Synopsis: Deltaform is a tough one to give a star rating. The rock isn't as bad as something like Recondite and some of the bands are actually not bad. Having said that route finding is a big part of it as is lots of scrambling on questionable rock with significant exposure. Having said that it's definitely a feather in the cap and the biv site is one of the best.
Paul and I had a week of climbing planned and given the low snow year and warm spring, it looked to be the season for high rock routes. Deltaform is one we'd both been looking at for awhile and the plan was hatched.
With a great looking weather window we booked the 6:30 am parks shuttle for Monday July 31st from the ski hill and Paul organized the bivy permits and we were set. We got an interesting call from parks indicating that they were issueing a second permit for Monday, I'm not sure if they were asking or telling however it's a big mountain and on the bus met the other party John and Ian and it turns out John was a climbing partner of Paul's and it was good to share the mountain.
All 4 of us started the hike into Wenkchemna Pass at 7 am, however the young bucks soon outpaced us. Frankly it was a but unnverbing looking up at Deltaform from the Wenkchemna Pass trail. We were 3 1/2 hours to the pass, pacing ourselves to make sure we didn't burn up too much energy and happy that we were doing it in the cool morning air as you gain roughly 700 metres of elevation. Another 1/2 an hour put us in a good spot to gear up for the first pitch and stash unneeded gear.
After a quick somewhat exposed traverse in to the bottom of the first 5.6 pitch we caught a view of John and Ian and ducked out of the way for a few minutes until they cleared out. I scored the lead (not sure how) and it was blocky, felt true to the grade and the overnight pack did make it a bit awkward (or that might just be my climbing style). We took a small rack of nuts and cams to #2 and that seemed about right for us. I placed 7 pieces on the way up to the upper rap station on the wall itself so there was enough pro available, I had brought rock shoes but saved them for the final pitch of Deltaform itself.
I had set up a redirect using a nut at the top however was out of long slings and when I tensioned the rope on the draw the piecet popped. Unfortunately, it slid down to the next piece and jammed the rope solid. First time for that and it meant that Paul had to prussik up the rope to that point, a bit of a cluster to start the day.
Above the rap station some would scramble but we left the rope on and Paul lead up to rap anchor up on the ridge. Pretty sraight forward going up from there so we stashed the rope, broke out a ski pole and enjoyed some fun scrambling along ridge, then out in the open making our way up to the upper bands through scree and loose rock. Not bad footing although the pole was helpful.
The two of us dodged back and forth through the bands above, the lighter coloured bands were often pretty good, some quartzite, the black bands were pretty horrible most of the time. Once we made our way up to the upper headwall, we saw the other party on the ridgeline above but thought we'd check out the easier terrain to the right. It didn't take long to realize that was a mistake and we scrambled back to very close to the ridgeline and broke out the rope.
I lead up the first pitch to rap anchor, Paul then fired up the blocky bit and carried on pitching out for one more up to near the top of the black band, 3 roped pitches in all.
We then scrambled along the ridges followed by an easy but airy traverse along the ridge crest of Neptuak which carried on in similar fashion to the first large plateau. I actually thought it was all one plateau until we traversed far enough in to realize that it was a two tiered affair and needed to descend to the biv carral.
When on the edge we could see John and Ian (and thankfully a snow patch) on the far side and John shouted there was an easy way behind and to the right. We took a short stroll and elected to go back to the rap station close to the ridgeline and with a single rap were on the lower plateau and the biv corral.
It was 7 pm which made for a 12 hour day, obviously we were moving slowly as Mark and Ian had also pitched out a bit but made it in for 5 pm. In many ways it felt like Neptuak was the more difficult of the two ascents of the trip, probably made more difficult with the overnight pack. Needless to say, an absolutely spectacular bivy and pretty close to a full moon.
Tuesday we were up at 4:30 with plan of moving at 5:30 when had started to get light. We let John and Ian go first as they were faster and comfortable with more soloing. Up from the bivy site they soloed the first pitch on the weakness just to the right of the ridgeline. Paul and I chose to put the rope on and I lead to the rap station at the top, after which it became fairly straight forward.
Higher up we were lucky to have team A ahead as they had taken the bowl to the right and reported very loose and somewhat sketchy. We opted to stay closer to the ridge and decided to break out the rope. I lead a fairly straightforward pitch topping out at rap anchors. Paul then lead up onto the black band. There appeared to be a bit of a choice of going on a rib slighty to climbers right or staying as close to the ridge proper. Paul chose the latter and rapping later we found the right easier going and not as loose. One of those pitches you start out kicking the footholds to check them out and by the end you are kicking them to nudge them in further.
Once up we stashed the rope again and scrambled up to the base of the headwall that formed the false summit. The other team was just rapping down and suggested climbing the closest weakness to the ridge itself at about 5.4 with rap anchors on top for a short pitch. I lead, we then scrambled around the false summit to the rap anchors into the notch. The beta from John and Ian was to rug up as it was cooler in the notch and best to leave backs at the top of the rap anchors. We were lucky in the weather was holding steady with sun and very little wind.
We then rapped the 15 metres to the notch and left a light 30 metre rope to belay back. We then pulled the 60 metre climbing rope and I lead the top pitch. The bolt is perfectly placed and truth is it's a fun pitch that gets easier as you go and has decent protection, having placed 3 pieces on the way up. Having said that I was happy to have the rock shoes for the first few moves of the pitch.
It was a great to hit the summit, we arrived at 11:30 and didn't spend long. The summit register was soaking wet and not terribly useful.
We rapped down and then climbed back up to the false summit. Funky chimney like move to go climbers left to right on the lower block then up and step over to the false summit itself. A couple of somewhat real moves and we're back at the rap anchors and packs, we choose to stop for a snack and to enjoy the place.
We then retraced our steps around to the front of the false summit and rapped down. After rapping off the false summit scrambled and rapped down 6 more following ridge and taking every station available. On the entire way down we felt 4 stations required fresh tat, the rest were good to go.
Paul and I then scrambled down to the final rap down the initial headwall. The day proved to be 10 1/2 hours and we made it back to the biv site at 4 pm. We had brought an extra supper just in case and given the hour, the last bus back to the ski hill being at 7:30 pm, the great weather and fantastic biv site Paul and I spent the late afternoon chilling in the glow of getting to the top.
Wednesday we set the alarm for 5:30 and got up to a slow breakfast in the biv sacks enjoying watching the sun come up, then and started moving at 6:30. We traversed left of the first band quite aways to gain an obvious scree slope up to the upper plateau. The inital traverse gets better as you go and the way is obvious, along with the ever present exposure. Above is the scramble around the summit of Neptuak which was fairly straight forward.
Once on top we traversed out on a ridge looking for the upper rap station at the top of the black band. There are several choices of ridge along the way but where the traffic goes is pretty obvious, just keep heading towards Wenchemna pass. Then 4 raps followed by a fair amount of down scrambling on questionable holds and significant exposure. Then on to the tedious scree/boulder descent to the top of the lower black band. Odd that this sectiton seemed easier going on the way up, fatigue may be part of the reason.
Once on the lower ridge followed it along quite aways passing a questionable rap station to the very end. A bit of down climbing and cairn lead us to the upper rap station from the initial 5.6 pitch. Two raps down and we chose to use the lower of the two rap stations in the wall itself. The first rap down ends up being free hanging and I would have looked considerably more granceful had I clipped the pack to the rap line to stay upright. Once at the bottom and thankfully the ropes pulled, we traversed out to the ridgeline climbers left to where we stashed some gear on the way in. We arrived back at Wenchemna pass at 11:30 at the pass and changed to hiking mode, had some lunch and took it easy back to Moraine Lake arriving just before 3 and bus back to the car at the ski hill. The bus actually works out pretty well, departing both directions every 20 minutes.
Great, great trip. I used all the skill sets I have and a few that are work in progress. Slow and steady, it was great to do it with a strong partner on the same page. Thanks for a great trip Paul, the highligh of the summer!