Lacelle Qui Reste, new ice climb in Canada

At the end of December Raphael Slawinski and Eamonn Walsh checked in with the first ascent of the spectacular Lacelle Qui Reste ice fall high up on Mt. Wilson. Slawinski had first noticed the pillar back in 2004 when climbing together with Guy Lacelle, yet at the time the two didn't climb the line. Five years later Lacelle tragically perished in an avalanche and now Raphael Slawinski and Eamonn Walsh have dedicated this beautiful drip to the legendary Canadian ice climber.

The stunning 40m drip is located in the bowl left of Les Miserables, and as such requires a massive approach. Fortunately though this turned out to be far less complicated than feared: Slawinski and Walsh first climbed up the icefall Oh Le Tabernac, then traversed via a ledge system to reach the base of the route.

Commenting on his blog, Slawinski stated "Looking up at the pillar, I thought about sneaking up its left side as high as possible, but quickly gave up on the idea. This route deserved my best effort, and that meant climbing the proud line up the front. And it didn't disappoint. The porcelain-blue sky above; the late-afternoon shadows on the mountains across the valley; the familiar grey and yellow limestone on either side; and the Roman candle of ice I was on. Guy would have liked it."


Editor's Note: in France's Vallèe di Fressinieres there is another icefall with the same name, first ascended by Guy Lacelle and Jean Pierre Mottin in January 1994.