Ref: Eric
Coulthart in the Canadian Rockies
Our
route differs from the one Eric describes; from the Normandy-Ardennes
Col, we traversed Stan Waters Peak's west slopes until we could easily climb to the
summit. |
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After the bridges,
we take the trail on the left. |
| Scramble:
RT 11.25; 6.0 up. Having just come
here last week, we
had good pictures of Stan Waters Peak and the current conditions; we
had a good feeling about this trip. We planned to aim for the
north-west drainage between Normandy and Ardennes as we had before and
gain the col. We figured we could traverse on the
drier west side; that way, we would avoid the snow-laden traverse on
the east side of Stan Waters' summit ridge. To pick the
best line,
we had to be mindful of some bluffs while we contoured; we also tried
to avoid soft snow in the trees. With
decent terrain and manageable conditions, we crossed Normandy-Stan
Waters' drainage and continued with our climbing traverse. At treeline,
we noticed a
mountain goat watching our progress. We ascended steep firm snow and
circumvented the jagged summit ridge by trending towards the top. Once
in sight, the summit is just a short distance away. We hung out at
the top and watched the weather move in; it didn't look more
threatening
than any other trips we've done... After lingering for an hour and
a
half, we got up to leave. When I put my pack on, I felt like a bunch of
army ants was biting my back; I dropped my pack and lifted my layers
for Fab to examine me. Simultaneously, he said: "hey, listen to my
axe... sounds like air is coming out of the shaft". That's when I put 2
and 2 together, we were getting electrified! I yelled at Fab to get the
hell out of dodge as I started running with my pack in my hands. We'd
come down about a hundred meters when the thunder clapped above our
head; holy moly, that was close. We glissaded the major drainage
between Stan Waters and Rhine. By the time we reached
the creekbed below, the weather cleared. We carried on in the narrowing
drainage, expecting to come to the drop Eric describes in his trip
report. At the drop, which is the crux, I chose the easy way; I went as
far as I could and simply slid down. Fabrice did not
intend to get wet, he skillfully scrambled next to the
waterslide. The enjoyable hike in that drainage leads to the Siffleur
Trail. It was fantastic to follow it back while taking in the
awesome sights. We're very thrilled about this trip and we feel
rejuvenated and happy to be alive!!! |
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The rubble that bleeds in the forest announces the drainage.
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Ascending the creekbed in the gully. |
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Following last week's tracks on the firm snow. |
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At the col, looking at Ardennes Peak. |
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Traversing towards our objective on dry terrain. |
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Losing height to cross the drainage between Normandy
and Stan Waters Peaks. |
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Climbing traverse on the west slopes of Stan Waters. |
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Treeline, we're getting closer. |
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Ascending firm snow under the watchful eyes of a mountain goat. |
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More traversing below the jagged summit ridge, the top is just ahead. |
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Stan Waters' ambassador. |
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On the final stretch. |
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Jojo, the human antenna. |
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Very official register. |
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Rhine Peak, the tallest of the 5-peak complex. |
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Western view, now you see it... |
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... now you don't! |
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Ominous weather and snow squalls... just like on Mount Hensley. |
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Little did we know, we were just about to get
electrified! |
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Although I took the time to take a picture... we're
getting the hell out of dodge! |
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Opting for an alternate exit. |
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Glissading all the way down. |
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Looking back as the weather clears, we're happy to be alive. |
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The drainage between Rhine and Ardennes is closing in. |
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At the crux; there's a piton climber's left to assist
over the down-slopping slabs. |
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After chucking my poles, I chose to slide down the natural waterslide. |
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Fabrice went down climber's right along the waterslide. |
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Luckily, there's no ice. |
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Very scenic and enjoyable route. |
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The water level is manageable. |
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Siffleur Falls. |
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Enjoying the sights on the way out. |
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The route we followed. |
| Back to home page |
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