© Tim Emmett
© Tim Emmett and Will Gadd
Spray On, recently described by young Scottish climber Greg Boswell as 'the most mental ascent of any line I have heard of' tackles a 45 degree overhanging wall sprayed with ice from a nearby massive waterfall. It is a unique ice feature and is as steep as a limestone sport climbing cave, but is 100% ice climbing.
Spray On climbs for one pitch up the ice and is protected by bolts which were placed on lead. The new route that Emmett and Gadd are about to attempt will tackle the whole cliff at around 150 metres.
The route is located next to Helmcken Falls in Wells Gray Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada.
Tim Emmett has been updating the Epicentre Blog with his progress. In a recent dispatch to them he said:
"I am at Helmcken Falls lodge now. The ice is amazing, getting warmer for the next couple of days though. Hopefully not too much!
None of the other teams have made it here yet. There has been massive snowfall in the Rockies and avalanches have shut the roads for the last few days. Will is stuck in Canmore waiting for them to open!
Check out the water fall it is totally mental! [Photo at top] It's the same height as the Hilton in Manchester !
There are thousands of daggers suspended from the roof - some the size of a bus. Every now and then one falls off, it feels like being on another planet. It's almost impossible to tell where our route is, it's completely different now. Ice chunks have ripped sections of rock off the cave wall, I think some of our bolts are now in the boulders at the base!
BASE rig packed and exit point to the right of the falls (skiers left). It's going to be EPIC!"
© Simon Wilson
Canadian climber Will Gadd is also an extreme athlete and combines high level ice, mixed and rock climbing with paragliding. He has won several gold medals at the X Games and Ice Climbing World Cups and was four times the Canadian national sport climbing champion.
UKC wish Gadd and Emmett the best of luck and hope to have a full report when the pair succeed.
Links:
- Original UKC report from last year: Spray On
- Blog Updates: The Epicentre
- Tim Emmett's Website
Tim Emmett is sponsored by Black Diamond , Scarpa , Mountain Hardwear , AlpBase.com , Adidas Eyewear , Yamgo .
Will Gadd is sponsored by Scarpa, Arc'teryx, Black Diamond, Bolle and Red Bull
Thanks go to The Epicentre in Ambleside, Lake District.
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