Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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52.31100°N / 117.31476°W |
Route Type:
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Ice Climbing |
Season:
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Winter |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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Grade 3 |
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Grade:
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III |
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Overview
The Wings & The Stage" is an often overlooked area located to the left of the infamous "Curtain Call" - a scary grade 6 (actually aren't all grade 6 climbs scary?).The area has a relatively easy approach (45 minutes) and contains at least 5 separate, fun, long (40-50 metres) grade 3 lines. There is avalache danger from above.
Technically, this climb is located on Tangle Ridge (which is where it can be found in the Joe Josephson Guidebook), but in reality it is located on the same cliff band as "Shades of Beauty" so I've included it with the Beauty Creek climbs.
"The Wings & The Stage" climbs have always had nice plastic ice (whenever I've been there anyway) and always seem to form early and fat. If there's a bunch of cars in the parking spot for Shades, consider heading up to "The Wings & The Stage" - I don't think you'll be dissapointed.
The Approach
The parking spot is 1 kilometre south of the Beauty Creek parking spot. The parking spot is in front of a gate, on the east side of the road, and looks right at "Curtain Call".
"This picture shows "The Wings & The Stage" and "Curtain Call" from the parking area. "Curtain Call" (grade 6) is the big scary looking ice fall on the right - this is in very lean (early) conditions (Nov 07). "The Wings & The Stage" are the two major sets of ice flows to the left of "Curtain Call". The Stage is on the far left (wider) and the "The Wings" is to the right of it.From the parking area, walk across the wide gravelly area on an old road. Immediately upon hitting the treed area, head up the cutbank and then start trending left and up. If you're lucky, there will be a trail in the snow to follow. Ensure you keep going left, because if you go too straight up the hill you start running into small cliff bands (I know I've done this).
Eventually by going up and left, you will hit a dry drainage which is the left boundary of the treed hill side. Walk up the left side of this drainage picking the best path - you will be able to spot the ice falls very quickly after hitting the dry drainage. Work your way up to either "The Wings" (the right hand smear) or "The Stage" (the left hand smears).
This approach takes approximately 45 minutes (and seriously, I'm not that fit), although the guidebook says 1.5 hours (which may be the reason it's not as popular).
Route Description
Pick your line. "The Stage" has at least 4 or 5 separate lines, each going at grade 3. The far right side of "The Stage" is steeper and closer to grade 4 (or at least 3+). "The Wings" has 1 or 2 separate lines (depending on the time of the year), and tends to have a bit better (more plastic) ice than "The Stage".Essential Gear
You will require two 60 metres ropes to get down.Getting Down
There is an old bolt and piton on a small rock outcrop at the top of "The Stage" on the right. If you can't find this (or don't trust it), you will need to rap off of "V threads".There is no anchor at the top of "The Wings" - you must build your own (V Thread) and rap.