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10 Photos from Rockies Ice Climbing Fall 2016

Published December 4, 2016

The Rockies ice season got off to a slow start, but many of the classic routes are formed or nearly formed. Below are photos from around the Rockies this fall. If you are looking for climbers to follow on Instagram, here are 10.

You go to climb a mixed line and it has formed as a complete ice route. Do you (a) climb the mixed line first? or (b) climb the ice route first because you know you can always go back for the mixed line and take advantage of the rarely formed complete ice route? Here @rockiesalpineguide is heading up the mixed start to Icicle Fairy, M6 WI4+, 90m along the Icefields Parkway in Banff. It hasn't formed for a while, I remember seeing it when we first started ice climbing around 2007 but nothing since or if it was formed avy conditions were bad. It is located just left on the initial steep section of the Mt Hector ski tour. In the end Kris and Pat decided to climb the mixed start first and then Pat headed up the ice start at the end of the day. #iceclimbingimages

A photo posted by Climbing and Real Estate (@timbanfield) on

Despite a fickle start to the Rockies winter season, some routes are starting to come in wonderfully! Here @pete.hoang pulls the first pillar of the first pitch on The Unicorn (80m M7- WI5). Usually the first pitch involves some traditional mixed, but not this year! Kitty Hawk (WI5) can be seen to the right and is also in great shape! . . . . . . . . #canadaiscooler #iceclimbing #climbing_is_my_life #neverstopexploring #climbingphotography #alpineclimbing #liveclimbrepeat #CanadianCreatives #theclimbinglife #winterclimbing #canadianrockies #vivalosfunhogs #rablife #climbing_pictures_of_instagram #banffnationalpark #theclimbinglife #explorealberta #greatnorthcollective #petzlgram #julboeyewear #alpinistmag #arcteryx #mountainpeopleunite @grippedmagazine @julbousa

A photo posted by Maarten van Haeren (@mvanhaeren) on

@drewsplan leading the first pitch of nemesis

A photo posted by Samuel Lambert (@climb4sam) on

Good thing Alik Berg knows where to find the ice in this thin year.

A photo posted by Ian Welsted (@ianwelsted) on

#lindsayfixmer sending R&D today. Great to be out in the mountains…. screaming barfies and all ?? ? @pierotly

A photo posted by Anna Pfaff (@pfaff_anna) on