Ice Climbing at Dennison Falls

Been Living in the Okanagan for 17 years now and I’m still discovering so many new places, faces, and adventures. We checked out Dennison Falls this fine January Day. It was -5 up at our elevation. We had a group of 6 climbers.

I keep hearing these stories of people trying to find the falls in the winter only to get skunked. “Its a slog to get in” Says Adam Tutte. Another friend walked in circles for hours when he finally found snowshoe tracks… “oh look someone else has been here” he announced… they where his tracks. This was partially due to the forestry road not being plowed enough some years, or lack of direction. We travelled in with some people who were there the weekend before, so it was a easy peezy 30 min shoe in from the freshly plowed road. Score!

We got to the top of the 60 metre ice fall and build our anchor on this fallen tree, backing it up to live tree off to climbers right. Our bud Ross rappelled in with out crampons, LOL!! The ice was very funky. The bottom section was this blobby mushroom/cauliflower like lumps. It made for some three dimensional ice climbing. After the blob sections came an apron of rotten ice until exiting the solid steep section. Another day well spent.

-Dave Mai