THE ORACLE 450m IV WI4+X M4, Nov 6. FA: Stephen Holeczi, Brian Webster, Rob Owens

WG Note: Barry Blanchard and Phillipe Pellet climbed the first 300+M of this route on Nov 4, but the above team made the first full ascent so they're getting credit. It's notable that "Bubba" and Tronc were on their way to the Terminator but spun off sideways into the trees when they saw this line, it does look brilliant!

 

Lots of stubbies/14 screws

Gear up to #2 camalot/set of nuts

A few KB's

60m ropes

 

 Rob Owens, Brian Webster and myself climbed a new route 300m left of Shampoo Planet on Mount Rundle Nov 6. The first two pitches may follow the route Touch Me If You Can but in likely thinner conditions. The Waterfall ice book describes that route in a left facing corner, but we climbed a right facing one.  We did find old pins at first two anchor spots so WHO KNOWS! The whole route is very engaging and cerebral with very long runouts.  Majority of the ice is quarter inch to inch thick ice. It is awesome. Description is as follows.

1) 60m WI4X  Follow R. facing corner w/ gear then move out right to thin ice and follow to top.  Short M4 topout.  Belay oof horn at base of next pitch.  (Possible to climb directly up corner w/ better gear.

 

2) 60m WI4X  Follow thin ice with sporatic rock gear behind rotten ice curtains (cams)  up to ever steepening ice (stubbies) and then to 3 pin belay on small ledge.

 

3) 80m  Scramble then walk to next pitch

 

4) 45m WI4X Climb more thin ice to a snow ledge and shallow ice belay

 

5) 60m WI4+X Climb 15m up to rock roof. (good rock gear/nuts, cams, pins) Make steeper moves over small curtain then shoot for a red sling with a pin (good #3 metolius) on thin ice.  Belay somewhere above there!  We had a hanging belay off of abalokovs and stubbies just below another thin ice slab.

 

6) 45m WI4X Climb yet another thin ice slab up to a small ledge and slung icicle belay.

 

7) 60m WI4/4+X  Climb 20m thin ice to curtain (Good screws there).  Climb thin ice which gets thick halfway up and stop where ice lessens in angle.  Good full screw belay.

 

8) 45m WI3 Climb great ice to top!

 

Rappel Route

 

Brian Webster and I also climbed a fun  65m Grade 4 which is 50m left of Louise Falls that Brian(being a lifetime local) has never seen form before. 

 

Cheers