Riders on the Storm, 500-700 m vertical, WI4+
FA (to top of ice): Valeri Babanov & Raphael Slawinski, December 18, 2004
FA (to top of face): Raphael Slawinski & Eamonn Walsh, February 19, 2006

The north-east escarpment (PHOTO) of Mts Sarrail and Foch forms an impressive backdrop to the Upper Kananaskis Lake. In winter this wall is adorned with tantalizing ice smears. Riders on the Storm follows a line on the east face of Mt. Sarrail over three steep tiers separated by snowfields (PHOTO) all the way to the base of summit block. The route lies some 200 m left of the NE Buttress, the summer alpine rock climb. Due to its aspect and angle, the entire wall is very prone to spindrift, which affects climbing conditions as well as the nature of the ice. This often resembles snow more than ice, making for demanding climbing even on lower-angled terrain.

Approach: Park at the Upper Lake parking lot. Ski up to Rawson Lake on a good trail in about an hour. From the lake head south-east through forest, contouring around a hill into the Sarrail Creek drainage. From where the trees end, traverse avalanche slopes to the base of the route (3 hours total) (PHOTO).

Climb: The route consists of three tiers separated by snowfields. The first tier is breached by two ice smears some 20 m apart: we started up the more direct left-hand one. A pitch of WI3/4 on good ice (PHOTO) leads into a narrow snow gully. Follow the gully past a short ice step to more open terrain. Trend right on snow with short mixed steps (PHOTO) to the base of the second tier. Climb this in 2 pitches on low-angled snow-ice (WI3/4) (PHOTO). There are 2-piton rappel stations at the end of each ropelength on the right, but the lower one may be difficult to reach while climbing. Slog up another snowfield to the base of the third tier (piton on the left). A long pitch of snow-ice (WI4) (PHOTO) ends at a piton-and-wire station among some blocks on the right (PHOTO). A second steeper pitch on good ice (WI4+) leads to the final snowfields (PHOTO). Climb these past short ice steps to the base of the summit headwall. Due to deteriorating weather we stopped here; however, a low-angled ramp appears to lead up and right to the summit ridge. Alternately, it might be possible to follow a horizontal ledge system left to the Sarrail-Foch col.

Route topo

Descent: Rappel the route from rock and ice anchors.

Gear: 60-70 m ropes, 8-10 screws (mostly short), a few pins.

Note: In February 2006 Eamonn Walsh and I returned to the east face of Mt. Sarrail. From a bivi below the face, we reclimbed the ice of Riders, then followed the right-trending ramp over challenging snow formations to the summit ridge. I had always felt that stopping at the end of the,ahem, difficulties on Riders was unsatisfactory. Now I could finally stop obsessing about it.