New Route on NW Face of Mt. Bell

Had another great day out recently. This alpine crag climbing is really fun and these routes are a dime a dozen here in the Canadian Rockies. After a couple good routes early season I may now be ready for a winter of skiing. I am off to do my ACMG Assistant ski guide traning and exam this winter.

"Zeitgeist (german for "The spirit of a Generation)"

IV+ 530m M7- WI5R

FA: Rob Owens, Steve Holeczi. Nov. 8 /2007

Rack:10 screwsNuts/ Cams to 3" with double .75/1/26 pins mostly KBs, Bird beaks, ice hooks, 12 draws.

High quality quartzite mixed climbing. It took us 2 attempts and there is a lot of snow clearing on the pitches so bring lots of gloves.

Approach via Taylor Lake which is 9 kms west of Castle Junction. 2.5hrs to base.

P1-WI4 60m (2 nut fixed belay).

P2-4 -150m snow up the gully with short mixed steps.

P5-WI4+ 55m Beautiful narrow Scottish snice corner to belay behind pillar.

P6-M6+ 30m Short but steep drytooling around fragile pillar. Belay in alcove.

P7-M7-WI5 30m Excellent and sustained pitch on right wall. Crux is traversing back left to fixed 2 nut belay.

P8-M6+WI5R 55m Awesome pitch through mixed roofs to steep veneer protected by cams.

P9-10 80m of snow and M4 scratchy terrain.
P11-M5 30m Super positive, steep, well protected dry tooling to ridge

P12-M4 40m Climb up into obvious alley-way around corner to ridge.

We rapped the route. Most of the anchors would now be covered in snow.