Sunday, November 25, 2007

Ice Conditions: Arterial Spurt (Nov 25)

Climbed Arterial Spurt today with 3 amateur leaders from the ACC (Al, Al and Bill). It is in excellent shape with zero snow on the approach and nicely hooked and stepped ice. Typically very thin, this year it is thick enough to accept 13cm and 16cm screws. It is 3 main pitches of narrow runnel climbing but has a couple easy WI1 sections in between. Bring 2 60m ropes for the rappels off.

Approach beta: Park at the "official" Heart Creek parking area. Follow the Trans-Canada hiking trail west (towards Canmore) for 30m to the dry creek bed. Hike up this for approx 5 minutes to a cairn where you move left into the forest on a trail. This trail is followed steeply up the spur boradering the left margin of the gully. Where it flattens out you will get a good view of the route. Continue following the trail which leads up a treed spur away from the climb. Near the top follow game trails right contouring into the base of the route.

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