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| From the summit of Cerro Zapata! Pinto and Grey Glaciers and Torres del Paine Parque National. Photo by Max Fisher |
Well many fun times have happened since I finished the Kooshdakha Spire expedition with Erik Bonnett. I worked to NOLS Yukon courses that involved my days of canoeing, portaging and adventuring through the untrampelled lands on the Boreal forest and cordillera.
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| Canoe Expeditioning at its finest! |
I made my way to Chilean Patagonia to work a full semester for NOLS, which involved mountaineering for 32days followed directly by 32days of sea kayaking...
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| Drinking mate admits a pretty solid wind and snow storm the ripped a Hilleberg Tent in half (behind a snow wall) and had us doing shovel shifts each hour to keep the snow from damaging our tents. |
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| Students paddling on Seno Skiring. Due to weather and sea state we paddled 13 of 30 days. Take what Patagonia gives you! Photo by Max Fisher |
so I spent 64 days with 16 wonderful people teaching and learning from them in one of the most special places in the world!
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| Lindsay Wiebold climbing Mandarin 5.9+ Cerro Agula, Aysen Patagonia. Photo by Max Fisher |
In January, 2015 I boarded a plan to California to meet my lovely lady, Ashlie Ferguson. She picked me up and over the next 20 days slowly made our way to Sackville NB. The drive included numerous push starts of the 79 VW Westfalia
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| Mate Che? Photo by Ashlie Ferguson |
(Oklahoma to NB), nude hot springs in Sierraville Cali, climbing in Yosemite (with Erik), Cold Stream Ice in Cali and Red Rocks Nevada.
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| Ashlie high on Bourbon Street 5.8+ 7 pitches Red Rocks Nevada. Photo by Max Fisher |
I also turned 31 on this adventure. Since Ashlie and I arrived home there has been numerous days of ice climbing, skiing, exploring and a number of awesome snow storms!
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| Yosemite! Photo by Max Fisher |
So many of these days stand out as wonderful and fun! Especially the company of the long drive and getting home visiting family and sharing beers with friends. But one more recently standouts out as a highlight... this day was February 13, 2015.
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| Sunset in the midwest... pretty beautiful! Photo by Max Fisher |
Last year I headed out to Cape Chignecto Provincial Park with Greg Hughes and Mike Delaney and we climbed 2 awesome routes called High and Wild and Maritime Alpinism. Both of these where WI4 175m long with high quality climbing. Since that adventure I altered plans so that I would end up there again sooner rather then later.
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| A picture from the first trip into Cape Chignecto Dec. 2013 Photo by Max Fisher |
So on February 13 Lucas Toron, who is presently between work contracts, and I headed out to Cape Chignecto. To my knowledge there has only been 2 trips out to this zone, this would be the 3rd. We had perfect tides, low at 12:45, so in and out on the beach with a bit of 5th class shenanigans kept our feet dry. This also allowed use 4hrs to climb and hike out with little stress. We started hiking at 9:15am arrived at the base of our objective at 10:15am checked out conditions and started climbing around 10:45am.
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| Some tidal navigation shenanigans! Photo by Max Fisher |
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| Shenanigans continues! Photo by Max Fisher |
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| Living in the Spirt Of M4R WI5- 200m, Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, Nova Scotia Photo by Max Fisher |
Living in the Spirt Of M4R WI5- 200m, Cape Chignecto Provincial Park, Nova Scotia
Pitch 1 M4R WI3 60m - The mixed climbing was super fun, having your focus is important because it's run-out, a bit loose and the crux isn't protected. The ice above the mixed section is thin and takes small screws.
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| Climbing the first pitch. Fun mixed terrain! Photo by Lucas Toron |
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| Pulling the crux. Photo by Lucas Toron |
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| Lucas on the upper part of pitch 1. Photo by Max Fisher |
Pitch 2 WI3 60m - Fun thin climbing.
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| Coming up pitch 2. Photo by Lucas Toron |
Pitch 3 WI3+ 50m - Climb easy terrain to base of pillar (you can belay here if you want) or climb up 5m to a more protected position.
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| Lucas coming up the 3rd pitch with our fisherman spectators... they watched us all day and where fishing too no doubt! Photo by Max Fisher |
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| Climbing... it's fun! Photo by Max Fisher |
Pitch 4 WI5- 30m - Depending where you climb the difficulty could go up. Awesome chandelier/hollow/ funky formed ice to the top. Awesome exposure in a surreal setting!
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| Lucas climbing the money on pitch 4. Photo by Max Fisher |
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| Topping out the route. Photo by Lucas Toron |
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| Torres Del Paine Nation Park from Rio Serrano/Rio Balmecada confluence. Photo by Max Fisher |
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| The wind only slightly impacts the vegetation in Magallanic, Patagonia! Photo by Max Fisher |
Thanks to all my students and co-instructors in Patagonia for a great trip! To Erik Bonnett for the letting us hang out at his place and climbing in Yosemite! Red Rocks for being there and the Westfalia for well, doing what they do :) Ashlie for the wonderful company and going climbing and drinking lots of Mate with me!
And Lucas for, what I feel is, the coolest climb I've done in the Maritimes to date!
