Hydrophobia is absolutely one of the 10 best Rockies ice routes (along with its associate route The Sorcerer, in the next drainage to the south). Hydro flows along a tributary drainage of Johnson Creek, just south of Waiparous Creek and north of the main Ghost River to the south. The route spills over a dead vertical limestone wall at the back of a northeast facing cirque, and forms as a continuous huge vertical sheet of ice 150m high.
J. Josephson's guide gives this route a committment grade V. However, it is really only a grade IV since the route has little or no avalanche danger, and the hike in takes only 45 minutes of easy walking (assuming you can successfully drive all the way in via the Waiparous; approaching from the North Ghost still merits grade V; see approach details below). IF, however, you get your vehicle stuck and no one is around to give you a ride out, then it becomes a commitment grade VI(X). Technically, as with many of the harder routes, the difficulty can range from easy WI-5 to WI-6, depending on time of season and how well it has formed up.
Harder core climbers sometimes do the Hydro and Sorcerer link-up (i.e., both routes in a single day). That link up has also been soloed in a day.

Getting There

The driving approach is usually the crux, as with all climbs in the Ghost/Waiparous area. Driving into and out of these areas is always more nerve wracking than the climbing itself. A 4x4 is mandatory; chains could be very helpful in bad snow conditions, and linking up with a second party/vehicle would add peace of mind. If you have rented a vehicle, get the full insurance and smash it up, then tell them you ran over an elk when you turn it in. Some people have reportedly paid tow costs of more than $1,000.00 to get pulled out of the Ghost/Waiparous after getting stuck.
Will Gadd's web site has a link with detailed directions for the Hydrophobia approach hydro approach beta. Supplement that with the directions in J. Josephson's Waterfall Ice guidebook, and you will have all the necessary approach beta. However, it is also worthwhile to check the web postings just prior to going in, to check on current road/approach problems; people often post driving conditions on the Will Gadd and live-the-vision websites (see external links below).
In summary, you continue along the Forestry Trunk Road 940 for another 15-20 minutes past the South Ghost turnoff. Take a left (west) onto Waiparous Creek Road, and follow this road along the north side of Waiparous Creek. This driving is actually not all that bad (mellower than the South/North Ghost approaches where you are often jumping in and out of flowing creeks and spinning through loose gravel), with just one potentially sketchy section up and down a steep fairly rutted hill. Eventually (about 1/2 hour from the 940), you come to a major creek crossing. If this is impassable, you could walk to Hydrophobia from here (probably at least a two hour hike). Otherwise, carry on southwestward along progressively more rutted roads and across a flat frozen bog area (see note below re: access), following the detailed approach beta. If you park where as recommended in the approach beta, you will just be able to see the upper part of Hydro, and the hiking route from there will be obvious (45 minutes max. in good walking conditons). It appears that the continuing road from the suggested parking point is not all that bad (at least in good conditions), and might save you another 5-10 minutes walking.
Save a beer for the long drive back to Cochrane, when (if) you make it back out onto the Forestry Trunk Road. [Note: current access restrictions apparently prohibit driving across and past the bog/meadow described above; walking from here will add about another 1/2 hour hiking time to the approach.] Alternatively, approaching from the North Ghost, past the Sorcerer, is also an option if driving conditions into the Waiparous are bad or if you simply don't want to spend the additional driving time required for the Waiparous; 2 to 3 hours hike with bushwacking from the N. Ghost (see the J. Josephson guide for this approach). Also see The Sorceror page for driving and hiking directions to that route. For the GPS-inclined, see the pvalchev map attached to images below; that map has a link to GPS waypoints for getting to Hydrophobia from the N. Ghost.

Route Description

finishing 1st pitch

coming up the 3rd pitch

upper first pitch, above the pillar

starting up the 2nd pitch

Start up the easy initial 25m apron and either set up a belay at the base of the crux pillar, or continue on up the pillar for a full 60m pitch, setting up a belay somewhere above where it eases off. The actual crux section is about 15m long, and is usually some level of WI-5. Once on the huge vertical sheet above, try to locate the remaining belays out of the line of fire (this can be difficult to do). Expect to get pelted with at least some ice fragments.
From above the crux, the climb can be completed in another two 60m pitches, or in three shorter ones. When well formed the remaining upper wall above the crux consists of sustained WI-4 with locally slightly harder sections.
Rap the route off V-threads.

Essential Gear

top of the route

60-m ropes
screws
extra slingage for V-threads

External Links

The best web places to get current conditions for ice routes in the Rockies are:
WILL GADD'S ICE PAGES and LIVE-THE-VISION.COM
Both of these sites get alot of postings with current route info, and are good places to go for recent road approach conditions.

Accomodations

hydro on drugs

For visiting climbers, Cochrane is the closest option with numerous motels, restaurants, liquor stores, etc. Canmore/Banff are more fun but require another half hour or so approach time. It's a solid two hour drive from Cochrane to the Hydro parking area, in good conditions.

Images



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