Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
Subscription Form

Get notified of the best News

Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn
22K Followers
25K Likes
5K Followers
1K Followers
Mountain Life
Mountain Life
  • Daily Content
    • Trips & Expeditions
    • Climbing
    • Mountain Biking
    • Mountain Lifer
    • Multiplicity
    • On The Trail
    • Paddling
    • Photography
    • Skiing
    • Snowboarding
    • Stay & Play
    • Surfing
    • The Great Outdoors
    • The ML Interview
    • Travel
  • GEAR
  • VIDEOS
  • STORE
  • Magazines
    • ML Coast Mountains
    • ML Rocky Mountains
    • Vie En Montagne
    • ML Blue Mountains
    • ML Annual
    • ML Subscriptions
  • ABOUT
    • What is ML?
    • Our Team
    • Newsletter
    • Adventure Grant
    • Distribution
  • Podcast
  • Contests
  • CONTACT
    • ML Agency
    • Advertising
    • Contribute
  • CLIMBING
  • Ambassadors

Summer Ice Climbing on the Matier Icefall

  • September 12, 2018
  • Bradford McArthur
Total
15
Shares
15
0
0
0
0
0
Total
15
Shares
Share 15
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0

Word and Photos by ML Ambassador:: Alex Ratson

There is something special about confronting the juxtaposition of swinging ice tools on a late summers day.

Despite the amazing weather and warm temperatures that scream anything but FROZEN ICE it is hard to sway the stubbornness that plages Ryan Larkin and his addictions of swing ice tools regardless of what’s the seasonal social norm.

While most of our peers were taking in warm granite splitter cracks in Squamish, Ryan Larkin and myself opted for an early start into the Joffre Lakes area of The Coast Range.

 

Ryan Larkin free-solo's the Great Arch of The Matier Icefall.
Ryan Larkin free-solo’s the Great Arch of The Matier Icefall. this detached arch demanded great care due to the ice’s delicate nature
Ryan Larkin at the base of Matier Icefall scoping out the line of most resistance
Ryan Larkin at the base of Matier Icefall scoping out the line of most resistance

 

Most famous for its turquoise lakes below the magnificent Matier Icefall, very few venture above these lakes onto the surrounding peaks and even fewer make the effort of carrying technical ice climbing gear up with the intentions of climbing the seracs in the Icefall.

As we approached the base of the icefall we were blown away by the many sculpted options we had to climb. By far the crux of the day was choosing what to climb first!  After some debate, we opted to choose a line deep between two seracs right in the middle of the icefall. Ironically most people who navigate through the Matier Icefall opt to surmount it on one of its two perimeters where the objective hazard and technical difficulty is the lowest but with our motives set on STEEP ice, we went for the line of most resistance!

 

Ryan Larkin entering the Bowles of The Matier Icefall
Ryan Larkin entering the Bowles of The Matier Icefall
Ryan Larkin takes his first swings at some summer time ice in The Matier Icefall
Ryan Larkin takes his first swings at some summer time ice in The Matier Icefall

 

As we climbed into the Bowles of the icefall we masked our hidden trepidations of opting to climb unroped with jokes of being swallowed by Moby Dick and having to ice climb our way out. As we entered into the icefall further and further we eventually found ourselves at a near vertical impasse that warranted the use of both our ice tools and the rope. After we both tied in Ryan took the first lead, swinging his tools to up a magnificent pitch of glacier ice.
Unlike water ice, glacier ice is much more mature and less dynamic in how it reacts to an ice tool or crampon penetrating it. For the most part this makes for very secure placements.

As we topped out this first Serac we were left with a magnificent view over the 3 Joffre Lakes. We set our sights in search for our next line. It didn’t take long for a magnificent frozen arch to catch our attention. THIS was THE LINE!

As we quickly approached the arch we noticed that despite being tall enough to climb it was in fact not actually attached to the glacier. A couple swings at it with our ice tools gave us enough confidence to delicately boulder up its underside.

Ryan Larkin Topping out one of the many searc's in the Matter Icefall with Joffre Lakes bellow
Ryan Larkin Topping out one of the many serac’s in the Matter Icefall with Joffre Lakes bellow

As the sun started to hit us with its warmth we knew we didn’t want to overstay our visit.

While descending back to the lake we could already hear the icefall coming to life as the solar rays hit it, causing the seracs we had just climbed to shift around.

A prime reminder that days like this are privileges to our lives that should not be taken for granted… after all, how many people get to swing there ice tools on a Late Summers day on the West Coast?

 

For some more ice climbing in wild places:

https://mountainlifemedia.ca/2016/09/desert-ice-ice-climing-zion-national-park/

https://mountainlifemedia.ca/2015/01/photos-ice-climbing-kilimanjaro/

https://mountainlifemedia.ca/2016/04/ice-climbing-iceland-intense-youd-imagine/

Total
15
Shares
Share 15
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Share 0
Share 0
Bradford McArthur

Previous Article
  • The Great Outdoors

The Landy King: An Ode To The Land Rover

  • September 9, 2018
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
Next Article
  • The Great Outdoors

Kazu Kokubo’s “Kamikazu” – Official Trailer

  • September 19, 2018
  • Ben Osborne
View Post
You May Also Like
Rachel-Barkman-photographer-Marika-Sila-Inuk-Summer-cro
View Post
  • Ambassadors
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Rockies

Inuk Warrior Princess: Marika Sila

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 14, 2022
Jessy-Braidwood-and-Neve-Petersen-Paradise-Valley-Squamish-REANNAN-SHAY
View Post
  • CLIMBING
  • Food & Drink
  • In This Issue
  • Mountain Biking
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Paddling
  • Photography
  • Trips & Expeditions

ML Coast Mountains Summer ’22 Issue Out Now

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 8, 2022
elevated-Eddie-Bauer-film-Sonya-Wilson
View Post
  • CLIMBING
  • Videos

Friday Flick: Elevated

  • Mountain Life Media
  • June 3, 2022
Jason-Hardrath-Journey-to-100-standing-peak
View Post
  • CLIMBING
  • Videos

Friday Flick: Journey to 100

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 20, 2022
Full-Circle-Everest-The-North-Face-Nepal-prayer-flags
View Post
  • CLIMBING
  • Trips & Expeditions

Full Circle: First All-Black Team Attempts to Summit Everest

  • Mountain Life Media
  • May 9, 2022
Ryan-Carter-surfers-walking-Lake-Huron-Ontario
View Post
  • CLIMBING
  • Ontario
  • Paddling
  • Photography
  • Skiing
  • Surfing

Paddle, Climb, Surf, Shred: Winter in Ontario

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 22, 2022
Rockies-Leonard-Maglalang-photo-Crevasse-Rescue
View Post
  • CLIMBING

Movin’ On Up: Filipino-Canadians Build Community in the Rockies

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 21, 2022
MP-Prefontaine-sugar-shack-ML-skiing-Aga-Iwanicka-photo
View Post
  • Ambassadors
  • Mountain Lifer
  • Skiing

Back to the Shack: A Ski-propelled Reconnection with Family, Tradition and Le Grand Pic

  • Mountain Life Media
  • March 1, 2022
Featured Posts
  • Hiking-with-children-mountains-kid-and-parent-Todd-Lawson 1
    Hiking with Children: Suffering Builds Character
    • June 28, 2022
  • Diana-Lee-Sunrise-SUP 2
    What SUP: Hardboard or Inflatable?
    • June 27, 2022
  • Nic-Groulx-Sam-Dickie-on-the-Great-Divide-Trail crop 3
    The Legend of Sam Dickie & the Cougar
    • June 23, 2022
  • Mason Mashon Photo - Xaays Canoe Journey ML 4
    The Great Canoe
    • June 21, 2022
  • Mountain-Life-Blue-Mountains-Summer-2022-spreads-cover 5
    ML Blue Mountains Summer 2022 Issue Out Now
    • June 22, 2022
RECENT POSTS
  • The-North-Face_SS21_Vectiv_Trail-Run_Saunders-
    Gear Shed: Summer Trail Shoes
    • June 20, 2022
  • The-Yin-and-Yang-of-Gerry-Lopez-still-2
    Friday Flick: The Yin & Yang of Gerry Lopez
    • June 17, 2022
  • Property-Valet-HQ-group-Kristin-Schnelten
    Property Valet: Creating (and Managing) Beautiful Memories
    • June 16, 2022
Social Links
Instagram 22K Followers
Facebook 25K Likes
Twitter 5K Followers
Pinterest 1K Followers
Vimeo 34 Followers
LinkedIn
INSTAGRAM
mountainlifemedia
22K Followers
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
In the 10 years I’ve been paddleboarding, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “Hardboard or inflatable: Which is better?” - @only1phoenixx
Morning rip with @jessemunden_ 🫡 #mountainlifer
Who’s having a multi-sport day?! 😆 @timemmett probably is.
Bruce County is much more than the Bruce Peninsula. We’re here to let you in on a secret: a thriving community nestled in Bruce County’s interior region, just waiting to be discovered. The village of Paisley offers something for everyone, and isn’t overrun by summer crowds.
The mere thought of a cougar or any other apex predator in our midst can turn a backcountry adventure into a psychological test of mind over matter. Luckily, our fears are mostly in our heads and few have experienced a negative wildlife encounter. But, for ultramarathoner @samuel.dickie, it got real. #Linkinbio to read more!
MAG DROP! 🤩
Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day (today and every day)!
Together with our partners we’ve picked our favourite summer trail shoes, in alpha order, for your crush-it summer. #linkinbio
Happy Father’s Day to all the RAD DADS out there!! 🙌
Follow

Subscribe

Subscribe now to our newsletter

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…
In the 10 years I’ve been paddleboarding, one of the most frequently asked questions I hear is, “Hardboard or inflatable: Which is better?” - @only1phoenixx
Morning rip with @jessemunden_ 🫡 #mountainlifer
Who’s having a multi-sport day?! 😆 @timemmett probably is.
Bruce County is much more than the Bruce Peninsula. We’re here to let you in on a secret: a thriving community nestled in Bruce County’s interior region, just waiting to be discovered. The village of Paisley offers something for everyone, and isn’t overrun by summer crowds.
The mere thought of a cougar or any other apex predator in our midst can turn a backcountry adventure into a psychological test of mind over matter. Luckily, our fears are mostly in our heads and few have experienced a negative wildlife encounter. But, for ultramarathoner @samuel.dickie, it got real. #Linkinbio to read more!
Mountain Life
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
  • Advertising

Input your search keywords and press Enter.