On February 21, Will Mayo, Anna Pfaff, and Joe Terravecchia (all USA) completed Dreamline, a huge “spray ice” route to the right of Pissing Mare Falls. Terravecchia, one of the main developers of ice climbing in Newfoundland, had been eyeing this line for about two decades. He and longtime climbing partner Casey Shaw had camped on top of the cliff for a week before Mayo and Pfaff arrived, waiting for a break in the weather that never came.

After Shaw’s departure, Mayo, Pfaff, and Terravecchia snowmobiled to the top of the falls before dawn, downclimbed a snow gully to the shore of Western Brook Pond (a fjord that rarely freezes, preventing an easier approach from below), and began climbing around 9 a.m. After hurrying up an approach gully threatened by falling ice, they simul-climbed a 500’ ramp leading to the main icefall. Above, five pitches of very steep ice and frozen spray gained the top: Dreamline (1,260’, WI6+).

Less than a week later, Mayo and Pfaff climbed Psycho Killer (650’, WI7+ M9) above Bakers Brook Pond. The traditionally protected route concluded with an overhanging rock corner leading to a huge ice roof. 

– Dougald MacDonald, with information from Joe Terravecchia

"Dreamline" (WI6+, 1,260') from Will Mayo on Vimeo.