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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 04:55pm PT
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Freaking wicked Brock!
How can you not love this stuff. The place is a wildness paradise!
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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only thing is I'm fairly certain The Vampire Spires are too far north to be in the Canadian Rockies.
Oh well.... :)
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 05:51pm PT
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No big deal!
You gave me a big idea "planted a seed" I might not have otherwise had, so post away if this what you bring to the table..
Info on this place seems pretty unpopular so thanks for sharing the love.
It might take me a lifetime to find someone willing and capable to venture to this wicked place with me. I'm pretty good at getting what I want once I decide I want something though so I have the highest hopes!!
More stoke please.
I lay in bed last night googling everything I could find on this place like a little kid. Mostly what I found is you won't find the info online or maybe anywhere for that matter other than word of mouth?
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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Very limited online info on the Vampire Spires.
Truth is there isn't that many routes there nor is there potential for that much more - at least on the three spires. Now if you want to hike way out or go to another close area you will find more virgin rock. Truth is rock looks better than it is as well.
Given the expense etc. if I had it to do all over again I'd probably go to the Cirque.
For history here's what we wrote up for an AAC grant:
In 1994 Micheal Benge and Jeff Hollenbaugh established The Infusion (IV 5.10 A2+) – a twelve pitch climb on the southeast face of Vampire Spire (AAJ Vol. 41 1999, Climbing 153). In 1998 John Young and Matt Childers lead a team of five to the area. Matt and Cogie Reed established Cornerstone (V 5.11 A2+) on The Fortress (AAJ Vol. 41 1999, Climbing 187). In 1999 three new lines were established on Vampire Spire and one was established on The Canine. Jack Childress and Pike Howard established The Undead (IV/V 5.10+ A2+) on Vampire Spire and Rabies Shot (IV 5.10 C2+) on The Canine. Pat Goodman, Brad Jackson and Nan Darkis established Sanguin Solution (V 5.11 A2+) and Lair of the White Worm (V 5.11 A2+) on Vampire Spire (AAJ Vol. 42 2000, Climbing 192). Pat returned with a new partner (Hank Jones) and raised the standard in 2003 by freeing Cornerstone (Climbing 224). You Enjoy Myself (V 5.12) is the first example of the free climbing potential on the Vampire Spires as well as the region. All of the teams established their routes from the ground up. Some parties used no bolts and all parties kept their use to a minimum.
Since then Pat and Hank put up a couple new routes. They did a the only free ascent on the back side of the Vampire Spire and called it The Dark Side IV 5.11. We established Nosferatu (V 5.10 A2+).
Pat and Hank have gone back a few times. I'd have to look in AAC journals for those ascents. The AAJ is where I pieced most of that history together.
Here is the writeup for the AAJ that Reootch wrote:
It was about 4:20 PM when the three of us reached the oddly sloping ledge about 100 meters from the summit of Vampire Spire. “No one’s ever set foot on this ledge before”, I observed as I crunched across the lichen encrusted slab. This was our summit push. Doug had just struggled up a hideous bomb-bay squeeze chimney, making some of the strangest noises I have ever heard coming from the sharp end of the rope. Since being dropped off in this remote Canadian wilderness, we would do as many new pitches on this day as we had done in the previous two weeks.
The weather was nice when Warren La Fave’s helicopter departed, leaving five, dirt-bag, American climbers stranded in the little alpine valley. This soon changed as the rain and low flying clouds, known as “Mustard Gas”, settled in. I would be climbing with Doug LaFarge, a friend of mine from college, and John Sedelmeyer, a fellow Outward Bound instructor. Pat Goodman and Hank Jones were also there with the intent of freeing a new route on the Vampire. We too had designs to free the Vamp, but our first goal was to do a first ascent.
During brief daylong intervals of relatively good weather we pushed our route three full pitches, averaging about one pitch a day. This part of our route was definitely the crux. Pitch two features a splitter thin crack that took a triple set of brass nuts plus a few hand placed beaks. John did an excellent job on this lead, resisting the temptation to break out the hammer. The third pitch, which consists of more thin nutting and a dicey pendulum into a wet seam, holds the potential for a stellar free climb. The seam soon turns into a finger to hand size splitter. A hail storm cut loose half way up this pitch making it a particularly special lead for me. The chimney system above me acted like a huge funnel for millions of hailstones to pour down upon my head. This spectacular pitch put us at the base of the aforementioned chimney pitch.
There was no way of knowing what the final pitches held in store. We could see the initial five-inch crack that arched under a big roof and out of sight seventy feet above us. John brought everything, literally! By the time he leap-frogged the big pieces to the lip of the roof, he had maybe two pieces of gear in. He kept threatening to belay, but eventually topped the pitch out. A short walk along a large grassy ledge put us at the base of the lichen covered 5.6R summit pitch.
On August 6th, 2004 at approximately 10:30 PM, two weeks after arriving in the Northwest Territories, we stood on the summit of the Vampire Spire. In the eerie sub-arctic twilight we surveyed the surrounding wilderness of peaks, glaciers and cloud formations, which, for the time being, were behaving themselves. Our dream of establishing a new route on this fickle formation was now a reality. We only had to return to the ground safely from our 900-foot perch.
Specifics of New Routes
Ours was the third complete ascent of the Spire since it was first climbed in 1994. Our route, Nosferatu (V 5.10 A2+), takes a very direct line starting from the very toe of the southwest buttress, following splitter cracks with very little loose rock. Other than placing some bolts at belays our ascent was hammerless, however, it should be mentioned, that this route had been attempted by Pat Goodman the previous year and he had placed an aid bolt as the first piece of gear on the second pitch. It is our view that that bolt was justified, as there was certainly no other way (free or aid) to pass that blank section, plus it opens the door to some amazing clean climbing on the remainder of the route.
Pat and Hank were not idle. Despite the horrendous weather, they established two new routes on the Vampire: The Coffin (V 5.11, A2), and The Dark Side (IV 5.11b). The latter, being the first completely free ascent of the Vampire Spire. Pat and Hank’s routes were done in alpine style and all clean, as well. (See Photo)
Rich Ludwig ~ AAC
I'll add that The Phoenix which is down valley has more routes on it. I know Pat and Hank did a few new ones. No idea on the details.
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nature
climber
Boulder, CO
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yeah yeah... Bruce... I get it. But I doubt "The Official Ragged Range Picture Thread" would have much for legs :p
It's Canada - as far as I'm concerned it's all one.
I think you can see the Rockies in one of those shots. So there's that.
and besides, Sanskara wrote:
No big deal!
So I'm covered
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 06:25pm PT
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Dude thanks,
I was gonna source the AAJ article you provided. Last night googling the area it was one of the few things I found mentioned..
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Bad Climber
climber
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Classic shots, everyone! Love to see whatever you've got. Most of my Rockies pics are on slides from way back in the day. Here's a couple from the recent cycling tour:
I'll post some more later.
BAd
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 06:28pm PT
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Guys guys,
No f*#king arguing now would yah all ehy...
Just post pictures that get me more excited than well ten outa ten girls ;)
I must be getting old..
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 06:31pm PT
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Bad,
I raced bicycles on the US pro circuit for a number of years. Other than climbing when I was in the Rockies last winter all I could think was how awesome the place would be with a road bike.
How long was your your? You ride a recumbent I see...
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Bad Climber
climber
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Hey, Sanskara:
We cranked it out, unsupported, from Jasper to the Mexican border, starting Aug. 7th and finishing in New Mexico at Columbus on Nov. 2nd. All told, we covered just shy of 2,700 miles of heavy pedaling.
I gotta get some work done, but here's another couple of pics from that tour:
BAd
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FRUMY
Trad climber
Bishop,CA
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Bad Climber
climber
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@Bruce:
Yeah, good ol' Django went the distance, hiking every significant hill, pass, and mountain along the entire range on account of there was no way I was--or could-- be hauling his doggy butt uphill. He loved it, however, hammering out a twenty mile grade and complaining when we loaded him into the trailer. Damn, though, that was a HARD tour!
BAd
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 07:55pm PT
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Bad that is just awesome..
I am also an avid dog lover.
I had designs of such excursions till one of my two fell ill and is kinda housebound...
What a dream trip!
This is what I love about ST that you will not find on the other boards. People getting out there doing extraordinary things with there lives!
Ok so we are not saving babies. Who knows maybe done of do that also. Wouldn't be surprised. You get my point. Pretty cool to actually take the time to ride your bike from Mexico to Canada with your dog.
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 08:16pm PT
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 9, 2014 - 08:18pm PT
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raw
Mountain climber
Malibu
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2014 - 12:12pm PT
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Mal.
I felt so objectified when that bus pulled up. Like a piece of freaking meat ;)
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NutAgain!
Trad climber
South Pasadena, CA
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Apr 10, 2014 - 12:49pm PT
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What's all the white stuff in those beautiful pictures?
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Sanskara
climber
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Topic Author's Reply - Apr 10, 2014 - 01:09pm PT
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Some of it I think is snow?
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SteveW
Trad climber
The state of confusion
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Apr 10, 2014 - 03:39pm PT
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Years ago I was visiting Windsor (was working across the river in
Detroit) and did some window shopping.
In a gift store there was a picture, knot of the Canadian
Rockies, but of Colorado's Maroon Bells. . .
Eh????
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