Trip Report
The Ghost: 10 snapshots [from] 1 summer [in] a 20 year love affair
Sunday September 16, 2018 5:05pm
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1. hiking out below the phantom bluffs and the epitaph wall; 21.05.201...
1. hiking out below the phantom bluffs and the epitaph wall; 21.05.2018
Credit: nah000
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2. getting ready to setup camp at the point, north of the big hill; 11...
2. getting ready to setup camp at the point, north of the big hill; 11.08.2018
Credit: nah000
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3. on wully wall: consolation, 5.8, 250m; 11.08.2018
3. on wully wall: consolation, 5.8, 250m; 11.08.2018
Credit: nah000
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4. at the top of wully wall; 11.08.2018
4. at the top of wully wall; 11.08.2018
Credit: nah000
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5. and now hiking back out below wully wall; 11.08.2018
5. and now hiking back out below wully wall; 11.08.2018
Credit: nah000
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6. near to the old cmc camp; 11.08.2028?
6. near to the old cmc camp; 11.08.2028?
Credit: nah000
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7. the ghost river below the silver tongued devil wall; 12.08.2018
7. the ghost river below the silver tongued devil wall; 12.08.2018
Credit: nah000
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8. sport clipping at the phantom bluffs: nice, 5.10a, 25m; 18.08.2018
8. sport clipping at the phantom bluffs: nice, 5.10a, 25m; 18.08.2018
Credit: nah000
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9. camping below the std wall; 03.09.2018
9. camping below the std wall; 03.09.2018
Credit: nah000
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10. out at the anti-ghost: bluebell crack, 15m, 5.10a; 08.09.2018
10. out at the anti-ghost: bluebell crack, 15m, 5.10a; 08.09.2018
Credit: nah000
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i started heading in to the ghost river valley at semi regular intervals over twenty years ago.

given the nature of the area and its near dmz like quality [between the privatized and gridded prairie to the east and the state’s attempt at a “public” “wilderness” to the west], it has personally, and at alternating times, been a place of leisure, a waypoint on a line of flight and a respite enabling spiritual/emotional coalescence.

and so someday if we sit around a campfire and swap tales, maybe i’ll tell you about some of the unique folks met, the near misses, or the strange impromptu happenings that have occasionally coalesced around me while i was out in this temporary autonomous zone… [speaking of the latter: i saw two cop cars for the first time ever this year… and all of the way out at the big hill… hmmm…]

until then the above were ten snapshots from a few of the many days that i was fortunate enough to have spent out climbing and camping this last [and now seemingly over] summer:



1. one of the first days of climbing in the new season for one person. and the first day of climbing ever for the other one. wouldn’t have believed it if i didn’t see it with my own eyes, but one of the highest water crossings i’ve ever made it through led to a sans guidebook series of on sights, the difficulty of which i’ve never seen a climber pull off on their first day out…

2. a lot of smoke in the valley from the b.c. fires in this snap, and it was also the first test of a new and likely rare ghost approach system: a prius and a dirt bike… and it works well: by the end of the season and using this combo, i was able to make it from a campsite below the std wall back to the paved road in 29 minutes. ha!

3. no need to comment other than to say an iconic pitch on an iconic ghost moderate.

4. this was the third time i’d climbed this classic route. that is significant as i can probably count on one hand the number of longer routes i’ve climbed twice: repeats just aren’t my thing. and the third time was likely the charm as i plan to personally retire from this climb now. not interested in writing over memories involving a fellow human’s first gear lead; followed by getting spit on by the sky while surrounded by an increasing volume of thunder cracking around us as i topped out; all to be followed by the beautiful confusion of the other human topping out and saying it was their favourite pitch and climb to date.

5. ironically a few of these shots had an automatic hdr filter applied and this wasn’t one of them… in fact outside of a crop, there has been no processing done to this snap and so those colours were as we experienced them.

6. after i took a look back at this photo, i told my partner that she was a robotic dog at her side or maybe a half inflated balloon short of a perfectly idealized depiction from a 1980s cyperpunk novelist’s hallucination. heavy smoke in the air and a valley ripped by floods only a few short years ago apparently do that to a photo…

7. the river. it sustains the valley, it provides for a good half dozen adventurous crossings on a heavy laden dirt bike and it has been witness to everything from a first people’s tribal battle that inspired the valley’s name, early white folks trying to find their way across the rockies, to the now ubiquitous red neck shooting parties.

8. always beautiful to climb being overlooked by the wall that has been the site of more of my favourite climbing days than any other in the canadian rockies. and one of a few rockies sport climbing venues where you will almost always have the place to yourself.

9. if the tent looks soggy it’s because we were getting rained/snowed/snowballed on… it felt like that day was the one where seasons changed… and given the forecast for the last couple of weekends, both past and future? it probably was...

10. i was probably as confused as you are… all four appendages in the same crack and no bolts in sight on a canadian rockies limestone based route? to stop the confusion: yes it exists and yes it is excellent. but bringing it back to reality: it’s also only about 15m long… aka: you win some, you lose some.



[nuts and bolts: not a fan of the sounds of rifle/shotgun/50 cal shooting sessions, pop up mini raves, red necks on dirt bikes/quads/trucks or not knowing whether your vehicle is going to make it back today/tomorrow/next week? then the ghost may not be for you… otherwise? if you head out it’s also still possible that you’ll end up having the entire place to yourself. the ghost is about a 45 minute drive from calgary, ab to the start of the gravel road driving. depending on how fast you drive it’s another 15-45 minutes on a mostly unmaintained gravel road to the big hill where most two wheel drive vehicles will stop. finally from there, it’s another 15-45 min drive to most areas or another hourish+ if you’re hiking from the big hill. most of the climbing is in the 5.10-5.12+ range on walls that cap out at a max of about 400m [with a few sweet sub 5.10 longish routes thrown into the mix]. some is well/over bolted, but most is a mix of natural and bolt protected and much, if not most, was done ground up, so there is much spice and adventure to be found]

[finally: thanks to the spirit that was in large part responsible for enabling the rekindling of the affair and subsequently ended up in 9 out of 10 of the previous shots... not sure if i was completely deserving of this blessed of a summer, but either way i’m taking it.]

  Trip Report Views: 2,810
nah000
About the Author
nah000 is a climber.

Comments
WyoRockMan

climber
Grizzlyville, WY
  Sep 16, 2018 - 05:15pm PT
Looks like a really nice place to have a nice time. Thanks for sharing.
NutAgain!

Trad climber
https://nutagain.org
  Sep 16, 2018 - 05:18pm PT
Looks good! Only thing missing is wetsuits and inner tubes.
donini

Trad climber
Ouray, Colorado
  Sep 16, 2018 - 05:39pm PT
Special place...you’re lucky to have it!
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
  Sep 16, 2018 - 05:46pm PT
The Ghost is one of my top five places, not just climbing areas but places in general.
I have been visiting since 1980. We never used to have gun issues until one of the popular public gun ranges was shut down.
MH2

Boulder climber
Andy Cairns
  Sep 16, 2018 - 06:35pm PT
Good things.
thebravecowboy

climber
The Good Places
  Sep 16, 2018 - 08:58pm PT
the story has been published, and the ghostman is hawwwt


[Click to View YouTube Video]
yanqui

climber
Balcarce, Argentina
  Sep 17, 2018 - 05:44am PT
I heard of that place. Thanks for a more intimate look.
Ghost

climber
A long way from where I started
  Sep 17, 2018 - 06:21am PT
Reading the title of this TR, I thought you were spilling the beans about our long-time secret... But it turned out you just wanted to show pictures of climbing. Whew!

Somehow, in all my trips to the Rockies over the decades, I never made it to the Ghost River Valley. Which, so I've heard, offers just as much in the winter as it does in the summer. Anybody have pictures of ice there?
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
  Sep 17, 2018 - 06:53am PT
Here is a video from a Canmore climber
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=the+real+big+drip+ghost+river&&view=detail&mid=319BBD4E3B22AAE17336319BBD4E3B22AAE17336&&FORM=VRDGAR

The Ghost is busier during ice season than rock season.
nah000

climber
now/here
Author's Reply  Sep 17, 2018 - 06:08pm PT
AP: you’ve got good taste in earthly locations methinks. because yeah, i’m with you re the ghost isn’t just about the climbing. and so while it’s not in writing, even though it should be, when i pass that’s where i’d want my ashes spread... it helped to save my soul at least a couple times, so prob a good place for the remnants of my body to be reintegrated into the earth, when that time comes... and i hear you re the “target practice” going on out there: this year was perpetually and by far the worst i’ve heard.

donini: yeah, lucky for sure. i used to feel like i couldn’t tell people about the ghost because i was always blown away how i could almost always seemingly have the entire place to my climbing self. but given all of the years i’ve been going there, and i can still almost always get one of my favourite campsites [and it’s not exactly hidden] i no longer feel guilty about making even a tiny contribution to spilling the beans, as it were. the road has obviously done a pretty good job of keeping most of the riff raff out so far...

Ghost: hahaha... laughed out loud when i read your comment... if you ever make it up here, given your contributions to the culture of canadian climbing over the years, it’d be my pleasure to show a Ghost the ghost...

thanks to all of you gents above for your kind comments...
Mungeclimber

Trad climber
Nothing creative to say
  Dec 11, 2018 - 02:47pm PT
noyce!
Fritz

Social climber
Choss Creek, ID
  Dec 11, 2018 - 04:03pm PT
Very nice. Thank you for sharing this rare place. (I kept looking for the big-Griz in the background of the riverside shots.)
ms55401

Trad climber
minneapolis, mn
  Dec 11, 2018 - 04:26pm PT
interesting, I did not know that much rock climbing happened in the Ghost. great ice climbing to be sure
AP

Trad climber
Calgary
  Dec 11, 2018 - 07:02pm PT
Probably 800-900 rock climbs in the Ghost including the best selection of 6-10 pitch routes in the Rockies.
I buried my dog there about 4 years ago in one of his favorite spots, just uphill from Murphy the dog. I wonder if I could be buried there.
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