Trip Report
Lillooet Water Ice
Top roping at Deeping Wall and a run up Rambles.
Nate Moore
- Sat, Jan 11, 2020 — Sun, Jan 12, 2020
- Lillooet
- Climbing
- Successful
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- Snow and ice on road
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Both the Deeping Wall and Rambles were in good condition despite some warmer weather earlier in the week. The Deeping Wall approach is quick and easy across a lake, rambles is up hill on snowy talus so bring microspikes.
We headed up to Lillooet on a Thursday afternoon stopping at the Chilliwack Safeway for Groceries, climbed Friday and Saturday, returned Sunday. We were originally planning a half day on Sunday but the cold weather and wind came in so we bailed.
On the first day we climbed Deeping Wall, which is a bit of a drive on 99 from Lillooet and a quick approach (pull over at the park, cross the frozen lake). Deeping wall is steep and long but you can get a top rope up by going left from the base and follow a trail up. You'll eventually see a short hand-line leading down to a tree with a burly chain on it. I'd suggest bringing lots of anchor material so you can sling the tree and get the anchor point down about 20', this should set you up OK for a 70M rope. A 70M rope right off the chain won't reach the bottom.
Rambles was fun, 1st pitch was solid WI3, 2nd pitch was rampy with a single ice step (run the rope out past the rap anchor beyond the step to set up the 3rd pitch or simul/solo the 3rd pitch), 3rd pitch was mostly a walk/scramble on snowy rock/frozen soil/etc., 4th pitch was fun soft WI3. Rapped off the top from a tree with some tat to the bottom of the 4th pitch, coiled the rope and walked part way down the 3rd pitch until there was a steep section where we started double rope raps off of trees with tat/rings (we were climbing on half ropes). If you're going to do this one on a weekend get there early. Rambles approach involves 20-30 min uphill on snowy talus (stay left?) so microspikes are handy.
Road conditons:
West Coast Ice Facebook group, very useful as it provides current ice conditions, gps files for routes, and a pdf with updated route beta (look at the files area)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1640108706242206/
West Coast Ice book, I found my copy at Feathered Friends
https://shop.climbonsquamish.com/high-col-west-coast-ice.html
West Coast Ice web page, seems stale:
The Cascade Climbers forum may have a conditions thread or trip reports.
Thanks to Rob and Gabe for most of the beta. If you're planning a trip and find this info useful you should invite me :D