The Ghost Isn’t Known for Avalanches, This Year is Different
Ice climbers have observed several avalanches in the Ghost since the season started last month
The Ghost is one of Canada’s most popular ice climbing areas, thanks to the quantity and quality of the routes. For decades, when avalanche conditions were bad in other parts of the Canadian Rockies, most climbers have gone to the Ghost as it’s been known as a safer alternative.
However, there have been four reports by ice climbers in the Ghost of avalanches on the Mountain Information Network (MIN) so far this season. The climbs include The Joker, Hydrophobia, Sorcerer and This House of Sky.
All ice climbers should carry avalanche safety equipment when heading into avalanche country, which includes parts of the Ghost. Read more about avalanche safety for ice climbers here. Watch ice climbers get hit by an avalanche while on a route here.
Visit MIN here to learn more about avalanches in the area. We’ve included what climbers had to say about the slides below.
Ghost Avi Reports
The Joker: Climber was climbing the approach pitch to the Joker climb and transitioned onto a snow slope above the climb. When the climber was half way up the slope (10 m) the snow settled and triggers a sz 1.5 slab avalanche that ran over the climb. The climber was able to move right off of the avalanche to stable terrain. The belayer was able to move out of the way without being buried.
Hydrophobia: We had a full size avalanche run over us yesterday on Hydrophobia. Winds were W, high to extreme while approaching, and were not being felt at the base. Some spindrift was occasionally coming down while gearing up, being dissipated and fully manageable. 1 hour later and 2 pitches up winds had shifted N, in full downflow over the climb. Spindrift was heavy, high volume and relentless. We bailed, and heard 2 avalanches in the bowl around us, Nophobia area. While in the cave down left, fully sheltered and getting ready to rap, a full size avalanche went over us. Over the general roar, darkness and air blast, we heard several large impacts on the slope below us. While rapping off after the show, l observed 7-8 microwave size craters on the slope. Conditions worsened after that, we were unable to see the climb at all on the walkout, fully obscured by spindrift.
Sorcerer: Party of three caught in avalanche powder cloud at base of The Sorcerer. While racking up 150m away from the ice climbing, our party was encompassed in darkness and suffocating snow for five minutes. Our positioning amongst the trees helped us to stay oriented only a little, it would’ve been better to be positioned amongst larger trees with no evidence of flagging. We allowed complacencies to over rule our decision making. There was no need to be there, winds were Intense, 30 cms of recent snowfall, we saw signs of instability. Upon retreat we observed a large crown line above the climb, this was not a typical Waiparous sluff.
This House of Sky: *Avi hazard on the route was amongst the worst I’ve seen it. Avalanche Alley had more accumulation than normal although some of the slope had been scoured clean and blown to the valley bottom. Just beyond Avalanche Alley the step of ice that has the small chute feeding onto it was active with a few spindrift avalanches feeding down.
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