and it started early with Raph pulling up to my door in Canmore at 5:30 am. Good news was that Laggan's bakery in Lake Louise was not busy at all. We got more coffee and food on board and motored north on the Banff Jasper Highway.

Dawn from Oh Le Tabernac

Appropriate that I was getting out with the pagan, Stevie, just as the days began to lengthen and the ancient festival of Yule was upon us. I could picture my partner dressed in animal skins hauling a log out of this forest.

Solstice Moon over the Bow Valley

and I can hardly believe that it has been 23 years since I've been into the drainage, but there it is in the guidebook -1987- the only other time that I can remember climbing Lacy Gibbet, the same year that I spotted two beautiful unclimbed pillars at the head of the valley. I think that I climbed the Gibbet with Stewart Buroker. I do know that I came back soon after with Jeff Marshall for the twin pillars. I tried to convince him to read the Fountainhead while we chugged up the three hour approach.

Timmy Hortons, Canmore, where else to start? Raph pulled in on time at 5:30 am and that was a compromise from what Stevie and I wanted. Having been scooped on the route a week earlier we wanted 5:00, but we live in town and Raph had driven up from Calgary. "Let's compromise so that no one gets what they want." I'd emailed the night before, and then I'd gone off to sharpen my picks.

The trees are in bud, green leaves are unfurling, robins are here; but winter is hanging on in the high country. People are skiing big lines, the last of the winter ice climbs are weeping from the rockwalls and collapsing in jumbles or broken blue blocks. I've been scheming with my Salt Lake City buddies, Blitz and Billy, to get some alpine climbing in before winter left. We dreamed of the Emperor Face on Mt Robson, the boys got the time, arranged the flights. The weather man convinced me that we'd only be given time enough for Mt Temple.

A beautiful spring day on the south face of Mt Yamnuska today. The trail was dry and the early morning sun warm. Felt like all the springs that I've headed up there since 1976, so good to be returning to an old friend and mentor. This mountain can get into your blood. Into the blood of the community, moving to run into Jim Elzinga, the leader of our 1986 Everest Light Expedition, then later the keeper of the gate to Yamnuska, Urs Kallen. These guys have been climbing up here since the 60s. I'm a jonny-come-lately in comparison.

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures is excited to announce the appointment of Barry Blanchard, North America’s premier alpinist, as Associate Director effective March 1, 2010.

As a founding guide and former long term employee, Barry re-joins Yamnuska in this pivotal senior position.