Canadian Will Gadd and three other ice-climbers recently completed a new route up Helmcken Falls.
“It's the hardest multi-pitch mixed route in the world,” said Gadd of the route, which they named Overhead Hazard. “This route is special as it takes the most difficult, direct line from the back of the waterfall to the top.”
Gadd, John Freeman, Sarah Hueniken and Katie Bono took nearly three weeks to make the climb, which they completed on Feb. 13.
A description of the route is on Gadd's website, willgadd.com. It first describes how to rappel down to the bottom of cliffs and then walk up to the knoll near the base of the falls.
“Say, 'Holy s--t, it’s way bigger than I thought!' when you see the falls from the knoll. Everyone does,” the website reads.
Gadd and British extreme athlete Tim Emmett pioneered routes up the cave behind 141 m (163 ft) high Helmcken Falls in 2010 and 2011.
Gadd had seen a photo of the falls in winter several years earlier and was intrigued by the ice climbing possibilities.
Emmett, along with Klemen Premrl of Slovenia, successfully made a first ascent of a mixed rock and ice route they called Spray on Top at Helmcken Falls in 2012.
A few days after Gadd and his party had done Overhead Hazard this winter, Emmett and Premrl did the first repeat climb of the route.
The pair had earlier pioneered their own new route, which they called Clash of the Titans.
Angelika Rainer, an Italian ice climber, did the first repeat of Clash of the Titans soon after they completed it.
“I really love Wells Gray Park and Clearwater,” Gadd said. “I'm halfway to moving there – great kayaking, mountain biking, skiing, ice climbing, people, climate. It's just a special place I've really fallen in love with over the years.”
Gadd noted that the Helmcken Falls Lodge crew has been key to the climbers' success over the years.
“We managed to do some cross-country skiing on the trails this year as well,” he added. “Awesome, totally underrated skiing. I'm bringing my kids back for that next winter for sure!”