10 Photos from Rockies Ice Climbing Fall 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 Dec 4, 2016 at 7:58am PST

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 Dec 3, 2016 at 4:12pm PST

A great day on Bourgeau Right Hand yesterday. Happy to have the ice season kick into high gear here in the Canadian Rockies. . #Iceclimbing #CanadianRockies #winterishere #Mt.Bourgeau #swingingtools

A photo posted by Mike Stuart (@cdnalpineguides) on Nov 30, 2016 at 7:55pm PST

Welcome to the Canadian Rockies eh, 3 hour approach, 5 pitch WI5, frigin cold, and spindrift that tries to rip you from your tools. Lindsay Fixmer given'er!

A photo posted by Drew Smith (@drewsplan) on Nov 23, 2016 at 4:17pm PST

@drewsplan leading the first pitch of nemesis

A photo posted by Samuel Lambert (@climb4sam) on Nov 30, 2016 at 4:50pm PST

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

A photo posted by Ian Welsted (@ianwelsted) on Nov 18, 2016 at 5:32pm PST

Warm em up boys and girls! ⛏??? ***************************** Early season conditions on THOS yesterday, complete with frozen tree climbing, nerve racking open pools (head deep?), wet, chandeliered and steeper than normal, unprotectable pillars. Still she's one of those climbs that just keeps on giving. Short pitches but lots of climbing to be had and great warm up for the start of the season with pun master @indragramm . The notoriously gnarly ice shelves haven't come in on the approach yet but its still hours of remote 4×4 in the wilderness. We did not see a single soul on this beautiful Sunday. ❤️ Mmm Mmm mmmmmm ??

A photo posted by Reina Hasumi (@reinahasumi) on Nov 28, 2016 at 7:50am PST

@jcurrency picking his way through the horribly loose choss of pitch 7 on Rocket Man. If he hadn't cleaned this notoriously sandbagged "M6" pitch on our first attempt, it would have been way too crumbly to free.

A photo posted by Kurt Ross (@kurtross) on Nov 25, 2016 at 8:21am PST

#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 Nov 14, 2016 at 1:30pm PST

Getting some meters in on the classic Murchison Fall yesterday – I love that last pitch in this incredible scenery of the #Rockies picture by @tanjaschmitt #iceclimbing #canada?? #arcteryx #lasportiva #petzl #suuntoclimb #petzlgram #explorealberta

A photo posted by Matthias Scherer (@matthiasscherer) on Nov 30, 2016 at 7:54am PST