Photos by yeti

Martin Bonneville indulging in some of Eardley's finest and cleanest rock on Atlantic City.

An overhanging lackback makes for a committing but safe crux at the roof on Atlantic City. Souren Beylerian in perfect form.

Yours truly getting his back side bitten by this animal of a route. Hang-hyaening for a change. Hats off to the first ascentionists. Photo by Anders Bengtsson

Tasmania has lots of rock. Here my buddy Maya and I are goofing around by the edge of a waterfall in the southwest's wilderness. Like kids in a playground.

An inukshuk marks the trail through the flowers to the base of Mt Thor, "the highest vertical face in the world". The cliff is actually concave. If you were to drop a biner from the last pitch on the headwall, it would free fall about 1000m before hitting anything. Yikes.

This image gives an idea of the local scenery. The Heffalump is a 2-pitch easy ice-climb. This pic was taken quite a few years ago. Bernard, my partner, was climbing with home made crampons and picks. I had my brand new Charlet crampons, but my picks too were from my own garage!

An overview of one of the most non-commital faces of the Akshayuk pass. Routes in the 5.8 range, but possibilities for more big-wall style ascents.

To a user who was asking where "the beef" was on this climb, rated WI4, I pointed out this image. Though not quite vertical, the climb is always thin. Actually, as it is pictured here, it is pretty much as good as it gets. The ice umbrella above the climber is called "La main" or"The Hand". It forms consistently because of rising winds. It sure is intimidating to spend an hour belaying right under it.

The second pitch takes a funneled ice up a narrow corner. It is usually the only pitch where you can put good screws in. In any case, you can put a few rock pieces in too, which is reassuring.

Looking at the sky from our camping spot in the valley. One neat thing about the arctic circle is that the sunsets last all night in July.

So you've heard of Baffin's depressing weather. Well, this is what it can look like. There is some beauty to it, but it does get on your nerves after a few days of it.

An artistic view that none the less gives an idea of the scale and nature of this face. Complex, massive (about one and half the hieght of El Capitan), and topped by a thick ice cap too.

Looking down toward the Akshayuk Pass as the sun sets on limitless climbing possibilities. The north faces on the left are of good granite. Such faces in the Alps or elsewhere would be criss-crossed with routes. As it is, there may be no routes at all on these faces.

Can't get much better than this: easy climbing on perfectly clean granite cracks looking out over the Tasman Sea. Unfortunately, I forgot the name of the route. Myself climbing, belayed by Claire. Photo: Lucky.

Ice chips go flying as Patrick Delaney makes easy work of The Green Fang.

A small peak south of Mt Thor. We climbed it during a brief opening in the weather one evening. About 500 m above the glacier, a couple hours via the obvious snowslope.

The pillar, though small, is very elegant. It usually overhangs quite a bit, which make the short climb an intense one. Richard Lauriault posing for me.

The pillar, though small, is very elegant. It usually overhangs quite a bit, which make the short climb an intense one. Photo: Yann Troutet

The Green Fang is one of a dozen short classics of Calabogie ice. The area offers a dense succession of varied climbs in a beautiful setting. Photo by Yann Troutet.

The area is named after a nearby ski hill, and is mostly known for this obvious thick grade 4 ice climb. Although most climbers hike up to the base of the fat pillar, the ice usually fills a narrow chimney bellow the main flow, which gives for an exciting (though short) first pitch. Photo by Yann Troutet

The view down the Akshayuk Pass from Summit Lake. The peak on the left is Mt Breidablik, to me one of the most beautiful pieces of mountain architecture in the world.

Looking to the southeast down an unnamed glacier from a nunatak on Fork Beard glacier.

A classic photo spot under dramatic lighting conditions. Mt Thor and its overhanging headwall are on the left. The snowy peak in the centre is Tirokwa. For scale, it's a 1400 m drop from the summit of Thor to the valley bottom. Tirokwa is about 200 metres higher. I can just imagine the view from the top of it...

The tripple-peaked buttress that overlooks Windy Lake is one of the most accessible big walls of Auyuittuq National Park. The smooth wall on the left is about 800 metres high, the peak in the cloud is a couple hundred metres higher. From there, a snow arete leads to the main summit. Stringing together these various sections would be a major undertaking.

Two of the countless peaks found between the Pangnirtung and Kingnait fjords. Many of these give for fairly easy climbs, if you stick to the easy side that is... We found an old rubber glove on the peak in the centre of the photo.

A 50 meter rope will land you just back to the ground on The Moai, southern Tasmania.

A Tasmanian classic. The Moai is the Totem Pole's little cousin. It is also quite a bit easier: the normal route is only grade 17/18 (5.8+/.9). But the reward is just as sweet. Bruce Webster showing off after our ascent of the thing. Photo: Y. Troutet

The first of three abseils leading to the seaside platform on which stands the 25 m high Moai. The Moai is the little cousin of the world famous Totem pole, which is located a few km down the coast.

My girlfriend nearing the top on the easy route to the summit of the Pyrennees, Aneto, 3404m.

There are a bunch of small cliffs near Paroi Éléphant. Loads of fun to be had, not all climbing-related. Here I'm taking the easy way down. (Notice the New Kids on the Block patented Step-by-step move.)

A difficult (5.12) top-rope on the left end face of the cliff. More an exploratory project that anything else really. Was named on an unseasonally warm April day...

A new short route (we haven't named it yet) at a place called La montagne à Wingnay, in the Outaouais region. Christophe Kinnard climbing.

This is the central part of the cliff under heavy snowfall. At this time of the year, an excellent ice gully forms in the huge corner on the right: Le Gringalet, III, WI4.

Moving up toward the second belay of Le Gringalet, a narrow 3-pitch ice gully. Photo: Souren Beylerian.

Here Simon Villeneuve takes his turn at red-pointing our new climb called NKOTB at the Western Cwm. Gotta love the bomber pro.

An anonymous climber on Spindrift (3+) in rather thin conditions. The ice sometimes covers the whole rock face. Photo: Yann Troutet.

The top end of the climb on a beatiful cool day at the cliff. Photo: Souren Beylerian.

Simon Villeneuve toping out the second pitch of Sev's Route. This is the highest and most interesting part of the cliff. Photo: Yann Troutet.

Souren Beylerian belaying on the slab section of the Mont de l'ours. This is the 2nd of 4 pitches on the classic line up the cliff. Le Dôme is visible in the background. Photo: Y. Troutet.

Here Simon is just about to hastily downclimb the route under pressure form a couple of ravens protecting their nest. The area was named Birds Nest Buttress in the 80's, but hadn't been occupied for years. The route is Rock Heads. Photo: Yann Troutet.

On my first visit at Erlkoenig, a few years ago. Here we see the line of the route in the background. Great stuff for the little cliff that this is. Photo: S. Beylerian.

Jacques Flamand thinking it out on one of his 50+ creations at Le Grand Surplomb. Pulling on a RURP through the roof section on l'Homme-qui-pense (A2+). There is only one other pro available before this move, which makes for an exciting step over the void. Photo: Y. Troutet

In response to Passthepitonspete's movie scenario, and my inclusion in that clip, I felt I had to include a photo of my van, which Dr piton didn't know I owned , but which is also part of the story...

This was one of several high points on our trek through the Pyrénées. Though you barely make it out on the photo, there is a path in the cliffs on the right side of the chasm. The pathway was carved out of the limestone by convicts under the orders of the French king in the 1700's. The idea was to access a forest which would provide trees to make masts for the royal fleet.

This is the sad sight of just another day at Uluru, the world's biggest rock. Every day, hundreds of tourists haul their butts up the chain-railed path that served for centuries as a sacred site for the initiation of the desert's young aboriginal men. Today, tour buses line up and park just a few metres away from the base of the rock. Of course, tourists regularly get killed from heat stroke or tumbling down the thing!

Contemplating the view of the Pic du Midi d'Ossau during a trek through the Pyrénées. The peak itself is what remains of an ancien volcanic chamber. It has numerous alpine rock routes, ranging from the classic to the extreme.

Jacques Flamand on La Trifide (A2), where the route meets Atlantic City. The route takes the crack through the small roof, then right again and out the top right corner of the photo.

Pursuing the alpine feeling on an early spring day at Farm Rock. The cold added to the character of the route definitely made this one a success. Myself climbing, Simon Villeneuve belaying.

The traverse on One Pine, a classic Farm Rock route. The break through the roof above remains unclimbed. Aiders anyone? Myself climbing, photo by Souren Beylerian.