Leading UK all-rounder Tim Emmett has returned to the enormous ice cave of Helmcken Falls in Canada. Climb caught up with Tim to see how his latest adventure is going.

Tim this is your third trip out to Helmcken Falls and it's obviously quite a big effort to get there, why do you keep going back, is it really that good?  

Yes, it really is that good! It's awesome, I love it there, its such a cool place, totally unique! Once you have been to Helmcken Falls you never look at normal ice climbing the same way. Why drive when you can fly! At the Falls the potential is limitless, you can pick something as hard as you want, the climbing is unbelievably fun and the surrounding is out of this world.

Tim Emmett beneath the amazing ice of Helmcken Falls copyright Tim Emmett 

It seems this year there are quite a few other teams there, what is the scene like? Are you all queuing for Spray On?

The scene is brilliant, everyone is super psyched, if a little apprehensive. It's great to get new people in there and see their reaction. There are 7 routes in the cave now so plenty to go around. 

What is your main goal this time round?

My main objective is to get in there have some fun, hang out with some cool people and see what might be possible. I want to see if it's possible to get to the top! The ice stops half way up the side of the cave so the plan is to get to the top of this and then see if we can push on. It gets steeper again and the conditions get very Scottish! Snowed up rock with spray being blasted onto you. When I abseiled in from the top last year I got soaked, and then it freezes. I could be really hostile, we'll see. The other thing is if you drop anything its gone for ever, straight into the giant ice crater, 100m wide!

You did a fair bit of preparation for this climb including ticking the remaining project at the dry tooling crag White Goods. Describe how you get yourself in shape for something like this?

I usually find the best way to train for a project is to mimic the style of climbing at a climbing wall or local venue and then train specifically on that. It was tricky this year because I was on the road a lot so it was hard to set up a training routine, so instead I went up to the dry tooling crag White Goods in North Wales at any opportunity. I also did quite a few pull ups and leg raises to increase grip and core strength too. The great thing about this is that you can do it anywhere, but to be honest good climbing technique and efficient movement is more important than pure strength.   

Klemen Preml cleaning Wolverine anew line established by the Slovenian with Tim Emmett copyright Tim Emmett

OK, Tim since we last spoke quite a lot has happened in the cave?

Both Klemen Preml my friend from Slovenia and I have done a new line that was bolted by Chris Geisler and Will Mayo, it's brilliant, and a much longer pitch then anything Will and I did last year. We’ve called it Wolverine. The main reason why we can link the pitches this year are we have a very long rope (100m Sterling Nano) and much longer quick draws so less rope drag. Also there is a lot more ice in the cave this year so Spray On starts 70 feet up and there are more features on it with more rests. Raphael Slawinski climbed pitches 2,3 and 4 of Spray On in one pitch a few days ago, but was unable to climb the new line clean new, due to breaking ice. Klem flashed pitches 2,3 and 4 of Spray On yesterday in one push, a brilliant effort. Like any ice climb it forms differently every year so really hard to put a grade on it. It's steep, gymnastic, pumpy and hard very brilliant !

Klem and I are trying to go up further into new territory, it's really wild up there and wet too. Ground up bolting with freezing spray! It warmed up yesterday and large ice daggers started to fall from the ceiling, colder this morning and cold for the next couple of days  

Canadian Raphael Slawinski linking pitches 2, 3 and 4 of Spray On copyright Tim Emmett

Do you think Helmcken is a one off, or do you think there are other 45 degree overhanging ice venues yet to be discovered? 

I don't know! There could be other places, just need to find them! In the mean time Helmcken Falls has a life time of new routes to do. It's seems like an ice climbing version of Yosemite. Back in the fifties when Royal Robins first climbed El Capitan, we are trying to do the same, get to the top of the Falls. If and when that happens, that will be the first one, there's still room for another 50 or so!

Any plans after Helmcken? A bit of sunbathing on the beach? 

I'm out to Cogne in Italy with the Mountain Hardwear Academy the day after I get back from Canada! Then Im doing a talk in Rjukan at the ice climbing festival on 24th Feb. Its a big year for ice climbing this time. 

Tim is sponsored by Mountain Hardwear, Black Diamond, Scarpa, Sterling and YamgoTV