Via ferrata Part 3 - The Climax

• Posted on September 23, 2008 at 5:54 PM
• Previous
• Next

The suspension bridge leading to the summit of Nimbus Tower. Obviously not from our trip. CMH photo.

 zoom  zoom out

On the morning of our second day at Canadian Mountain Holidays Bobbie Burns Lodge we jumped on the first helicopter of the day bound for Nimbus Tower. The weather forecast was for precipitation, but the guides were confident it would be solid not liquid - ie snow. Sure enough when we got out of the helicopter in an alpine meadow it was snowing hard.

After a 10 minute approach we arrived at the base of the rock and the snow was starting to stick to the ground. We harnessed up and started climbing the first of many short pitches of rock. Pieces of rebar had been bent into C shapes and drilled into the rock for steps and hand holds. A cable ran alongside with bolts every five or six feet. At each bolt I had to switch my two caribiner leashes to the next section.

The route started off pretty easy with only short pitches of rock, but as we got higher things started to get interesting. We traversed a 4X4 wedged across an airy gap; skirted our way along a hanging ledge of loose rock and then started the big ascent of the two towers. Here the rock reared back. With out the rebar steps it would be solid fifth class climbing. The first tower was a minor pinnacle that looked down on a suspension bridge over a 1000 foot drop. By the time we arrived it was covered in 10 centimetres of snow. The bridge swayed and bounced with every step. For some this was the crux. After the bridge the last hundred feet of rock was the steepest yet with huge exposure a couple feet away. And the last pitch was overhanging. Finally we topped out at about 9000 feet. But we weren't finished.

From there we via ferrataed down the other side, switchbacking down steep ramps with more exposure. The descent ended at a dead end ledge where the guide lowered us off a 150 foot hanging rapel. The scariest part was when the end of the rope shot by me as I was hanging 30 feet off the cliff wall and 50 feet off the deck.

A short hike lead to the heli-pick up. Wet and a little cold it felt good to jump into the hot tub that night.