Mixed Climbing a New Route in Helmcken Falls, British Columbia, Canada

Photograph by Christian Pondella, Red Bull Content Pool

“The waterfall is both the reason for the incredible spray ice and the main problem in that it sometimes sprays you,” recalls Will Gadd, the prolific climber, paraglider, and kayaker seen here who is always pushing the
boundaries of his sports. Gadd is making the first ascent of Overhead Hazards, which he calls the hardest mixed climbing route in the world, located in the ice-climbing wonderland of Helmcken Falls, British Columbia. “I have never been as cold as I was on this climb,” says the Canadian, who lives in Canmore, Alberta. "It was just brutal."
Learn more about the climb in an interview with Gadd.
Getting the Shot
“All the mist would instantly turn to ice on you, your camera gear, and the ropes,” recalls photographer Christian Pondella. Pondella has photographed many times with Gadd at Helmcken Falls, but this time the conditions were harsh. With temperatures dipping below minus 30ºC at night and only rising to minus 20º during the day, the duo faced extreme cold. “Working in those temperatures was incredibly challenging; just to stay warm, you had to constantly be moving,” says Pondella.
Familiar with the location and route, Pondella knew the shot he wanted, where the route finishes right next to the waterfall. “I knew that the shot was going to be looking down on Will, with a wide-angle lens showing the immense power of the waterfall and the big void below. To get his photo, Pondella rappelled in from the top of the cave about 15 meters. "It put me into the perfect spot to really capture the enormity of the waterfall and location. It also had me hanging pretty far from the edge of the wall because of how overhung the route was.” A seasoned and top industry photographer, even Pondella couldn’t avoid battling the elements while hanging in position. Dangling from his rope, Pondella thought to himself, Please don’t spin in circles! "Plus, I constantly had to keeping wiping the mist off my lens and the eyepiece of my camera so I could get a clean shot.”
ondella photographed with a Canon 5D Mark III and Canon 24-70mm, f/2.8 USM II lens.