Distinctly Montana Magazine

Conrad making coffee on the side of a cliff LIKE ICE CLIMBING? COMMENT ON DISTINCTLY MONTANA'S FB PAGE A s I swung my tool and it latched into a small pocket of ice, my feet cut loose from the small edge of volcanic rock I was bal- ancing on. I gingerly moved onto the ice, took a deep breath, thought about being light, and shared a look of confidence with my partner. I continued up the overhanging ice, topping out in deep snow and wallowing to a big pine for the belay. The late season ice was warm and plas- tic, ideal conditions for a winter escapade in Hyalite Canyon, Montana. I belayed my partner up the pitch and looked down canyon and took in the views, much as one would savor a sip of fine wine. Twin Falls and the striking Cleopatra's Needle framing the west, a bit north the Scepter and Mummy climbs, and in the lower canyon the novice-friendly Gen- esis area with the stout Unnamed Wall across Hyalite Creek. Tucked in the woods and hid- den by cliffs, over 100 climbs adorn the main fork of Hyalite Canyon. While southwest Mon- tana offers an abundance of ice climbs, Hyalite is as good as it gets for avid ice climbing with over 135 established routes covering the range difficulty. Reliable ice begins forming at Thanksgiving and lasts until early April. The five-month season, six if one is willing to hike to higher elevations, is unique in the con- tiguous states. For an enthusiastic climber the season offers ample opportunity to seek out climbs. The ease of access, via a plowed road to the Grotto Falls trailhead, is very user-friendly. Once in Hya- lite Canyon, the remoteness one feels is exceptional. Pine trees sway in the gentle breeze, snow crunch- es underfoot, one's breath hangs in the air. It's hard to believe a place as quiet as this is only a 40-minute www.distinctlymontana.com "What at first began as a small diversion to train for the mountains eventually morphed into a unique and specialized discipline in the sport of (ice) climbing. " drive from Bozeman. Hyalite is a world-class destination with easy access, a long season, and a variety of climbs spanning the range of technical difficulties. DISTINCTLY MONTANA | DIGITAL Go to www.distinctlymontana.com/conrad121 for video of Conrad Anker climbing Genesis 1 in Hyalite Canyon in just over a minute! HOW GEAR SHAPES THE SPORT Climbing frozen waterfalls is a relatively new adaptation of mountaineering tools and technique. Crampons, spikes attached to one's feet, came about as a way to cross glaciers with security. The ice axe was initially designed for self-arrest, should one slip on the gla- cier. Climbers, always on the lookout for a good adventure, started taking these simple tools to frozen waterfalls. What at first began as a small diver- sion to train for the mountains eventually morphed into a unique and specialized disci- pline in the sport of climbing. By the mid-seventies, with the ascent of the 300-foot Bridalveil outside of Telluride, Colorado, ice climbing had established itself. People began to seek out the delicate ribbons of ice that promised adventure in the fin- est sense of the word. The gear manufacturers responded to the demand for recreational ice climbing with innovative tools designed to make climbing ice safer and more enjoyable. Climbing rope, purposely built to be elastic and absorb the forces of a fall, coupled with cylindrical ice screws allowed climbers to as- 21 MAX LOWE ROSS LYNN

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