SARs On Ice - Approach
Travel east on Alberta Provincial Highway 11 to Whirlpool Point, 22.5 kilometers from Highway 93, the Icefield Parkway. You will see to the north of the highway, a number of small seepages high on a ridge. The lowest one is SARs On Ice, which is actually a pretty good approach climb and route to take when your goal is to also climb Five Seven Zero, another great climb of 100 m of fat III WI 4 ice in David Thompson Country. Five Seven Zero is situated higher and slightly to the right when facing the ridge head on.
One easy way to get to SARs On Ice is to just set a compass bearing from the highway and bushwhack in about one hour to the foot of the route. It rises up suddenly, huge, heavy and fat, right up out of the trees in a sudden hard increase in steepness, and wreckage of fallen ice and meltoff form a messy, slippery blob that will have you putting on crampons before you are actually at the foot of the route. You will see a vertical pillar on the right half, with overhanging icicles and caves. There is slightly easier ice further to the left of the pillar.
Photo by Sean Presley
Travel east on Alberta Provincial Highway 11 to Whirlpool Point, 22.5 kilometers from Highway 93, the Icefield Parkway. You will see to the north of the highway, a number of small seepages high on a ridge. The lowest one is SARs On Ice, which is actually a pretty good approach climb and route to take when your goal is to also climb Five Seven Zero, another great climb of 100 m of fat III WI 4 ice in David Thompson Country. Five Seven Zero is situated higher and slightly to the right when facing the ridge head on.
One easy way to get to SARs On Ice is to just set a compass bearing from the highway and bushwhack in about one hour to the foot of the route. It rises up suddenly, huge, heavy and fat, right up out of the trees in a sudden hard increase in steepness, and wreckage of fallen ice and meltoff form a messy, slippery blob that will have you putting on crampons before you are actually at the foot of the route. You will see a vertical pillar on the right half, with overhanging icicles and caves. There is slightly easier ice further to the left of the pillar.
SARs On Ice - Route Description
SARs On Ice is a wide, fat curtain of thirty to thirty-five meter high featured ice, III, WI 3-4, with overhangs, mixed route possibilities, and fun climbing. The climb can be toproped; there are trees along the top of the route. But it is also a fun and easy lead, with lots of little features to rest a foothold on, monkeyhang on a brief rest, and a nice, steep rappell back down when finished....if you're not moving on higher to try the 100 m Five Seven Zero route.
Rappelling is the way down this route, however. There are blobs of fat ice at the top of the seepages that would contain dozens of strong Abalakov anchors, if one decided not to trust the small trees at the top of the route, used by other climbers in the past.
The pillar is fun tooling around on, forms well every year and provides an extra little treat from the solid curtains of ice that abound everywhere along Highway 11, in the Front Ranges of the Canadian Rockies in David Thompson Country.
Photo by Sean Presley
SARs On Ice is a wide, fat curtain of thirty to thirty-five meter high featured ice, III, WI 3-4, with overhangs, mixed route possibilities, and fun climbing. The climb can be toproped; there are trees along the top of the route. But it is also a fun and easy lead, with lots of little features to rest a foothold on, monkeyhang on a brief rest, and a nice, steep rappell back down when finished....if you're not moving on higher to try the 100 m Five Seven Zero route.
Rappelling is the way down this route, however. There are blobs of fat ice at the top of the seepages that would contain dozens of strong Abalakov anchors, if one decided not to trust the small trees at the top of the route, used by other climbers in the past.
The pillar is fun tooling around on, forms well every year and provides an extra little treat from the solid curtains of ice that abound everywhere along Highway 11, in the Front Ranges of the Canadian Rockies in David Thompson Country.
Essential Gear
We used two 60 m Edelrid 8.5 mm half ropes, and set up Abalakov rappell anchors well back from the edge of the ice. The climb itself was thirty meters; a sixty meter rope would not be long enough for the rappell, assuming extra length would be required to set up a safe belay and rap station.
Climbers not wanting to toprope would need four to six ice screws, a few slings, quickdraws, a couple of locking biners and short length of 7 mm cordelette to tie Abalakov anchors. An Abalakov hooker would be needed, and at least one ice screw 220 mm in length to drill proper holes for V-threads.
A helmet, rigid mountaineering boots with rigid twelve point crampons, two ice tools, a harness, belay device and a few small slings for personal use would be just about all you need to climb this route. A topographical map of the area and a compass would be a very good idea to take along.
We used two 60 m Edelrid 8.5 mm half ropes, and set up Abalakov rappell anchors well back from the edge of the ice. The climb itself was thirty meters; a sixty meter rope would not be long enough for the rappell, assuming extra length would be required to set up a safe belay and rap station.
Climbers not wanting to toprope would need four to six ice screws, a few slings, quickdraws, a couple of locking biners and short length of 7 mm cordelette to tie Abalakov anchors. An Abalakov hooker would be needed, and at least one ice screw 220 mm in length to drill proper holes for V-threads.
A helmet, rigid mountaineering boots with rigid twelve point crampons, two ice tools, a harness, belay device and a few small slings for personal use would be just about all you need to climb this route. A topographical map of the area and a compass would be a very good idea to take along.
Shunda Creek Hostel
You might be well advised to take advantage of the secluded natural beauty and location of the rustic but very clean and comfortableShunda Creek Hostel , associated with the Hostelling International organization. Located about 4 miles outside of Nordegg, Alberta, this beautiful large log cabin/hostel features separate rooms, two large kitchens with food storage facilities, big, log-burning fireplaces in the great room and a huge hot tub out on the deck. It all feels good after a day or two of pursuing the tougher ice climbs in the Nordegg area. The cost is about $15 a night, and better accomodations in the heart of David Thompson Country, or any mountain area, will not be had at a fairer price. The hostel has a thirty-five foot ice wall outside, and an Indian teepee in the yard if you prefer to camp the old-fashioned way.
It'd definitely be warmer than sleeping at the trailhead, where -45 degree temperatures at night can occur, gradually warming to -30 degrees by morning!
You might be well advised to take advantage of the secluded natural beauty and location of the rustic but very clean and comfortable
SARs On Ice - Miscellaneous Information
A complete collection of ice climbs in the David Thompson Country and the Canadian Rockies are available in the guide book Waterfall Ice, by Joe Josephson, published by Rocky Mountain Books. TheCenter for Outdoor Education , based in Nordegg, Alberta leads ice climbing trips and is an excellent source of instruction for novices or intermediate climbers wishing to improve their skills.
A complete collection of ice climbs in the David Thompson Country and the Canadian Rockies are available in the guide book Waterfall Ice, by Joe Josephson, published by Rocky Mountain Books. The
SARs On Ice Acknowledgements and Photo Credits
The information contained on the SARs On Ice route page has been compiled by Henry Timmer, a Canadian citizen, mountaineer and adventurer currently residing in Sacramento, California, USA. To make comments, corrections, additions or inquiries, contact me atclimbwild@hotmail.com
The information contained on the SARs On Ice route page has been compiled by Henry Timmer, a Canadian citizen, mountaineer and adventurer currently residing in Sacramento, California, USA. To make comments, corrections, additions or inquiries, contact me at