The Essence of Life: Lillooet Ice Climbing

     Ice cascades down a cliff. Upside-down spires and nodules of frozen water adorn the rocks, allowing us to ascend majestic waterfalls. We are on an Outdoor Center Excursion to "experience the thrill" of ice climbing in Lillooet, British Columbia.
     On Friday, Jan. 28 we set out for Lillooet, and about four hours later we were organizing gear and packing for the next day at the Mile 0 Motel. We woke up at 5:45 in the morning, anxious to snag the wall before any other groups.
     It was a long, uphill, walk in heavy mountaineering boots attached to crampons that gripped dirt, snow, ice, logs, and rocks effortlessly. Reaching the base of Rambles Center winded and sweaty from the climb, participants waited for the trip leaders, Andy Craig, Dustin Byrne and BJ Cassell, to set up an anchor for top rope at the crest of each pitch.
     After a brief but in-depth lesson on belaying we were able to start climbing. The pristine beauty of the ice didn't prepare us for the danger of dislodged chunks that hurtled down to the base of the climb as people tackled the frozen falls. But since we were outfitted with helmets and adept at communicating we were all able to avoid getting seriously injured by falling ice.
     Climbing the wall fully equipped with ice tools and crampons looks like an easy feat. Yet once you are balanced on steel tips from each limb of your body, the difficulty of scaling a waterfall becomes apparent. Maybe the challenge arises from the fact that climbing up waterfalls is a completely unnatural place for humans to be. Why on earth would someone think about climbing frozen water? Well, because it's fun, and probably the hardest aspect of climbing you can encounter.
     A participant, Mike Ruark, said, "The athletic component is just as formidable as any other type of climbing, but the ice is definitely more beautiful."
     Craig says that once he tried ice climbing "it wasn't a choice anymore, I had to do it." The euphoria one gains after conquering a climb is what continues to bring him back.
     The second day, we approached Deeping Wall in Marble Canyon by crossing a frozen lake. As the sun rose above the horizon, a copper glow lit up the trees and cast long shadows across the lake. After trudging through the woods a few steps we came upon the impressive cascade that we would be climbing that day. An ice cave off to the side displayed stunning formations that secured in our minds that ice climbing can bring you to some of the most breathtaking places.
     But along with beauty comes the frigid temperatures that keep the ice solid. Being warm doesn't last long and we bundled up in down jackets and danced like penguins to preserve our body heat. Luckily, we had warm cars and hotel rooms to return to at the end of each day.

Zach Holland, 18, stands next to Deeping wall for perspective. He says, "Ice climbing puts you to the limits of what you're capable of doing."

Icicles form while sunshine illuminates a nearby tree.

The sun send light through the trees as Jenny Petrut, 19, walks to the lake to warm in the sun.

(from left) Chelsea Cassell, 22, Bryce Whalen, 18, and Erin Bennett, 22, walk across the frozen lake.

Climbing Icy BC in Marble Canyon.

Dustin Byrne, 25, tackles the brittle ice.

Bryce Whalen, 18, drives his ice tools into the frozen falls.

"One thing I love about ice climbing is that ice is such a dynamic medium," says BJ Cassell, 28. "It's like a whole new climb and whole new experience every time." Cassell walks down the slope after a day at Rambles.