From the Archives – Going to the Sun Highway

Going-to-the-sun-highway. No, I’m talking about the famous road that traverses Glacier National Park over Logan Pass in Montana. Today’s images come from a remote ice climb deep in the Ghost River area of the Canadian Rockies. A few years ago after an extended backcountry ski tour on the Wapta Icefield in Banff National Park, I took the opportunity to meet up with world renowned ice climber, Raphael Slawinski on his home turf in the Canadian Rockies. Raphael is the type of guy who catches you off guard. A physic instructor at a university in Calgary, Raphael didn’t initially strike me as the climber type. I had heard him speak a few years prior at an ice climbing festival in the Coastal Range of BC and was well aware of his many climbing accomplishments but he didn’t have an over-the-top, I’m-so-core vibe one might expect given his reputation. Soft spoken and extremely humble, Raphael is my kind of climber.

I remember our initial phone conversation well. When debating locations for the shoot, Raphael asked if I had a 4×4. A simple yes and it became clear we were headed to the North Ghost, an area known for it’s rough approach. Raphael was interested in “Going to the Sun Highway” a route he had never climbed that only forms completely every few years that has several mixed lines around it. Rallying the jeep, we were off.

Shooting with Raphael and his friends in such a a amazing location made for a memorable day. Over the years I have photographed many ice climbers but never had anyone made it look so effortless. With each swing of his tools and kick of his crampons it became clear his home was on the ice. In all honesty I don’t remember much about Raphael’s first ascents and new routes I read about in my research prior to the shoot. However, his contagious passion for climbing and the wilderness have remained and will inspire me for years to come.

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