Five Fun Moderate Bow Valley Ice Climbs

The Canadian Rockies have hundreds of pitches of ice climbing, from short rambles and pillars to monster alpine lines. With freezing temps here for the season, it’s a good time to make a list of routes you want to climb before spring.

Close to Canmore and Banff are a number of fun and mellow early season ice climbs, below are five of the best. Always be sure to check the avalanche forecast before heading out at avalanche.ca.

Grotto Falls WI2+ 50m

Found far up Grotto Canyon on the eastern edge of Grotto Mountain north of Canmore, Grotto Falls is a rambly 60-metre WI2 up a tight canyon. Park here and follow the trail west into a canyon until a fork where you’ll see two steep ice climbs (His WI4 and Hers WI4) and head right up canyon to Grotto Falls.

Junkyards WI2/3 60m

Junkyards is the closest ice to downtown Canmore, and thanks to the newly improved Grassi Lakes parking lot it only takes 10 minutes to reach from your car. Park here and walk along the road south to a hydro station. Go right up a steel staircase and left to the ice climb. One of the most classic routes in the area is the Scottish Gully, read about it here. Check out the new drytool crag, The Tool Shed, here.

Ghoster Coaster WI3 100m

Ghoster Coaster is tucked in behind Mount Lady MacDonald up Cougar Creek, a popular rock climbing area. The approach takes about 90 minutes, but the three pitches of WI2/3 are worth the hike. Park here and follow a trail (new for 2023 due to dam construction) into the creek and then up it for 45 minutes. Go left and head for a canyon on the left marked by a big yellow wall. Head up the trees to a gully and the ice.

Rogan’s Gully WI2+ 300m

One of three routes on Cascade Mountain next to Banff that offer good early season climbing. The first pitch leads to short steps up a canyon to final steeper steps. Park here and approach the central ice climb, Cascade Falls WI3 300m, and go left through the forest to the base of Rogan’s Gully.

Cascade Falls WI3 300m

The central ice route on Cascade Mountain and the most obvious. The first few pitches offer some WI2+ which is followed by 150 metres of ice and walking. The upper pitches are WI2+, WI3, WI3 and WI2+. The final WI3 pitch is at the back past the notch and many climber skip it and rappel from the final WI3 pitch. Park here and approach the central ice climb. All routes on Cascade Mountain have extreme avalanche danger, so check conditions before heading out.