Spot the line.
Alik Berg and I just climbed a long line of thin ice and incredible neve on the north-west face of Mount Vaux. Craig McGee told me they had flown by it and described it as a WI5 pillar pouring right off the top of the ridge. Fortunately it wasn’t that steep at the top, and only vertical for a few short stints, as there was a distinct lack of good screws to be had.
What it did have was the best neve climbing I have ever experienced in the Rockies. Maybe because it is further west than most of the Rockies, we found single swing sticks in both thin ice (often between 5 and 10 centimeters) and neve.
Pitches 6-10
Our camp was just downhill from the waypoint marker.
The long simul-climbing pitch 5 leading to the top two tiers.
The first tier of pitches 1-4.
You can see the ski hill in Golden from the last pitch, which Alik graciously handed over to me as it looked like WI3 and we were sure to make it to the ridge before dark at this point, after he led all of the route except the first dry pitch and the middle scrambling ground.
The approach is not trivial due to creeks and deadfall. Alik wisely opted for ski boots for this part.
Western Nevé, 800m, M5 WI5R, March 5th, 2021.
Climbs an aesthetic ice line on the NW face of Mount Vaux. Guarded by a tough approach, the persistent will be rewarded with many pitches of engaging ice climbing. Difficulty will be dependent on conditions. On the FA the ice was generally quite thin and not always well protected. The upper 250m of the route is visible from the Finn Creek pull out on the Trans-Canada Highway.
Approach up Finn Creek. Copious deadfall and a thin snowpack near valley bottom give way to better travel higher up. 3-4 hours to idyllic bivy sites amongst some large boulders at treeline directly below the route. The slopes below the route are windward and often largely stripped down to gravel. Avalanche hazard is mainly limited to some small pockets that must be crossed near the base. 1 hour from the bivy to the base. Overhead hazard is limited to ledges and gullies on the route itself. Although fed by the Hanbury Glacier there is no serac hazard to the route.
Gear: single set cams to #2, nuts, good selection of pins, 12 screws including 3-4 10cm or shorter, 70m ropes ideal.
P1 30m, M4 Start up easy ground on the left, then traverse back right into the main corner. Move up 5m and step right to a belay (fixed rap anchor).
P2 35m, WI3+ Step right and climb a fine ice runnel to ledge. Move left to a belay.
P3 45m, M5 WI4+ Step down and left into a left facing corner with a ribbon of thin ice on the left wall. Climb this past a small overhang and continue up the ice runnel above to the next snow ledge.
P4 70m, WI3+ Climb good rolling ice and continue up the snow gully above for another 30m to an ice belay.
P5 350m, M3 WI3 Follow the path of least resistance to the upper ice strip. Mainly 3rd/4th class terrain first trending right then back left.
P6-8 180m, WI4-5R Climb three long pitches of thin ice and nevé. Protection not always adequate and mainly in rock. Cross a small snow bowl to the base of the upper ice tier.
P9-10 100m, WI3-4 Continue up thicker, aerated ice to the top.
30 mins of straightforward glacier travel gains the summit.
Descend the route in 12 70m raps.
