The Rampart, East Face. Real-life rotten-rock nightmares on Rocky Mountain faces chased Earle Whipple and me to Glacier, British Columbia. Early on August 29 we found ourselves near the end of the Asulkan valley trail prepared for the fulfillment of our dreams of solid rock. We traversed moraines, slabs and then up a short snow slope to the east face of the Rampart, a few hundred feet south of the summit. We attacked the left side of a small nose which juts into the snow slope in the middle of the slab face and ascended up and to the right into a crack system. The nose was climbed in four leads, the second of which included a difficult F6 unprotected crack, surmounted by means of a fist jam. We then followed a system of ramps up and to the right. From the end of these a short scramble put us near the right end of a prominent snow ledge halfway up the face. From there the route ascended for two leads up the slab face and to the left via inside corners. The next pitch went part way up another inside corner, traversed right and then up to a stance on a narrow ledge beside two blocks. A thin lead put us on an ample ledge, from which a short lead ended the climb. Descent was via Mounts Afton and Abbott. The rock was excellent throughout and a pure joy to climb on. Hardware consisted of 15 pitons, ranging from a knifeblade to a 2-inch bong.

Michael Wisnicki, unaffiliated