Whiteman Falls WI6(ish) - Kananaskis, AB - Jan 2024

This one has been on our tick list for a while. You can’t see Whiteman Falls without wanting to get on it.
We left Calgary just after 6am;
Started Skiing by 7:52, which was a bit later than we wanted to start;
Geared up at the end of skin track, including putting on our harnesses, helmets and crampons, then started hiking at around 9:24;
We solo’d the steps (first step at 9:34); and
Then started up the main ice at around 10:18.
We climbed the right line, which was less muchroomy than the left line, but then traversed left, then right to a cave. I was expecting bolts, but we didn’t see any on the left or the right in the cave. I saw multiple screw holes indicating that I took the a popular route up the falls, and there was a brand new frozen in v thread that I backed up and belayed Jeff and Hans up. The first pitch was great with lots of great rests, but there were multiple sections that required you to get your tools high and your feet above the overhanging mushrooms, which made the climbing interesting. Also a lot of the screws were under the overhanging mushrooms, so I’d bring more slings than we did.
Second pitch was a bit awkward getting out of the cave, then a bit steep, but after the first traverse screw and a screw above it, it was bomber to the top. It was wet and plastic right up the middle of the line. I thought it was wide enough to have both Jeff and I follow at the same time, but it would have been just as fast to climb separately. It is steeper on the right side, but the left you could put your back against the rock and chimney up a bit. The see-through ice on the left side was really pretty. I left the title as WI6, but in current conditions it wasn’t that hard or sustained. I’m also not sandbagging this … I’ve seen pictures of Whiteman in other seasons and the ice looks very aerated, but the pro was quite good on this trip. I think it can also form much steeper than it was for us, hence the WI6 grade.
We reached a bolted rap station at 1:39pm and were on the ground 15mins later. Two 70m will get you down without any down climbing; two 60s would require a bit of climbing off of the mound at the bottom. As mentioned, I didn’t see chains on either side, so we would have built a V-thread if we didn’t have doubles.
There is a station above the steepest 10m step. A 35m gets you down both of the steps below it.
Skiing back was generally downhill and Jeff took off his skins for most of it. I kept mine on until the last downhill section, and wish I would have taken my skins off early.
We were back to the car and packed up by 4pm.
A great climb and we had fantastic weather.
For more beta, see:
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ridgelineguidi...
www.ericandluc...
avalanche.ca/map