You can ice climb eight months of the year around Canmore, Alberta. Our guide Pat Delaney of Yamnuska Mountain Adventures tells us there are three places in the world that are the best for Ice Climbing. Norway is one, I can’t remember if it was Russia or somewhere in the Himalayas for his next choice, but who cares because the Canadian Rockies in Alberta are the tops!

Ice Climbing – Alberta Rockies

We had been in Alberta during a particularly cold snap with several days under -20 Celsius for our outdoor ice climbing adventure extravaganza. There wasn’t a doubt in our mind that we’d find big ice to climb. We were just unsure how we and it would react in the mind-numbing cold.

Our friend Jeff Bartlett told us that optimal ice climbing temperatures were about -9 degrees. This is primarily because who wants to climb in unbearable weather? Moreover, the ice becomes brittle when the temperature drops too much. Inserting ice screws and steel crampons into dry and cold ice can easily chip it away.

Ice Climbing in Canmore

Canmore is located just outside Banff National Park in Alberta between Calgary and Banff. Ice climbing here means you’ll be in expert hands with the best mountaineers in the world!

We were in good hands. Our guide Pat is a professional climber with over 20 years of experience, and our second guide Jean Gamilousky brings 9 years of guiding experience, with several more climbing under his belt.

There is always one guide for every two people, and since we had a film crew with us, we were fortunate to have two guides keeping us company today.

When we asked how he got started, he said, “It was with my dad’s pick-ax and some rope.” He has been climbing big ice around the world ever since.

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is the largest and most reputable climbing company in all of Canada. They have skilled and experienced staff and have rigged large high mountain film shoots such as The Bourne Legacy and Inception.

Safety Meeting Before Climbing

The early morning meeting was dedicated to covering safety procedures and assembling our gear. We had never seen anyone go through the waivers so thoroughly; they would not allow us to sign until we had actually read everything carefully.

Ice Climbing is a whole new level of danger, and we liked it!

Once all our gear was organized, we strapped on our harnesses, helmets, and boots, and took a short drive to a nearby junkyard. From the parking lot, we started our hike up to the high waterfall for a better view and improved ice.

Hike up the Mountain in Crampons

The hike was approximately 20 minutes through the forest, where we even spotted cougar tracks leading away from the trail. Soon, we were enveloped by nothing but frozen trees and ice. We reached a bench along the trail and strapped on our crampons for the remainder of the hike up to the waterfall.

What are Crampons?

Crampons are steel spikes that assist in walking on ice and when climbing a frozen waterfall, they help you dig in and stand on the wall. Pat provided a brief lesson on using crampons, emphasizing that it’s easy to get tangled in them, and falling can result in serious injury.

If you fall down a steep hill, you would normally slide until you come to a stop. However, with crampons, your foot could snag something, leading to significant damage.

Consequently, when walking with crampons, keep your feet wide apart, watch your path, and take your time. We all made it safely to the waterfall.

View of Canmore from Above

After our hike, we were no longer cold and were ready to start the climb. Pat and Jean set up our top ropes. Pat climbed the frozen waterfall as if it were a simple staircase.

He installed a few bolts for safety in the event of a fall, but he appeared to need them. Soon, he reached the top, setting our protection and tying into a tree to ensure Dave and I could climb safely.

I volunteered to go first.

Pat instructed us on technique, emphasizing the importance of proper form to conserve energy. Here’s what we learned:

Tips for Ice Climbing Technique

• Start by swinging your ax to a reachable spot and plant it into the ice.
• Once you confirm it holds your weight by pulling down on the ax, swing the second ax a bit higher.
• When both are secure, kick your feet into the wall shoulder-width apart. Bring your hips in, and once comfortable, remove your lowest ax and swing higher.
• When moving your feet, do so below the highest ax to maintain balance.
• Once you reach the next level, reposition your feet to shoulder-width, remove the lower ax, and swing it above.
• Never move until the ax is tested for stability.

Ice Climbing is all about solid footing

Like regular rock climbing, Ice Climbing largely revolves around footwork. When your feet are securely planted in the ice, relaxing and maintaining balance while standing on your toes is much easier.

With secure footing, you can calmly find the perfect spot to swing your ax into a dimple or divot in the ice. This technique is significantly easier than targeting a solid piece that may break away upon impact.

The Screaming Barfies

We had heard about “the screaming barfies” before our ice climbing experience, but I truly understood the concept only after climbing.

When extremely cold outside, keeping your arms above your head cuts off circulation, causing excruciating pain when you lower them.

Initially, I clung tightly to my axes without taking a moment to relax. However, once I realized I could stand comfortably, I took time to shake out my hands.

That’s when the blood rushed back into my fingers, and it felt as if thousands of needles were jabbing into them. The pain was intense enough to make me want to scream.

Sometimes climbers are in such agony that they don’t know whether to scream or vomit!

Fortunately, I never reached that point, and after shaking out my hands and exclaiming, “I have the screamy barfies,” I continued on.

It was an incredible feeling to reach the summit and gaze down at the beautiful valley below. Dave safely lowered me down for his turn to climb.

He made it look effortless, climbing quickly, and I joked that because I went first, I opened up a path for him. He just laughed. We climbed a few more times, really starting to enjoy the experience.

Pat complimented us on our performance, crediting our climbing experience. I felt a sense of pride when he noted my belay technique was excellent.

In the end, we thoroughly enjoyed ice climbing. Dave and I agreed that we preferred it over rock climbing.

Understanding the technique and rhythm of hammering into the ice, kicking your feet, and moving upwards systematically was straightforward.

I acknowledge that leading ice climbs requires extensive training and expertise, which would take us to a new level. Nevertheless, with someone leading us and setting up top ropes, we focused solely on having fun! Now, if only we could find an ice climbing route in 90-degree weather?

For courses and more information on Ice Climbing in Alberta, visit Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Plan Your Trip to Alberta with These Resources

• Lake Louise: Pond Hockey on Lake Louise- A Good Old Hockey Game
• Winter Adventures: Banff Helicopter Tours and Snowshoe
• Banff National Park: The Best Things to do in Banff, Alberta
• Canmore: The Best Things To Do In Canmore, Alberta
• Calgary: Canada Olympic Park – Fun In Calgary Alberta
• Edmonton: The Best Things To Do In Edmonton, Alberta
• Southern Alberta: Things To Do In Drumheller, Alberta
• Jasper National Park: Amazing Things To Do In Jasper, Alberta