography brings history ali
Page 11 and 12: DRAGONFLY 8.2 | FUSE 9.4 | NOMAD 9.
Page 13 and 14: particularly helpful in providing i
Page 15 and 16: took our fi rst true rest day due t
Page 17 and 18: ience n Rombach, Kaeli Benoit, Jenn
Page 19: Whistler hosts fi rst Canadian Ski
Page 23 and 24: Discover Places of Silence PACKAGE
Page 25 and 26: ACC salutes the BCMC’s centennial
Page 27 and 28: International Space Station. Weight
Page 29 and 30: West Coast members christen Centenn
Page 31: John Lauchlan Award and ACC team up

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