VIDEO: Wolverine - The World's Hardest Ice Route?

by Jack Geldard - UKC Chief Editor Jan/2013
This news story has been read 10,852 times

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+Tim Emmett on Wolverine - the world's first WI11?, 36 kb
Tim Emmett on Wolverine - the world's first WI11?
UKC News, Jan 2013
© Black Diamond (screen shot from video) In this excellent video we see British climber Tim Emmett in action at Helmcken Falls, British Columbia on what could well be the hardest pitch of 'ice' climbing in the world.

Tim, along with Klemen Premrl, completed the super impressive route Spray On ... Top! last winter, which climbs the full height of the waterfall in several pitches (see UKC News). The pair also added a single pitch route named Wolverine , which is a bolted sport ice climb and is graded WI11!

Normal ice routes go up to around WI7 or WI7+, but due to the super steep nature of the spray ice at Helmcken Falls, which is unique in style, the grades for these routes are a few notches higher. These routes are obviously extremely athletic and unlike normal ice climbing.

Tim Emmett is sponsored by Black Diamond , Scarpa , Mountain Hardwear , Sterling Rope , Adidas Eyewear , Yamgo .

 


* Forums ( Read More... | 9 comments, 16 Jan 2013 )
What grade did Gadd give the first line they did there? Wasn't it WI9 or something? Anyway I thought these were meant to be like M grades, in that they show how physically hard the route is - not really...
TobyA - 16 Jan 2013

Are they having a laugh with the grade? At the moment, as mentioned, ice grades go up to W7, and this for routes that are extremely serious, tenuous and hard/impossible to protect. Does Emmett really think that a sport...
Flashman - 16 Jan 2013

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