The Valhallas are primarily a summertime rock climbing destination, but that doesn’t mean winter-season climbing is impossible. In fact, it can be quite good, as David Lussier and I discovered in November when we made the first ascent of Kootenay Canaleta (350m, D+ WI4 M5) on the north face of Gimli Peak (2,774m).

We camped the night before our climb near the classic south ridge of Gimli. In the morning, we skied over snow, rock, ice, and moss to get to the west col, from which we did one short rappel and then contoured around via a small pocket glacier to reach the base of the north face, 1.5 hours after leaving camp. David graciously let me lead the first pitch, which had the most ice climbing on it. He then gracefully and bravely ascended classic, heady thin ice that brought us into the main weakness of the face. The crux M5 pitch climbed up through some wider cracks. Four more mixed pitches took us into the last hundred meters of the upper couloir, where we took off the rope and climbed up steep snow with a couple of rock and ice steps. Each pitch had its challenges.

We found the climbing reasonably well protected with stubbies, nuts, and cams. We descended the route, mostly rappelling from slung horns or chockstones. We enjoyed perfect wintertime temperatures, just below freezing.

According to Lussier, a local guide, the main reason the route had escaped attention all these years probably is the difficulty of access in winter. The logging road into this area is not plowed in winter, but it was still open during our early season climb. From the trailhead, it takes about two hours on trail to reach Gimli, then another 1.5 hours to the base of the north face. To our knowledge, there haven’t been other significant ice or mixed climbs in the Valhallas to date. Lussier thinks there may be potential on the north-facing gullies of Mt. Dag and Little Dag (up to 1,000m tall), “but, again, it is hard to see the conditions and the walls are difficult to access.”

– Jen Olson, Canada