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Quebec’s Banner Ice Year

Alain Denis is one of Quebec’s keenest ice climbers and a climbing photographer.

With a month of bone-chilling weather across Quebec, many rarely formed ice routes have been freezing up. Mid-January, Denis went to explore the cliffs of Shawbridge which is 60 kilometres north of Montreal and was surprised by what he saw, a Guy Lacelle mixed route had frozen over. The route is unnamed, but is right of Devils Tooth WI5. “The route we climbed is a Lacelle mixed route M6, WI5, there is one bolt, but no one ever climbs it because it is hard. Now the route is fat with steep ice from top to bottom, Lacelle would have loved to swing his way up it,” said Denis.

“I am going into the back country in a few days to shoot some big, classic Quebec ice routes, can’t wait to share them,” said Denis. Hopefully conditions prevail and in a couple of weeks we will share his images with Gripped readers.

In the photo below, to the left of Stephane Lemyre is Devils Tooth WI5, and to the left again is Diablerets WI4+.

Stephane Lemyre climbing the rarely formed route to the right of Devils Tooth
Stephane Lemyre climbing the rarely formed route to the right of Devils Tooth
Stephane Lemyre on the rarely formed route Photo Alain Denis
Stephane Lemyre on the rarely formed route Photo Alain Denis
The classic Diablerets, WI4+   Photo Alain Denis
The classic Diablerets, WI4+ Photo Alain Denis

 

 

 

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