The Trophy Wall  Photos:  Recent | Best | Popular Page Views:  8,264. Good page?    Administrators:  Peter Spindloe, Tom Erickson Submitted By:  Noah8000 on Mar 30, 2011 Make this area a Favorite What's New   Print a Mini-Guide with routes Add Route  Add Photo  Add Comment  Add Event  Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 66° | 39° 54° | 36° 50° | 32° 52° | 32° 57° | 34°

The Trophy Wall

Description 

Drive from Canmore to Banff on a clear day and you will see an inspirational wall before Banff high up on the face of Mount Rundle with thin drips of ice coming down. That is the Trophy Wall.

The Trophy Wall doesn't really need an introduction as it has become known with the sport of ice climbing. Climbing any of these routes is indeed a trophy. These routes are some of the most watched routes around. If any of them form, expect to see others from around the world trying to get on them. Also expect to experience some of the best ice climbing around along with a good challenge. And the exposure is simply amazing!

The Terminator was the first climb on the wall to be climbed in 1985. It was graded WI7 and took three days to climb. Since then, it has been downgraded to WI6+. The few that have climbed it have said it's the hardest piece of ice they have ever climbed. It's the most watched piece of ice in Canada and has not formed that much.

Two other routes on the wall, The Replicant (WI6+) and Sea of Vapors, were also climbed in the early 1990's.

Sea of Vapors was originally graded WI7+ R and defined what was possible when it was done. One can only imagine how hard and physicological the leads were with extremely thin ice and overhung ice. That is with no protection except the belays.

The Trophy Wall see's no sun at all. When one of the climbs are "in", expect to see traffic. Get an alpine start.

Getting There 

Getting there is pretty simple, actually not really. Use the same approach for Professor Falls, except take a right off the trail before getting to Professor Falls and go through steep forest until you enter the drainage below the Trophy Wall. In order to reach the wall, you must skirt around left of all the cliffs until it skirts back around via a gully. Traverse a bowl to a fixed rope and then a WI3 pitch get's you to the base. If you bike the trail and the trail to the wall is packed, expect 2 hours. But that's not usually the case. Around 4 to 5 hours.

Consult Joe Josephson's Canada Ice guidebook for a good description.

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The Classics

Featured Route For The Trophy Wall

Troubled Dreams (ice) WI6  International : Canada : ... : The Trophy Wall

An excellent route in a spectacular setting! As with any ice route, conditions are widely variable from year to year, but it seems that Troubled Dreams, originally a mixed route, has been coming regularly over the past few years. Difficult to say where the crux will be. It could be pulling through the small roof on the first pitch or past the overhang at the start of pitch two. Mostly the route is just steep and continuous. Scramble up to the base of the WI3 approach ice to a one-bolt belay,...[more]   Browse More Classics in International