Mount Robson is the most prominent mountain in North America's Rocky Mountain range; it is also the highest point in the Canadian Rockies. The mountain is located entirely within Mount Robson Provincial Park of British Columbia, and is part of the Rainbow Range. Mount Robson is the second highest peak entirely in British Columbia, behind Mount Waddington in the Coast Range.
en.wikipedia.org
PHOTO: Passing Mt. Robson, BC en route to Jasper National Park, AB.
2016.08.31 Mount Niblock, Banff National Park - contd.
8月29号11点离开温哥华，因为Chilliwack的交通事故，4个半小时开了不到70公里。等待不是问题，唯有一路庆幸没有预定营地，因为我们原则上开车只到日落时分。30号早晨经过Robson，又一次一睹它的风采，暗暗希望将来有那么一天，能站在它的顶峰。Robson后，很快进入Jasper，Athabasca依然俊美，看到重逢的它，我对博士说，我们再去吧，现在应该是比较安全的季节。不过呢，我们先去探了探Roche a Perdrix（山鹑之意），单程3公里拔高近1200，比GG陡得多，一进trail就直接上升，丝毫不给你喘息的机会，但是trail时有时无，而且不少是有始无终。我们来回折腾几次后，博士说，大把的好的trail和更美的风景，我们何必在此花这么多时间？这里的树林和加州差别太大，你若要穿过没有trail的林子，就等于是要bushwacking，啊，那就算了吧，也许到没有其他选择的一天再说吧！
我们没有遗憾地离开了Roche a Perdrix，回到了Icefield的Vis Ctr，端详着对面的Athabasca，本来就打算第二天去了，或者去Wilcox，正准备安营扎寨呢，谁知天气不能让博士放心，不但能见度很差，有些地方还乌云密布。在这些事上总是很果断的博士决定离开去Lake Louise（Vis Ctr的天气预报说那里是好的），好，说走就走。一小时后就开始下起雨来，还越下越大，在我的印象里，好像一夜未停。（睡着的时候就不知道了）
2016.08.31 Mount Niblock, Banff National Park - contd.
We wanted to get some low-angle rock climbing mileage on the infamous Canadian Rockies' limestone. Limestone is rather brittle and softer than Yosemite granite and has to be treated with respect: the rock climbing habits acquired on granite could be dangerous on limestone. Limestone alpine rock climbers more often use pitons for protection than conventional cams. So we picked some "moderate" routes from the book, assuming "moderate" meant class 3. After climbing "moderate" Niblock, we both agreed the route was at most class 2, in Yosemite standards that is.
Mount Niblock standard route could be one of the best of its kind. The rock was stable, approach short and nice. Little exposure if any. Views were excellent. Class 2 as it is.. 8)
Our track on Mt. Niblock.
After horrible loose screes in Eastern Sierra (University Pk / Kearsarge Lakes) the rock here appeared to be very solid - it was fun climbing it.
Currently Larch Valley' usual restrictions are lifted: it is not required that all groups have to be minimum four people. Mt. Temple, Aberdeen, Haddo, Sheol and other great peaks can be climbed in smaller groups! 8)
PHOTO: Mt. Temple, Banff NP
PHOTO: Mt. Temple (climbed 2015-07-09) as seen from Mt. Niblock
我们在两年前来落基山时，就买了Alan Kane的书"Scambles in Canadian Rockies", 他把Niblock定级为moderate，昨天在看书的前言时才仔细读了具体说明，他的moderate相当于Class 2（我们本以为是Class 3）。虽然这样，但这个Class 2 和加州的Class 2的难易是否一样，我们心里也没底，何况石头也不一样，这里的是石灰石，不是花岗岩。因此，离开温哥华之前，我已经按照博士列出的潜在的list（不同区域不同的山，到时候看天气决定去哪里），将单子上的每座山的TR都读了。而在来TH之前，早晨在Ski Lodge又针对性地专门再看了Niblock，并拍下了书里的图片和说明（图上有路线）。另外，在gear方面，也一点也不敢大意，按照博士说的，对不熟悉的terrain，one level up，因此，harness、belay set、cams、rope等我们都带了。毫不夸张地说，我们对它真的很重视。
从湖的尽头向右，宽宽的Agnes Lake Trail没有了，转为我们常见的山中小径。Niblock和Whyte并肩而立，雄伟气派，顺右沿着目标的方向继续前行，不久就来到了山下那个锥状的大石坡。从哪一边上去呢？我说中间，博士说从右侧。咦，作者的图上的路线不是从中间的吗？我不相信地从相机里调出图片，你看你看，中间啊！博士耐心地对我说，那你要看看这张图片是从哪个位置拍的。他的这个图上看不到这个完全的圆锥状的沙石堆，而我们现在呢，正站在它的前面，所以你看到的路线的中间并不是真正的中间。噢，原来是这样，我恍然大悟。（唉，处处有学问，只要留心、用心，不愁没机会进步）
Good news - Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre now has free WiFi, which means one can stay here longer being able to monitor weather forecasts and climbing conditions.
PHOTO: Taken from Columbia Icefield Discovery Centre. Athabasca and Silverhon were climbed by two of us on May 14-2016. Great memories.
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发表于 2016-6-3 05:54:03
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