ClimbYukon

COLD SNAP CRUSHER: INDOOR CLIMBING COMPETITION

2012-01-21T11:17:00.000-08:00

Have not climbed yet this winter ! Come and try the fun indoor bouldering competition organised for begginners, intermediates as well as advanced climbers. Three hours of climbing trying at least 20 differents fun bouldering problems. The cost is $10 for the evening, with all proceeds going to the Youth climbng team. Door prizes and a guaranteed forearm pump !!

Location: FH Collins- Indoor climbing gym (use gym street door access)

Date: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Carcross Gym Re-opens

2012-01-04T15:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Carcross gym re-opens this Thursday (tomorrow). Consider the extra holiday pounds "weight training" and come out and get your climb on!

r.

Juneau Indoor Competition results Nov 2011

2012-01-03T20:22:00.000-08:00

Eleven climbers from the Yukon youth climbing team got on the ferry in a snow storm with enough snow to create a snowman on the stern deck. After almost three months of training, everyone was stoked and ready to participate in the 2011 "Post Turkey Pull-down" indoor climbing competition at the Rock Dump Climbing Gym in Juneau, Alaska.

With over 50 participants and 35 boulder problems, climbers were ranked according to their four best climbs over a four hour period. After a couple hours on the wall, forearms were starting to fail, but the tenacious Yukon contingent kept climbing. Two of our athletes, Drew Spicer and Seamus Beairsto, were among the top 6 overall scores and made it to the finals. They each had 5 minutes on four different problems, ranging from V5 to V8. It was a tough workout for both Seamus and Drew, but a great experience.

Overall the club placed well and provided serious competition to local Juneau climbers traning on a gymnasium that we would dream to have in Whitehorse. In the female category, Ella Parker and Amaya Cherian-Hall came out with second and third place rankings, respectively. Henry Beairsto, Julian Moore and Casey Parker also placed in the beginner category. Everyone improved tremendously and is climbing harder problems than before the Juneau event.

The next out-of-territory competition will be in April. The team will be putting on a climbing competition in Whitehorse between now and then.

Thank you to the volunteer coaches for helping to train these athletes three times a week at the FH indoor climbing wall. A big thanks to Kathleen McDade for organising the competiton and coaching as well. Thank you to Greg Oldridge and Shane Dooley for their commitment at the gym as coaches.

Stay tuned for more info on the upcoming bouldering competition. Hope to see you there!

Ice Conditions- December 2011

2011-12-30T12:41:00.000-08:00

Please note ice and snow conditions are predictably unpredictable what you find when you get to the area might be completely different from what's written here.

White Mountain - North Face
Ice Condition: Good
Snow Load: High
No updates on this area this month, though from the highway it looks as though snow has built up above Funga Phobia and Allen's Pillar. Avalanche risk is likely pretty high.

White Mountain - South Face
Ice Condition: Moderate
Snow Load: Light
Log Jammed is in a has good ice for most of its length. Down low the ice is thin and the pro is marginal. The little brother of Log Jammed on climber's right has formed up nicely but still has not reached the top of the cliff.

Carcross - Pooley
Ice Condition: Poor
Snow Load: High
Many of the waterfalls have frozen in Pooley but anticipate swimming to get the the base. Many falls have open pools of water beneath them. To stay dry, liberal use of mixed climbing technique is required. A couple of members in our party went for a dip on the rappel out.

Carcoss- Solar Flare/Soleil
Ice Condition: Good
Snow Load: High
These climbs appear to be in good condition with lots of ice visible from the road.

Skayway - Moore Creek Bridge to Customs
Ice Condition: Moderate
Snow Load: High
Spicy Meatballs is fairly well formed on climber's left but the taller climbs on the right are still pretty rocky. The top 5 feet or so of this area haven't formed much ice yet so climbing up to a top rope anchor will involve exciting mix moves in moss and willows. The Amphitheatre has good ice and a number of other seeps in the area are in as well. There is lots and lots of heavy wet snow on the approach. Take someone young and keen to break trail.

Skayway - Customs to Skagway
Ice Condition: Moderate
Snow Load: Light
Beyond US Customs the 2 climbs in the right are in and in good condition. No update on Reid Falls in Skagway proper, but as it's been warm in Skagway all month it's probably pretty rotten.

Date Change for Carcross Climbing

2011-12-07T08:25:00.001-08:00

Carcross is having a community dinner this Thursday, Dec. 8 this means climbing gets bumped to Friday for this week.

$10 gets you in the door - unless you belay a few kids or help set a few routes. The money you pay goes to purchasing gear for Carcross Rec.

6:00pm -7:30pm - Kids climbing (usually chaos)

7-30pm -ish - until the janitor kicks us out - Adult climbing.

Usually we finish up around somewhere between 9:00pm and 10:00pm

No gear? We've you covered. Carcross Rec provides shoes, harness, rope, belay devices etc. at no extra charge.

Need a refresher? Equinox staff are on hand and will be happy to go over the basics with you .

See you out there!

Ice Conditions - Nov 2011

2011-11-28T11:11:00.001-08:00

Early season ice climbing is under way. To help minimized your driving time and to better plan your most excellent ice adventure here are what people are reporting about ice conditions in the Yukon Southern Lakes/White Pass area:

Please note ice and snow conditions are predictably unpredictable what you find when you get to the site might be completely different from what's written here.

White Mountain - North Face
Ice Condition: Good
Snow Load: High
Climbs higher on the north face (Funga Phobia, Allen's Pillar) are in, if a little thin. Take care if visiting some of the higher climbs as avalanche risk will have increased with all the recent snow. The unnamed climb mentioned here had not reached the ground by mid-November, though with the spate of cold temps it has likely formed up by now.

White Mountain - South Face
Ice Condition: Poor
Snow Load: Light
Marginal conditions exist on the south face of White Mountain. Log Jammed has large patches of mud interspersed with thin patches of ice. The little brother of Log Jammed on climber's right is not climbable.

Carcross - Pooley
Ice Condition: Unknown
Snow Load: High
Pooley Creek has frozen over down by the highway but no ice is visible up higher in the canyon. There is, however, a lot of snow.

Carcoss- Solar Flare/Soleil
Ice Condition: Good
Snow Load: High
These climbs appear to be in good condition with lots of ice visible from the road. The lake does not look safe to cross.

Skayway - Moore Creek Bridge to Customs
Ice Condition: Moderate
Snow Load: Light
Warmer temps and lots of water means decent ice towards Skagway. Most climbs have formed up to some extent but there is still a lot of visible rock. Spicy Meatballs and the Amphitheatre are climbable but you will have to work around some rock. Pack your stubbies and maybe a couple of nuts.

Skayway - Customs to Skagway
Ice Condition: Moderate
Snow Load: Light
South of customs the ice climbs are a bit thin but definitely climbable. The temps are very reasonable and the snow load is almost non-existent. Some of the gullies that are normally choked with snow have visible ice in them. Last, but not least, I would give Reid Falls a pass until after January.

Indoor Climbing in Juneau November 26th !

2011-10-23T22:13:00.001-07:00

The Yukon Youth Climbing Club will be going to Juneau for an Indoor Climbing competition at the Rock Dump climbing gym on Saturday November 26th. A group of 10 dedicated youth climbers (males and females) will participate in the event. On Sunday we will enjoy the day in the gym playing on some of their routes.

The competition is open to general public. Yukon climbers are all invited to the events for a fun weekend. If you have any questions about the event contact the gym at http://www.rockdump.com/. The group will take the ferry from Skagway to Juneau on Friday, returning on Monday. Check out the Alaska Marine Highway website for schedule (http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/). For any other questions you contact me on this blog or at alain.dallaire@yesnet.yk.ca.

Alain Dallaire

Knots, Rappeling, V-Threads

2011-10-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

Its not (quite) ice season however its getting closer and closer everyday. Will Gadd has posted some good information on his blog about rappelling and knots when climbing ice. He also links to a really good paper on v-threads and re-bored screw placements.

The short version from Will's blog is as follows:

the Euro Death Knot (EDK) is a good knot for joining 2 ropes for rappelling (leave long tails)
for V-threads

with 7 mm cord use a Fisherman's knot
with webbing use a water knot
threading your rope opens the door for all sorts of trouble

From the paper:

re-bored screw placements are almost as strong as a fresh placement
use long ice screws to make the strongest V-threads
NEVER use a single anchor (V-thread or ice screw) when high forces are expected

Good information and a good read. As usual, ice climbing is a dangerous sport and you should seek instruction from a qualified guide. We're not responsible for anything you choose to do in the mountains. Besides you shouldn't believe stuff you read on the Internet anyway.

Indoor Climbing - 2011

2011-10-03T13:20:00.000-07:00

Outdoor climbing coming to a close. It seems only those with freakishly warm metabolisms or an affinity for cold digits are still out in the crags. Fortunately, Carcross Rec has come through for local climbers.

Starting Thursday Nov. 10th Equinox Rox and Carcross Rec kick off their local kids climbing night in the Carcross gym. The plan is or hold around 12-14 sessions. Local kids climb from around 6pm-8pm and adults can climb till 9pm or later depending on what we can arrange with custodians.

The cost is $10 per session with the potential of a season's pass. There is a deal for those who come out early and help with the kids program (belaying or route setting). Money raised goes back into the Carcross Rec program to cover the cost of more sessions.

New Route Round Up

2011-09-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a quiet year for new routes. Many developers have been busy with other projects such as kids, paddling trips and guide books. Even so a few new routes have gone up this year. Here are the highlights:

Kusawa Lake - A new multi-pitch route was started somewhere south of the Kusawa Lake campground. The first ascentionists came back repeating "It'll go, It'll go" as if it were a mantra.

Rock Gardens - Bolts are installed all along the top of Grand Central Station which means no more tree anchors! Sweet! Also check out the 2 "new" trad routes to the left of Babbette. Kid's Corner - 5.4 and Beneath the Moss - 5.6 to 5.9 (depending on how you climb it).

White Mountain - A new multi-pitch project on the go at White Mountain. Developed in a brand new area, 3 pitches are bolted with more to come. There's a lot of space in this area for really sweet, long lines. It's definitely worth the invigorating hike. More information to come when the route is declared finished.

Crag Ex - A new route has appeared between Derek's Route and False Expectations. No one has stepped forward to claim it yet. Take care when climbing this new route as there is a lot of loose rock and lichen. The bolts run out 30 feet from the nearest set of anchors on False Expectations so be prepared to run it out. False Expectations is due to get its bolts sometime this fall.

Youth Climbing Club Needs Coaches

2011-09-16T23:41:00.000-07:00

The Yukon Youth climbing club is looking for two volunteer coaches. This involves coaching rock climbing indoors at FH Collins High School 1.5 hours at least once a week and up to three times a week (2 hrs on Thursdays). The hours are: Mondays (3:30-5pm), Wednesdays (3:30-5pm) and Thursdays (6 to 8pm). If you are interested call Alain Dallaire at 668-4042 or email him at alain.dallaire@yesnet.yk.ca

Guide Book Launch

2011-09-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

It's time to celebrate!

Come out to Tippler's Pub Wednesday, Sept. 14th and celebrate the launch of the new Yukon Climbing Guide. Things will start rolling at 6:30 pm.

Tim has lots of tasty beer on tap and the fine folks from the Yukon Section of the Alpine Club of Canada accyukon.ca will be there answering questions and signing up new members.

Oh yeah - and guides will be available for purchase at $25 ea. so bring some cash.

New Guide Book

2011-08-19T18:24:00.000-07:00

Its finally finished! After 3 odd years of bushwacking, bug killing, and occasionally climbing, the Yukon Climbing Guide is done. Copies will be available from me directly or from local outdoors stores and booksellers at a cost of $25.

There will also be a bit of a party to celebrate. Stay tuned for more details on the party.

If you would like to reserve a copy of the new Yukon Climbing Guide please drop me a line at ryanjagar@gmail.com.

GriGri2 Recall Notice

2011-06-21T09:09:00.000-07:00

Curt posted over in the forum about a recall for Petzl's GriGri-2. Apparently, excessive force can cause the release lever to become jammed open. To find out if your GriGri-2 is affected head over to Petzl's GriGri-2 Replacement recall page and see if your serial number matches.

Bolting Hardware

2011-06-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

For all of you who are setting routes out there we have a drill for rent and hardware available for sale. As in previous years we carry Hilti brand 3 3/4" stainless steel expansion bolts and Fixe hangers. These are sold at our cost of $5/bolt and hanger set. For information about drill rental drop a line to info@climbyukon.net. All the money goes back into a bolting fund managed by Equinox and a couple of local climbers.

If you are setting routes please use rated hardware - not the stuff you find in the Home Hardware. Rated hardware carries a stamp that indicates the safe working load (SWL) usually rated in pounds. You can find similar stamps and rating on all of your climbing gear, usually rated in kilonewtons (KN). For bolts, check the stamp on the end of the bolt. The Hilti bolts generally used in the Yukon are stamped either with a "D" (3") or an "E" (3 3/4") depending on their length.

If you come across a crag where you have questions about the bolts or some miscreant has removed the hardware let us know at info@climbyukon.net and do our best to answer your questions and replace and missing or sketchy bolts.

P.S. Please don't steal/borrow hardware (even if its just for a little bit and you promise to replace it "right away"). Its expensive (and annoying) to replace hardware and the money comes out of the pockets of local climbers. A brand new route can cost around $50 to $100 to equip and every bolt we have to replace means one more bolt we can't put on a new route.

Sweet Schwag!

2011-05-15T22:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to the Climbers Social last Tuesday. Around 40 people came out to swap stories and meet people.

Coast Mountain Sports has kindly donated some schwag for door prizes. So if you signed up as a member, your name was automatically added to the draw. An email announcing the winners will go out shortly.

Stay tuned for the next event and we hope to see you there!

Climber's Social

2011-05-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

The 2011 climbing season is underway so let's kick the season off with some beer. If you are a climber or looking at getting into climbing, join us at 7pm on Tuesday, May 10th at Tippler's Pub. This is a great chance to meet partners, tell tall tales and to get to know the community.

ClimbYukon will have a table with a sneak peek at the new climbing guide, information on current access concerns and membership sign-up.

This event is open to everyone, climbers, non-climbers and those just starting out.

Tell your friends!

Spring Crag Report - 2011

2011-04-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

The outdoor climbing season has started. A few intrepid (desperate?) climbers have already been out this spring. Here are the conditions that have been reported so far:

White Mountain - some snow at the base and a few of the routes are a touch damp from melt water

Crag Ex - the House Wall and the Gully are snow free and in good condition. Bring gaiters or snowshoes for the approach.

Rock Gardens - the bottom of the canyon is buried in snow but most climbs are snow-free and dry. Bring a shovel and a tarp.

Put some long johns on, throw your avi shovel in your pack and a handwarmer in your chalk bag and enjoy some bug free climbing!

BOULDERING COMPETITION AT FH COLLINS

2011-02-28T11:27:00.000-08:00

BOULDERING COMPETITION AT FH COLLINS WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 9( FROM 6:30PM- 9:30PM)

Come one, come all...13 years and up! There will be a variety of bouldering problems for beginners all the way through those forearm-inflated climbing-mongers out there. As training is not part of anyone schedule in the winter, come over and enjoy the climbing !!!

Categories: Adults
13-15 years old
16- 18 years old

Bring: Your climbing shoes, a waterbottle, chalk bag, beaucoup d'energie and $5 for the entrance fee (proceeds go towards the Yukon Youth Climbing Club)

Use the side gymnasium door to access the climbing gym on the stage.

Please spread the word to anyone you think would be interested.

Alain

Indoor Climbing - Winter 2011

2011-02-22T18:04:00.000-08:00

The fantastic folks in Carcross have opened up their gym for all the plastic pullers out there. Come belay Carcross kids for an hour or so and then climb to your heart's content. The kids program starts at 6pm at the Carcross School Gym.

Contact Chris at Equinox for more info equinoxyukon@gmail.com .

Ice Climbing Madness

2011-01-09T15:33:00.000-08:00

Despite temps below -25 the few, the proud, the moderately insane, ice climbers have been out hacking away at the various falls and seeps. Head over to the forms at forum.climbyukon.net to read the trip reports and/or post your own.

It appears there is good ice at White Mountain, the Muncho Lake and the Skagway pass. Recently, Curt H. and Alain D. uncovered a new ice area just outside of Skagway. The new area is call Spice and Meatballs. The trip report and photos can be found here: http://forum.climbyukon.net/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=60

If you are headed out to the mountains be extra vigilant for avalanches. Our friends over at the Yukon Avalanche Association report a high avalanche hazard due to the huge fluctuations in temperature.

Yukoner Makes Climbing Magazine

2010-12-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

Local climber Chris Cann snapped a shot of a friend climbing in Spirit Canyon and submitted it to Climbing Magazine. That picture won him Climbing mag's "Photo of the Month" award. Pick up December's copy and check it out!

Climb Yukon AGM 2010

2010-11-25T21:05:00.000-08:00

The 2010 AGM for the ClimbYukon Association is on Tuesday, November 30th at 7:00pm at the Canada Games Centre.

Potential topics of conversation include:
- Arranging a publicly accessible indoor climbing venue
- Anything else that comes up

We will also be holding elections for Board positions.

If you are interested in getting involved this is your opportunity!

2010 Bouldering Comp

2010-11-22T22:00:00.001-08:00

FH COLLINS THURSDAY EVENING, DEC.2 FROM 6:00PM- 9:00PM

Come one, come all...13 years and up! There will be a variety of bouldering problems for beginners all the way through those forearm-inflated climbing-mongers out there.

Categories: Adults
13-15 years old
16- 18 years old

Bring: Your climbing shoes, a waterbottle, chalk bag, beaucoup d'energie and $5 for the entrance fee (proceeds go towards the Yukon Youth Climbing Club)

Use the side gymnasium door to access the climbing gym on the stage.

Please spread the word to anyone you think would be interested.

Yukon College Opens Bouldering Wall

2010-09-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

On Monday Yukon College unveiled their brand new indoor boudering wall. Once sufficient supervisors are trained the wall will be open during lunch hours. At this time the wall is only open to Yukon College students.