Burnier Vogler & Vent Du Dragon

In May I spent 3 1/2 weeks in the alps with my girlfriend and daughter.
Most of the time we used hiking and relaxing in the sun, but for a week Morten Johansen came down for some climbing.

We had everything from full on winter conditions with -20 temps and snow, to sweet spring sunshine.

We started out climbing Burnier Vogler abseiling from the Cosmique ridge, climbing in some of the worst conditions I have ever had in the mountains.

Abseiling down the route

Morten starting out on the first pitch before heavy spindrift began.

Morten leading in the spindrift. I seconded most of the pitch with my eyes closed.

Morten following the 4.th pitch.

After topping out we had to reverse the ridge to get back to our tent. This turned out to be quite difficult in a whiteout with 40 cm of new snow.

We did not sleep much as it was bitterly cold.

Here are some of Mortens photos

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47561738@N00/sets/72157644734580055/with/14213364572/

Chamonix june 2013

In june 2013 Simon Lund Jensen and I spend almost two weeks climbing in the Mont Blanc massif.
The prolonged winter of 2013 had made sure that some of the winter/spring routes were still in climbable conditions.
When we arrived and camped below the Pointes Lachenal, the weather was nice and cold, it lasted about two days and the fohn took over and ruined everything.

We spent the first afternoon checking out the conditions on Goulotte Lafaille: D, AI4, 300 M. which we wanted to get on the next day.

The conditions of Lafaille in the center and the iced up direct start to the Supercouloir.

Making dinner before bedtime below Pointe Lachenal. We didn´t see any other people on the glacier that day.

Before taking of the next day in great weather. I took us about an hour to get to the bergshrund.

Simon approaching the bergshround, as the weather starts to heat up. We overtook two italiens, who chose another route around the shrund. The first pitch up the couloir was pretty horrible with loads of snow and ice coming down.

Simon following the second pitch, I was able to link pitch 2-3 with a bit of simulclimbing to get to the belay. These pitches was also difficult because of stuff coming down the couloir. We abseiled off at the end of the difficulties.

The next morning heading for Gabarrou Albinoni: TD-, AI4+, 500m.

The climb starts with a 300m climb up a 50-60 degree snow slope. We simulclimbed this part.

Simon climbing the first goulotte pitch. He was able to link pitch 1 and 2 with a bit of simul.

Simon following further up. After this pitch there was no more ice to climb, so we descended without having climbed to the summit. The fohn had started to blow on the glacier, so we packed up and headed down.

Canada 10th. - 31st. of Jan.

 In jan. 2013 I spent 3 weeks in the Canadian Rockies with Simon Lund Jensen, climbing ice. We had bomber conditions with lots of ice, fairly warm temperatures for that time of year with nothing lover than minus 18-20 and that only for a couple of days.

We started out with the easy classic Cascade WI3, in very beutiful settings in Banff National Park.

On the drive to Cascade Falls on Mount Cascade

On the short approach

Simon leading the first pitch

The next day we drove 2 hours to Lake Louise to climb Louise Falls WI4, it was a sunny and cold day. We bailed before the final pillar pitch, as it looked a bit thin.

                                                       Simon following the first pitch

Simon leading the second pitch on Louise Falls WI4+

The day after we drove in to British Columbia to the small town of Field. Where we climbed Guiness Gully WI4 in 3 long pitches.

Simon leading the first pitch

Me leading the second pitch

We drove back and spent a night in the back of the Jeep, before waking up early and driving to Calgary to pick up Anders Hedeager Pedersen at the airport. He came out for a week of climbing and it turned out to a great week. We climbed Moonlight WI4, The professor falls WI4, Polar Circus WI5 and Weeping wall central pillar WI5, all classic routes.

We started in Kananaskis country, climbing in Evan - Thomas creek, Anders and I climbed Moonlight WI4 110 m and Simon climbed a pretty thin line next to it with Toby Pritchard.

Anders Hedeager Pedersen and me climbed the route on the left, Moonlight WI4. Simon lund jensen and Toby Pritchard climbed the route on the right.

                                      Me leading the first pitch of Moonlight

                                         Anders leading the second pitch

The next day we were back in Banff national park climbing the classic The Professor Falls 280 m. It was a pretty cool walk in, next to the Bow river.

The climb is known for being very wet, and this day was no exception, but the route deserves it classic status. There was no other people on the route.

Unpacking in front of the first pitch. The climb gets it´s nice color because of the high water flow, thus it is very famous for being wet.

                                       
                                  Me leading the second pitch of The Professor Falls

Anders leading the last pitch, it is steeper than it looks. We abseiled off chained anchors, which is widely accepted in the canadian rockies because of the poor rock quality.

On the walk out from the climb, along Bow River.

As Simon had promised, the trip up Icefields parkway to Rampart creek was amazing. Incredibly beutiful and remote place about 150 km from Lake Louise. 

Icefields parkway

Mount Temple from Icefields Parkway

All the talking about the scenery came to a complete halt, when all three passengers dropped their jaws at the sight of first Polar Circus 700 m, V, WI5 and 10 min later the Weeping Wall 300 m with lines from WI3 to WI6. 

The lines out here was of a totally different character, compared to the stuff we had climbed so far. The length and steepness was pretty intimidating.

Polar Circus is called “ the showpiece of the Canadian Rockies and a must for all climbers” by Joe Josephson in the guidebook for the area

The last 200 m of Polar Circus, visible from the road.

Anders in front of the Weeping Wall

With the forecast for the next day being cloudy and not too warm, which made for the safest possible avi conditions, we wanted to start out with the Circus the following morning. We got up at 5.30 and simulclimbed the first part of the route in the dark. 

We belayed 6-7 pitches and spent 13 hours car to car, making pretty much the whole of the descent by headtorch. All of the 13 abseils are equipped by bolts or pegs.

Me leading the first WI4 pitch on Polar Circus

Leading the pitch around The Pencil on Polar Circus. The pencil is a famous WI6 climb, that is rarely in condition. It usually collapses before it becomes climbable.

Simon leading the technical Rogue pitch on very brittle ice.

Anders doing the bootpacking towards the upper tiers which is the crux of the climb. We passed the cave in which the first ascenders bivi´ed. The first ascent in december 1975 took 8 days!

I thought that it felt a lot more like alpine climbing than “regular” ice climbing on Polar Circus, the weather, ambience and terrain made for a great day out.

Simon and Anders following the first pitch on the upper tiers

Anders leading the second to last pitch. Very impressive piece of ice.

Finally at the belay after the last pitch. Soaked after climbing the last pitch in it´s standard wet conditions. Very happy for having climbed the main project of the trip. We descended the route by around 9-11 abseils and some downclimbing. 

Anders at one of the abseils in the dark.

After a day off hanging around in the town of Jasper, eating burgers and drinking coffee, Anders and Simon wanted to get on the Weeping Wall. I was still a bit beat after Polar Circus, but once we stood underneath the lower Weeping Wall, and Anders offered me the first pitch, it just looked to good to miss. 

We climbed the Central Pillar WI5+ 180 m, on the lower Weeping Wall in three pitches, the middle pitch being the definite crux.

Simon walking towards the Weeping Wall.

Anders starting out on the second pitch, which turned out to be quite difficult.  

Simon on the last pitch. The route was one of the highlights of the trip.

After dropping Anders off at the airport we picked up norwegian climber Anna - Malou Petersson. I took a few days off climbing, hanging round in the Canadian Alpine Clubhouse in Canmore, before we drove back to Field in Yoho National Park.

Simon and Anna led the two pitches of Carlsberg Column, the grade 5 classic of the area. 

The small town of Field. 

Simon on the first pitch of Carlsberg Column

The next day we walked a few km along the tracks of the Trans Canada Railway to a 5 pitch WI5 climb called Super Bock. 

It was a really windy day, and all the new snow from the bowls on the upper mountain, were being funneled down the climb.

When Anna was leading the last pitch in horrible spindrift and bigger and bigger slides were going around us, we decided to bail. 

We abseiled down low angle snowslopes, as slides kept setting off.

It was good to get back to the traintrack. 

The long slog along the trainstracks to get to Super Bock

More snowy approach, the climb in the background.

Anna - Malou following the first pitch.

Simon and I enjoying the conditions at the belay before we decided to bail.

Anna - Malou in the heavy spindrift. Anna - Malou abbed back to the belay after this pitch and we descended.

Abseiling low angle terrain because of the avi danger. Several smaller slides were triggered from just walking around this area.

                              This was the perfect way to end my Canada 

                              trip, a day out in moody weather that ended by headtorch, walking the long way back to Field on the train tracks.

Thanks to the people involved in the adventures.