The Rockies Ice Year

Late October to mid-November: Optimism for the ice freaks, despair for the rock freaks. Some ice, nor mally low avalanche hazard and not br utal ly cold. Mid-November to mid-December: Things are real ly getting star ted, lots of ice choices. This is pr ime Ghost season: not too much snow, most routes are for med, but creek crossings can be a bit involved due to thin ice. Mid-December to early January: Routes with lots of water coming down them are coming in. Cascade Falls, Takkakaw Falls, Weeping Wall and Louise Falls are good to go. It’s cold enough that anything moving freezes. This time of year a headlamp isn’t just a good idea, it wil l get used, as wil l the mega belay parka and spare gloves. Mid-December of fers one of the t wo best times to visit the Rockies for ice climbing. Mid-January to early February: The dark season. Ever ything is in, but the days are shor t and often cold. People stil l go ice climbing lots. The avalanche hazard can be severe; enough snow has fal len to be dangerous, but not enough to sor t the snow pack out. Wind slabs and al l the fun stuf f the Rockies have to of fer in the way of snow pack problems are ful ly on display and just waiting for a human. Then again, sometimes it’s al l bomber, but that’s rare. Mid-February to mid-March: The sun is coming back slowly. The last week of Februar y or the f irst week or so of March is the other best time to visit the Rockies for ice climbing. The days are getting longer, the temps reasonable and ever ything is in about as good conditions as it’s likely to get. Often the avalanche hazard works in cycles, where it’s nuts after a storm, but then cleans up nicely. Mid-March to mid-April: The lower south-facing routes are melting or melted out, and ever ybody wants to go rock climbing already. This is a ver y dynamic time of year in the Rockies, with warm days and sludge avalanches mixing with bitter cold. Starting and f inishing early on south-facing larger routes is a ver y good idea. Get ’em done before the sun slams the ice and loosens the snowpack up in the bowls above the climbs. Mid-April to early May: Spr ing down low, stil l winter up high, often decent weather. Ice season real ly ought to be over, but Slipstream and Riptide as well as other high and north-facing r igs are stil l getting climbed, as are many winter alpine routes and some ice routes until the end of May. Mid-May to July 10: Shoulder season, spr ing funk weather. It can def initely stil l be winter up high until early July, which tends to sur pr ise those from the south who come to visit. July 10 to September 10: Summer, rock and alpine season. Late August is when the alpine rock routes are often in their best condit ion. September to mid-October: Fall rock, surprisingly good alpine. Hard rock projects are sent, the days are generally sunny, a great time in the Rockies. The atmosphere is generally at its most stable during September. Waterfall ice is starting to form.