Little East River Crag - New Ice Routes

Little East River Crag
by Danylo Darewych (with help from Don Collier)

Overview: A nice hidden crag with 5-7 moderate routes between 15m-30m in length. A bit of a slog to get to.

Location: Near the town of Novar, north of Huntsville, 1.3 km south of the Fish Lake Crag (as the crow flies) on a small bluff on the east bank of the Little East River.

Fish Lake and Little East River Topo MapApproach: Park as for Fish Lake on the Fish Lake Road and head towards the Fish Lake Crag, but turn towards the south-east corner of Fish Lake, taking care to give a wide berth to the outflow of the Little East River south out of Fish Lake (because the Little East River is rarely frozen). We bushwacked along the east bank of the Little East River for approximately 200-300m, then bore left (south-east) away from the river through the trees for another 300-400 metres, before bumbling our way to the base of the crag. The total distance from the car to the crag is slightly over 2 km. It took us about an hour and 15 minutes breaking trail through heavy wet snow on the way in (using snowshoes; with bumbling) and about 45 minutes on the way out (less bumbling).

Getting there is not as easy as it sounds. The bluff is not visible once you enter the trees and is not that easy to locate, so get your bearings of the area from the northbound exit ramp to Novar off Highway 11 (look southeast) and as you’re heading south across Fish Lake. Unfortunately, the climbs are not really visible from either location, at least not until late winter when most of the snow melts off and then they become as obvious as the nose on your face (but good luck getting to them then). Prepare to bumble.

Conceivably, it would be possible to approach the crag directly from Highway 11 about 100m south of the northbound exit ramp for Novar, but you would have to cross the Little East River and I’m not sure if it freezes over.

Route Descriptions:

Routes will be described in relation to Up the Creek (Without a Paddle), the fattest and most obvious flow in the centre-left of the cliff.

All routes FA – Danylo Darewych, Don Collier, February 28, 2010.

Danylo heading Up the Creek (Without a Paddle) Photo by Don Collier
Up the Creek (Without a Paddle), WI 2+, 15m
A big fat flow in the centre left of the cliff. It starts with a 4m vertical step, then continues up easier angled ice with some shorter steps to end at the base of the vertical cliff face, where the flow originates. Belay and rap from a pair of cedars on the left. It might be possible to make a mixed climbing exit up and right (harder; awkward with a sliver of badly baked ice) or directly above the cedars (easier, blockier).
The name Up the Creek refers to the fact that we followed the Little East River (although in reality you’re going downstream not up) and some snow-covered streambeds to get to the crag. The lack of paddle reference would be a reference to the lack of rock gear in order to even attempt the easier mixed exit. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Tread Softly (left) and Paddle? What Paddle? (right)Paddle? What Paddle? We Don’t Need No Stinking Paddle! WI3, 5.2 25m
Located about 5m left of Up the Creek. Climb an initial 4m vertical ice step to an easier-angled snow-covered ramp (another 5m), then climb up another 4-5m vertical ice step (easier angle on the left by some trees), then over easier angled ice to a small rock alcove (with a pair of small trees and smear of ice in the back). Belay/rap here (15m) or continue up the mixed exit. Step right onto a bit of a slab, reach for some good hooks at the top of the slab, then for a big exposed root (sling it), stand up on the root, reach for another bomber hook at the back of a ledge above, then step onto blocks for an easy exit up to the left. Belay/rap from any convenient tree.
NB Before any of my ill-meaning friends point out that I have sullied my ice-climbing reputation and gone over to the mixed climbing darkside, I would like to point out that there were enough ice-crust, snice, snow cover and tree route holds on the exit moves that my tools didn’t actually touch rock. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Collier, on the other hand, would love to embrace the darkside but simply can’t!

Tread Softly and Carry a Sharp Pick. Photo by Don Collier.Tread Softly and Carry a Sharp Pick, WI3+, 25m
Located 4m left of Paddle. Climb an initial vertical 7-8 metre ice step (thin at bottom, eases up at top), then up easier angled ice and a snowy ledge to another steeper 4-5m ice step, weave around some trees following the thickest ice to a bushy top-out. Belay/rap from any convenient tree.

Tuning Fork behind namesake treeDanylo on Tuning Fork. Photo by Don CollierTuning Fork, WI3-, 20m.
Starts about 25m right of Up the Creek at a tree that splits into two trunks (somewhat) like the tines of a tuning-fork. The climb behind it also has a left side and a right side. We climbed the left side. Climb the initial ice steps which steepen to nearly vertical at the top, using a frozen-in dead tree trunk on the right if needed (10 metres), then up easier-angled (and massively snow covered) ice to a second shorter vertical step , then more easy-angled snow-covered ice, to a third and final (and shortest) ice step. (I think there were three steps – I might be remembering incorrectly). Belay/rap from any convenient tree.

Don rapping off Mogul RunMogul Run, WI2, 30m
Located about 50m right of Tuning Fork in a lower angled amphitheatre full of blue ice. Many variants are possible as there are flows, ice-steps and blobs all over the place. The harder line goes up the centre of the amphitheatre (looked to be mostly WI2+ with a final vertical step among trees of maybe WI3-). We climbed the easier angled ice on the left (WI2-), up snow ramps and ice blobs, over a short vertical step up high to the top. Belay/rap from any convenient tree (a rap from a 60m rope just reached the bottom).

Notes:
1) When we climbed the routes there was a foot of snow on all the easy-angled ice. I did more sweeping and plowing than swinging on some routes. I’m not sure if the snow-cover is always this heavy at this crag.
2) There are lots of rope-catching shrubs and trees when you throw the ropes to rap at this crag.
3) I suspect that this is a mid-to-late-season crag. A lot of the more vertical routes were quite thin at the bottom – they need time to form up fully.
4) Your topping-out-over-bulges technique will be tested to the max at this crag.