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As the cycle of life comes to full circle once again, spring has again
returned. The cold darkness of winter has given way to the warm light
of spring. For many it is a great time to ride a bike, to walk in the
park, and to remember ones own backyard. Gone are the days when towering
pillars of ice threaten to crush the individual and splintered ice
cascade from above and the bitter cold can stop a man dead in his tracks.
Those cold days of winter have passed but are not forgotten they live
on in dreams and the hearts and mind of the individual.
This
past January I spent two weeks in Calgary, Alberta with Tito Junic
and family to
accomplish a dream, the dream to climb in the “Mecca” of
ice climbing, the Canadian Rockies. I spent to two days in Canmore
and Banff Alberta to learn the basic techniques of Ice Climbing with
the
renowned Yamnuska
Inc. an
outdoor educational company based in Canmore, Alberta.
Equipped with crampons, ice tools, plastic mountaineering boots, and
a backpack full of warm cloths. I learned to climb towering pillars
of ice
that would be flowing waterfalls in the summer. The temperatures hovered
around -30 C but the wind made it feel as it were -40 C.
The locals said, “This is about as bad as it can get…” as
they welcomed me to their cold hell. Needless to say, I believed them.
But I did not care I was living a dream. Excluded from the cost of
learning the basic fundamentals of ice climbing I also witnessed the
beauty of
the
mountains in the winter. The mountains covered in snow and ice looked
more elegant, and the trees weighted down with snow made the whole
scenery look
haunting yet wildly exquisite.
Although I suffered from sore muscles,
the pain of frozen fingers and toes, frost nip, and a slightly bruised
ego; I believe that ice climbing in the
most severe conditions put things perspective. The little problems that
I encounter everyday pale in comparison to the problems I faced hanging
in free space on pillar of ice. I feel that climbing has given me the
chance to take on life with same aggressiveness and determination I show
during
a climb. I hope these pictures taken at Johnson Canyon located within
Banff National Park will give you a sense of the thrill and enjoyment
I experienced
in one of the most memorable adventures I have ever undertaken.
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