[MCR] Mnt Tupper

With the spell of good weather continuing , we again visited Rogers Pass and climbed the ‘Jones Route’ (western most buttress) on the south face of Mnt Tupper.  Parked at the Hermit parking area, then scrambled to the base of the buttress in two hours.  Unlike Mt. McDonald a few days earlier, the snow in the gullies on the south aspects is disappearing quickly and what remains was too firm to allow for good step kicking.

 

The route itself consisted of 16ish pitches of up to 5.9 climbing, blessed with a healthier coating of lichen than most routes could ever dream of!  A standard rack up to a #3 Camelot and rock shoes were definitely appreciated.   Although it had a few redeeming pitches, in hindsight, overall not a route I could recommend.  Beautiful to look at, but hard to establish any sense of climbing ‘flow’.  Put it on your ‘B’ list when you’re looking for something different and expect a full day with an early start.

 

Descent down the normal West Ridge, then over to Hermit Meadows and down the trail.  Snowline is now just above the campground, with the tent platforms pretty much melted out.   

 

Cheers,

Paul Norrie

ACMG Mountain Guide

[MCR] Ipsoot Mt. S Coast Mountains

Went up the N glacier of Ipsoot Mt. (20Km north of Whistler) today.  Got dropped off at a lake at 6000' and took a middle line up the glacier to the summit.  Found sun cups and generally easy travel to about 7200' - here the snow gradually changed sloppy with a soft non sun cupped top layer that made for 20cm foot penetration.  This soft snow lasted to the summit at 8200'.  The snow depth at 7000' (in a flat bowl, low wind effect) was 2 meters.  The crevasses were quite saggy and lots are opening up. Lots of ice showing in winded areas.  A light southerly breeze was a great airconditioner during this beautiful day with no clouds.

 

Dave Sarkany

 

SKi Guide

[MCR] North Ridge Mt Stephen

June 27th, accelerated start up the spine of the left hand berm/morraine
to rockband just left of single waterfall. Good 50 m cable to pull on
here (a Canadian via ferrata! relic of the mining days?), watch for burs
and metal slivers. Up ledges left of the drainage to a cliff where the
drainage is split into two with two waterfalls. Easy and quick traverse
right (unseen seracs above so hustle) to a treed shoulder leading up to
the right skyline and the big bench right of the glacier. Did 4 or 5 of
the upper ridge pitches to a number of bivy ledges, one of which is the
big one, and the one that we slept on, snow may be gone from here in
awhile.

June 28th, long day up the long ridge, 6 am start to 8pm finish on the
summit and a 2nd comfortable bivy. Numerous passages of wet ice and
slushy snow up high. Started a number of sloppy surface sluffs, but the
snow underlying was good mature summer stuff. 2-4 icescrews would have
been helpful, we took none (all the ice and snow could go away with
another week or two of summer).

June 29th, descended the South ridge to the col above the North glacier
with one 50m rappel and one 15m one. Walked down snow slopes into the
remote and lovely valley behind Mt Stephen. Stayed high riding skier's
right treeline, then tending right once in the trees to eventually meet
the Fossil Bed trail (easy bushwack actually). This is a different
descent than the SW ridge written in Selected Alpine which looked to be
tedious with a thick icing of snow sitting of the ridge.

Long route, grade VI for most parties. Much choss overall. I think that
the E ridge of Mt Patterson is a similar and better route.

Happy trails

Barry Blanchard, mountain guide

www.yamnuska.com

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] West Coast Mountain Conditions Summary - June 29, 2006

 

 

This is a Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the South Coast Mountains region (From Vancouver to Bella Coola).  Below is a 7 days summary, as well as an outlook for the next 7 days. This was compiled on June 29^th, 2006.

 

7 Day Summary

The last week's hot weather is marking a transition between late spring and early summer. The snow pack is very rapidly melting and compacting into an early summer pack.

 

Temperatures:  During the warmest period this week freezing levels reached 4000m and the treeline temperatures peaked in the low 20's. 

 

The snow line varies with the lowest and most snow being close to the ocean and then less snow inland. On average the snow line seems to be around treeline – 1400- 1700 metres - depending on aspect. Expect to encounter snow patches a few hundred meters below treeline anywhere but on the southern aspects; here the sun has melted most of the snow in rocky terrain up to about 2000m. 

-One report from Vancouver Island had the snow line at around 900 – 1000 meters, with a "fat" snow pack of 2 meters at 1200m. 

-Whistler Mountain has no snow left on their winter Pig Alley plot at 1535m. But on the glaciers above there is an average of two – three meters of snow.

-In the Callaghan Valley there is 2.5 m covering the flat valley floor at 1350 meters.

-In contrast to all this- just NE of Hope, in the Anderson River area, a report mentions only snow patches high up and under rock faces.

 

Glaciers are still well covered but crevassed areas almost everywhere are starting to show prominent sags. You can bet that with the hot temperatures the crevasse roofs are becoming soft and fragile. Many slots are just starting to open. Areas that normally have a thin winter snow pack are in, some cases, melting away to expose crevasses and blue ice.

 

Avalanches:  It seems the late spring deep slab climax avalanche cycle ended a while back. The cornices have mostly fallen off but beware of the odd cornice perched and just waiting for a little more heat and melting which will loosen the bonds and drop load.  The warm temperatures have created sluffs during the heat of the day on all aspect. 

 

Rock Fall:  Only one fairly large rock fall was reported  (on the Blackcomb Glacier) but one can assume lots more has happened in the last week.

 

General travel Conditions:  The snow was quite soft almost all day during the most intense part of the heat wave this past week.  During this period any nighttime crust melted away by 9am and resulted in 20cm of isothermal wet mush.  Sloppy conditions for walking!  However reports of steeper faces sluffing to glacier ice might be of interest to those wishing a clean steeper climb.  The rock ridges and buttresses on south facing aspects looks dry and quite good for climbing.    

A MCR posted on June 23^rd shows photos of the mountains in the Duffy Lake area – expect a fair bit of snow melt since then. 

Many of the summer only maintained roads are passable. The Hurley Pass road was ploughed a few weeks ago. In the valleys during the height of the heat wave the creeks and rivers where running high and fast.

 

Outlook:

Weather Forecast: Environment Canada calls for continued warm tempratures for its 5 day forecast; all due to the high pressure that is maintaining warm temps and light winds.  Freezing levels are forecast to be around 3200 m – 4100m (warmest days are late in the weekend).

One thing to note: The UV index is 10+ (or Very High) in the alpine.  This is a bit above normal and sunburns happen surprisingly fast.

 

Mountain Travel:  Expect conditions to very similar to the above summary as long as the weather stays warm and dry. Another spell of even hotter temps predicted for the weekend should make for fine mountain travel conditions. But bear in mind that the warm conditions will break down nighttime crusts quickly in the AM. We are still in a transition of seasons and all that melting snow = above average rockfall/sluff/cornice fall/ avalanche hazards.    If your traveling on glaciers look out for sags and crevasses especially in areas with a thin snowpack. Take lots of water if you are climbing in Squamish!

 

The information for this summary was gathered from the Whistler – Duffy Lake, Van Island, and Hope areas.  Keep in mind that conditions at higher elevations, such as in the Waddington Range will be different – likely cooler and more spring like.

 

Have a great Canada Day Long weekend.  Play safe and have fun.

 

Dave Sarkany

Ski Guide  

 

 

[MCR] North Cascades

I just spent a fine week in the North Cascades.

 

Mt Shuksan- Price Glacier June 21st-22nd.

 

Access and approach in good shape as explained in "Alpine Select" except the bridge is out over the deep and cold Nooksack creek. Brrrrrr and a bit serious. Route was in great shape, snow just getting soft at 6am on the east facing bits. We climbed 120m up a couloir on the right side of Nooksack tower and then went hard right just below an obvious rock step. Good traverse across to the exit slopes but you still have to walk below some BIG seracs. One big unexpected crevasse to cross just before reaching flat ground. Fisher chimneys route in excellent shape. The Price glacier is a SERIOUS place so don't go unless you are really willing to take the risks, feel you can move fast and have perfect conditions.

 

Mt. Baker North Ridge June 23rd and 24th.

 

More great snow and ice conditions. Access and approach as in "Alpine Select" in perfect shape. Bivies are plentiful and new toilets at the Hogsbacks area.

We used the right hand approach to the ridge. Could be some loose rock showing soon but last weekend it was very snowcovered. One pitch of very firm 75 degree glacier ice then another easier pitch. Good ice anchors for those pitches but hard snow everywhere else if you need to belay. Walk around big crevasse below summit on the left. Coleman-Denning in good shape but some BIG,SCARY seracs below Colfax peak are a considerable threat on the traverse from the camp. Early morning rock hard snow on the Coleman-Denning is a bit of a concern with lots of peole wobbling around in crampons in the area.

 

Slesse NE buttress June 26th-27th.

 

Access is good, however there is a newer trail than in "Alpine Select" From the parking lot walk a short ways (I guess 20 mins but sorry, didn't measure it) up the "4wd road" looking for a well flagged and very good, "new looking" trail descending to the river. It obviously hooks up with the Slesse memorial trail and is in good shape to the wooded knoll.(check in the Chiliwack info centre for the local hiking pamphlet-it has the beta)

The Bypass Glacier is a bit of a mess right now. We had to do some sporty climbing on hard neve up and down and around some huge glide cracks on the right hand side of the glacier/snowfield to reach the buttress. It won't get any better until it is all gone. A truly terrifying place to be in the heat of the day.

NE butress is in great shape. Lots of snow at base of upper 4th class section if you decide to bivy. 

We descended via Crossover pass. A bit more complicated and bushy than I was led to believe but it does work. Lots of steep snow and grass at present, maybe there is more of a trail later in the summer?

 

Generally, I was pleasantly suprised at the firm nature of the snowpack every where I went. Outside of the direct sun the snow travel was awesome. I wouldn't go anywhere slopey and snowy without crampons for awhile after what I saw this week. Daytime heating and direct sunlight were creating mush and some wet avalanches. Rock routes are in great shape except where wet from snow melt.

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide 

[MCR] Mt. Louis, Gmoser route

Climbed the Gmoser route on Mt. Louis yesterday.

 

Just a reminder, there are now ‘ring’ bolted anchors every 60 meters until you reach the Kain route. Keep an eye out for them as we missed the first few sets.

The 5.8 pitch is a solid pitch that is best done with rock shoes. Climbs nicely as one 60 meter pitch as opposed to breaking it into two pitches as “Selected Alpine Climbs” recommends.

 

The most notable thing about the day was the horrendous Mosquitoes on the walk in and out of the mountain. I would highly recommend repellent.

 

Rob Owens

 

ACMG Ass. Alpine Guide

[MCR] Mnt Cheops and Mnt. MacDonald

Taking advantage of the clear skies, snow in the gully’s and long days, we ventured on to the S.E. ridge of Mnt. Cheops and the N.W. of MacDonald. 

 

On the 25^th we scrambled up from the Roger’s Pass summit directly towards the Napolean Spur, then followed the S.E. ridge to the summit of Cheops.  The route provides great views of the surrounding peaks, and even better bush whacking!  Only technical climbing was up and over the Spur.  (5.2, 100m)  5 hours up.  Descent towards Balu Pass, then enjoyed a quick snow descent down to the Balu hiking trail. 3 hours down.

 

On the 26^th we crossed over to the other side of the highway and explored the N.W. ridge of MacDonald.  We started at the base of the buttress and then simply followed the crest to the top, essentially a slightly longer and slightly harder variation of the Davis/Bay route.  20 pitches of roped travel 5.8 and several sections of exposed scrambling.  Descent via S.W. ridge which involved mostly scrambling and then two rappels (or exposed down climbing) to the top of the Herman Couloir –climber’s left variation.  Step kicking down the snow couloir led us in to the main basin, followed by 1300m of perfect boot skiing!  An excellent route!  15 hours.

 

As a side note, Sir Donald is dry to mid elevation, but is still very snowy above.  Looks like it will be another week or two before it’s in condition, assuming the hot weather continues.

 

Enjoy the early summer alpine,

Paul Norrie

ACMG Mountain Guide.

[MCR] (no subject)

At 07:00 am at 2300 meters on Vaux Glacier (Yoho Park) this morning air temp
was +11.00. Snow surface temp was 0 and temp down 10 cm was -0.5. Air temp
at 13:30 was up to +25, a bit cooler where glacial downflow is present.
With the hot spell and very short nights, overnight crust formation is
minimal and NOT lasting till morning. Some slab activity is also being
observed with this hot spell. This translates to generally poor snow
conditions.

Warden Service
Banff/Yoho/Kootenay

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Columbia Icefields area

Back from 3 days of "summer" at the Columbia icefields.
Climbed Athabasca today via AA col route. (+3 parking lot 0330)
Conditions held together in the gullies but only a 5cm crust is
holding the gullies from being isothermal. Along the edges step
kicking was reasonable, not to deep and a good crust.
Above the gullies the mountain was excellent travel, good and hard
both up and down.
Still pretty solid in the gullies at 1030 when we were back at the
bottom, but there is certainly a need for moving quickly.

Looks like a new serac under the ramp on the normal route is forming
and separating. A very large feature.
Important to give this area a wide birth from as soon as you get on
the glacier. Forget about the red line in the guide book.
The normal route up the ramp looked fat and loaded. Doesn't look like
there has been any traffic on the ramp in a while, or at all this
season. There is an old slab on the left side that has been there for a while.
Maybe this heat will clean things out.

Tracks visible both on Skyladder and the descent route looked
deep... post holing. I am sure the descent on south side to the AA
col is sporty right now in the heat! One party we talked to spent
the night out.
No significant avalanche activity recently observed, but lots of wet
small sluffs on the east face of Andromeda near the Strain.
The cornices on Andromeda are really drooping, and they are big!
A cooling trend would greatly decrease the hazards on some of these
fine alpine routes.
Peter Amann

Peter Amann
Mountain Guiding
Box 1495, Jasper AB, T0E 1E0
780 852 3237
www.incentre.net/pamann
pamann@incentre.net

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Message from Marc Ledwidge

This is my last message sent by webmail awaiting moderator approval. Can you
please add my government email to the list of approved submitters. The address
is:

marc.ledwidge@pc.gc.ca

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Ghost Climbs: Consolation/Bonanza

Climbed both these area classics over the weekend.

 

Consolation: On pitch 6, it seems more reasonable to stay high and traverse left to the anchor as opposed to dropping down and then climbing back up as the guidebook suggests. It is easier to protect the second this way.

 

Bonanza: Some very loose and precarious blocks are situated in the lower chimney. Beware. Also, this pitch has been bolted which is not mentioned in the latest guide book.

 

 

Rob Owens

Ass Alpine Guide

 

 

[MCR] Anderson river conditions

Went climbing in the Anderson river group over the
past few days.
The road has two gates on right now so you need to get
the key from Cattermole timber in Chilliwack (9-5 mon
through friday, 604 823 6525)
The Road is in 2wd shape up to the parking area. The
approach road is getting in fairly bad shape, with
tough travel through alder for the first hour. Don't
follow the road all the way as the Alpine select book
says. Instead take the left fork when you pass over
the creek in the valley, Head south (left) for about 1
Km in tight alder till you get to the first band of
old growth. From here head easily straight up towards
les Cornes. There is much less snow in this area than
out closer to the coast, with snow only up high under
the rock faces. We had hoped to climb up on Steinbok
however there is alot of running water on all aspect
due to large cornices on the summit. It looks like
they will be around for a while. We instead climbed
on the south buttress of Les Cornes. Conditions were
good on this aspect. The rap anchors are all in good
condition. Two 55m raps into the gully, then some
downclimbing and one 60 m over a waterfall to the
snow. One may want to make an additional rap just
above the last rappel (pins needed). Its still easy to
get water up under the routes. Craig McGee, MG/IFMGA

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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Wiwaxy

Climbed grassi ridge on wiwaxy today june 23rd. Route in good condition. Decent had 2 patches of snow to cross, but I could get good steps in.

Still look wintery up high on Victoria, Hungabee etc.

Cheers

Todd Craig, Mtn guide

[MCR] West Coast Mountain Conditions – June 22, 2006

West Coast Mountain Conditions  June 22, 2006

Summer is finally arriving on the south coast. Time to dust off the
crampons and ice axes. But first here are a few things to consider&

Weather over the past few weeks has seen a series of brief intense showers
and broken skys with the odd very intense rain event. The freezing level
has been sitting around 7000, with about 10cm of new snow in the upper
alpine.

Sunday night (June 18th) stands as the first good coastal freeze of the
season. Presently, with these overnight freezes the snowpack carries well
in the AM but breaks down rapidly midday and more resembles the previous
weeks travel conditions, with boot top or more foot penetration in a wet
grained unconsolidated upper snowpack.

Wet loose-snow avalanches have been frequent on steep terrain, all
aspects, over the past couple of weeks. These sluffs can easily and
rapidly entrain enough mass to knock a climber off there feet and into or
over very hazardous terrain. Be cautioned that this early in the season
even a good overnight freeze will breakdown rapidly on steep solar
affected terrain, a condition further exacerbated by the new snow from
last week storms. This effect is especially true on snow slopes where
there is an abundant amount of exposed rock to further heat the snowpack.

There have been a few reports of recent deep slab releases (some to
ground), triggered by cornice failures. These are mostly 1-2 weeks old
now, but there is still some lingering cornice hazard. Keep your heads up.

Snow coverage on glaciated terrain is reported to be better in all regions
then has been seen over the past few years (for this time of year),
especially as you move North through the Coast Range. Presently, crevasses
are well bridged and travel less complex

Expect to find plenty of moisture in seams and cracks on most alpine rock,
the product of the wet weather of recent. A more enduring affect, this
season in particular, will be the melting affect on routes with features
that tend to hold snow on ledges and gullies.

In terms of access, Snow line remains just below 5000. A meter plus of
snow was recently reported at the Keith Flavelle Hut at 5500. Safe to
say that river and creek crossings will be challenging with the available
snow and rising temps.

Clear skys are forecast to dominate the mountains by Friday AM and
continue through the weekend and into next week. Freezing levels are
expected to climb to 4000m by Sunday. A few things to keep in mind with
this forecasted midday heating are, first, all aspects especially steep
solar exposed aspects will continue to be prone to wet slides. Snow
travel quality will rapidly diminish mid day. Expect more sagging and
collapsed snow bridges on glaciers in the coming days. Be cautious of the
threat posed by the many large cornices which linger from the past winter.
Happy Climbing!

Keith Reid, Mountain Guide
_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

Fw: [MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary - June 22/06

FYI

Jeff Bodnarchuk
Box 3054 Banff Alberta
T1L-1C7
(403) 762-0366
(403) 760-5611mobile
jbod1@shaw.ca

----- Original Message -----

From: mcr@informalex.org

To: mcr@informalex.org

Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 8:33 PM

Subject: [MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary - June 22/06

Summary of conditions to date – Rockies and Interior Ranges
June 22, 2006

This past week saw unstable weather throughout the region, resulting in thunderstorms with slightly cooler and wetter weather – trace amounts of new snow were reported in alpine areas above 3000 m, but this quickly melted off on sun exposed aspects. South facing rock climbing is generally good and dry, except at the highest elevations.

The mountains are ahead of themselves for what is typical of late June – conditions seem typical of mid July. Most trails are dry and the summer melt is well into moraine areas now. Some crevasses and bergshrunds are starting to open up, but in general the glaciers remain well covered. As the snow continues to melt, it's the thinner snowpack areas near the firn line where crevasse bridges may be at their weakest.

Sky cover and air temperature determine snow conditions each day – clear nights will produce a solid crust, where cloudy nights or warm days will not.  The thickness of the crust will determine how long it lasts each day – so dig down and check. If its 20 cm thick then you're probably good for a while; if its 4 cm thick then you might think about hurrying up or going somewhere else. This past week the solid crusts began to deteriorate between 10 and 11am.

Along with melting snow comes rockfall, which was observed this week on Mt. Aberdeen as the day warmed up. Choose sheltered routes and try to cross any areas prone to rockfall early in the day.

The forecast for this weekend looks good (after Friday's thunderstorms). Clear skies should provide a good freeze, but valley bottom temps into the mid 20's will melt things early. Get an early start and be down by mid afternoon before the crusts melt, rocks fall and thunderstorms move in.  

Looks like a great weekend to be in the hills!

Grant Statham
Mountain Guide

---

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary - June 22/06

Summary of conditions to date – Rockies and Interior Ranges
June 22, 2006

This past week saw unstable weather throughout the region, resulting in thunderstorms with slightly cooler and wetter weather – trace amounts of new snow were reported in alpine areas above 3000 m, but this quickly melted off on sun exposed aspects. South facing rock climbing is generally good and dry, except at the highest elevations.

The mountains are ahead of themselves for what is typical of late June – conditions seem typical of mid July. Most trails are dry and the summer melt is well into moraine areas now. Some crevasses and bergshrunds are starting to open up, but in general the glaciers remain well covered. As the snow continues to melt, it’s the thinner snowpack areas near the firn line where crevasse bridges may be at their weakest.

Sky cover and air temperature determine snow conditions each day – clear nights will produce a solid crust, where cloudy nights or warm days will not.  The thickness of the crust will determine how long it lasts each day – so dig down and check. If its 20 cm thick then you’re probably good for a while; if its 4 cm thick then you might think about hurrying up or going somewhere else. This past week the solid crusts began to deteriorate between 10 and 11am.

Along with melting snow comes rockfall, which was observed this week on Mt. Aberdeen as the day warmed up. Choose sheltered routes and try to cross any areas prone to rockfall early in the day.

The forecast for this weekend looks good (after Friday’s thunderstorms). Clear skies should provide a good freeze, but valley bottom temps into the mid 20’s will melt things early. Get an early start and be down by mid afternoon before the crusts melt, rocks fall and thunderstorms move in.  

Looks like a great weekend to be in the hills!

Grant Statham
Mountain Guide

[MCR] Mt Baker

Just spent the weekend up on Baker. The mountain is
in great condition.
Snow level is at 4700 ft ( about tree line on the
Colman Deming route)
Camped at the top of the moraine (6000ft) were there
is running water.
We left our camp at 4:00 am with a great over night
freeze (0c). Crampons right from the tent.
Someone has put the up track right from tent city (
The regular camp at about 7000ft) up through
crevasses and steep slopes then right under icefall
on Colfax peak. I highly recommend taking the bench
100-200m lower. It's much more efficient and less
threatened from crevasses and the ice fall.
The Roman Headwall was in very firm conditions. A slip
here would mean a long ride down the Headwall. Proper
care shold be taken hear with either belayed climbing
It was quite cold on the summit with a temp of about
-5 or -10 with the wind chill. We got back to camp at
around 1:00pm with minor post holing for the last
1500ft.
Take Care, Craig McGee IFMGA

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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Moraine Lake and Lake OHara areas, June 19th, 2006

North faces of Fay and Quadra are snowy from glacier to ridge and cornices don't look too huge from a distance. Perren approach looks damp but climbable.

 

Temple looks pretty snowy above 3000m's on the tourist route.

 

Great conditions today with a good freeze overnight on Wenkchemna pass and Opabin pass.

 

Regular routes on Odaray, Lefroy, Cathedral, Ringrose and Glacier peak look good with a good freeze. Grassi Ridge and Watchtower are dry.

 

Odaray Tarrant Buttress, Hungabee and Biddle are still way too snowy to be reasonable.

 

No signs of recent snow anywhere and it was raining to at least 3000m's in the afternoon at OHara today.

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide

[MCR] North Face/NW Ridge of Mt. Stanley, Kootenay National Park

Climbed Mt. Stanley with Jeremy Mackenzie today.

 

Cooler temperatures over the last two days helped make a generally supportive crust on the glacier in the early morning which began to deteriorate by about 1000hrs.  Below this crust the snow is still very moist and in some locations not well consolidated making us a bit leary of steep slopes as the day warmed up.

 

The toe of the glacier is still mostly snow covered (though not for long) making for good travel up to the base of the routes on the North side of Mt. Stanley. 

 

The Y and Waterman Couloir's had open bergschrunds and are topped by very large cornices so we gave them a miss.

 

The North Face (Kahl) Route was in good shape with a well covered bergschrund followed by several pitches of ice.  The upper section was covered in snow and we avoided it due to warming temperatures.  Instead we followed the NW Ridge (descent route) to the top. 

 

A nice descent back down the NW Ridge with a couple 25m rappels and then down a snow gully to the climbers right of the lower North Face, brought us back to the main glacier.

 

With cooler temperatures and clear skies this route should be in shape again for early morning travelers.  If things heat up there is still quite a bit of snow up high which could become a concern.

 

Cheers, Conrad Janzen

ACMG Ski & Asst. Alpine Guide

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[MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary for June 15th, 2006

Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains, issued june 15th, 2006.

 

There has been relatively little change in the mountain conditions in the past week. Some warm days and some large rain events have continued the trend towards summer conditions below 3000m. At 7pm on June 15th in the Lake Louise area it appeared to be raining to at least 3350m(11,000ft.) No recent new snow at all on the N face of Mt Temple. Approximately 10mm of rain fell in the Lake OHara area today and snow is almost non-existent in the OHara area to treeline.

 

There was a report of two large slab avalanches(size 2.5) releasing with daytime heating the afternoon of June 12th on 40-50 degree east facing terrain around 3000m on the Wapta. 

 

Travel conditions are generally not great at the present, wet rock and wet weak snow being the main characteristics.

Conditions in the Rockies and Selkirks will remain poor until we get back into a period of colder overnight temperatures. Again, all that wet snow SHOULD freeze nicely with a cold, clear night. If it the skies do clear, pay attention to the strength of the snow and try and be off any avalanche terrain and glaciers before the snow gets sloppy with the daytime heating.

 

Alpine rock routes on the east slope of the Rockies and on south and west facing terrain in the Columbia are thoroughly soaked right now but could dry off fairly quickly when(and if) the rain stops.

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide

[MCR] Blackcomb backcountry/ Spearman peak

Spent Monday out guiding in the Blackcomb backcountry.
Wanted to go up the route "29 forever" on Huesume
buttress, however the two small snowpatches were still
there and letting a fair bit of water seep down the
rest of the route. All other rock routes look to be in
very good (dry) conditions. Because of the technical
nature of the other routes we went up the "high feeder
chute" at the right side of the buttress then
continued straight up mid 5th steps to the top. This
worked out fairly well however there is a bit of loose
rock in places, its best to stay on the ridges and out
of the gullies. From the top we continued along the NW
ridge of Spearhead peak. The Ridge is free of snow. If
you wish to keep on the aesthetic ridge crest and not
drop down on the North ledges a few finger to 1.5
inch pieces are useful. There are no open holes on the
Blackcomb glacier however there are a few holes and
sags on the Spearhead glacier. The Spearhead traverse
still has tones of snow an I'm sure the traverse is
very doable on skis. Travel condition on Monday were
not the best with shin to knee deep penetrating even
at 8:30 am. Take care, Craig McGee, IFMGA

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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary for June 10th, 2006

Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains, issued June 10th, 2006.

 

Mountain travel conditions are generally more like we would expect for early july than mid june. Widespread snowcover begins around 2700m(9000ft) and the whole snowpack up to at least 3350m(11,000ft) has undergone numerous melt freeze cycles and is in late spring/early summer condition. We have no recent reports from above 3350m(11,000ft) but I would suspect it is still feels like winter high on all but the south sides of Mt. Robson, Clemenceau, Columbia etc.

 

Access and approach trails for the Bugaboos, Rogers Pass, Lake Louise group, Columbia Icefields etc are generally in good condition. Rivers and creeks are still high and there may be lots of unrepaired trail damage from the winter but snow should not be a big issue, outside of old avalanche deposits, below 2500m's.

 

Alpine rock routes on all except North faces and especially east of the divide in the Rockies are in good early season conditions. Some examples would be from Castle Mtn east to Yamnuska in the Bow Valley, the Colin range in Jasper,  Mt Tupper and Macdonald west face in Rogers Pass and Snowpatch and Marmolata in the Bugaboos. These should all dry out quickly if and when the rain stops.

Examples of routes still buried in snow would be the East Ridge of Edith Cavell, North face of Mt. Temple, NW arete on Sir Donald, and the NE ridge of Bugaboo spire.

 

Glacier travel and snow and ice climbing conditions are generally poor for this weekend due to the present warm and wet pacific storm. Condition will remain poor until we get back into a period of colder temperatures. As long as we don't get any signifigant new snow out of this storm, snow conditions could quickly become excellent with one good cold, clear night. However, we can still expect another cycle of falling cornices, failing snow bridges, wet snow avalanches and rockfall when the alpine snowpack next meets the afternoon heat under a hot june sun.

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide 

 

 

[MCR] Squamish Chief | Apron | Papoose

Two things to note around Squamish.

 

Papoose: Hair Pin - There is a hanger missing on the first pitch just before the anchors.  The bolt is still intact.  It would be useful if someone brought a hanger and nut up there.

 

Apron: Sparrow -  There is a microwave size block / flake that is perched on the last pitch of Sparrow.  Situated 3 meters above the last gear / small tree belay, 55m from the top of Broadway Ledge.  The loose flake / block has some very sharp edges.

 

 

Roger Sarrasin

ACMG Rock Guide

 

[MCR] AA Col, Mt. Athabasca, Columbia Icefields, June 5

Out on a Snow and Ice Long Weekend Course with Yamnuska and climbed the AA col route on Mt. Athabasca today.

 

+6 in the parking lot at 0400 but good travel both on the glacier and the steep slopes up to the col/plateau on Mt. Athabasca.  Bergschrund not a big issue yet, and the slopes above had slide previously and refrozen into a supportive crust.  Below this crust the snow was quite wet and soft.

 

Very strong winds and a few cm's of new snow were forming some soft slabs and exfoliating any exposed skin.  Lots of spindrift coming down steep gullies above 2800m.  Might find some new slabs on high N aspects to watch for...

 

Descended the way we came.  The crust on the lower glacier was just starting to break down by noon but still provided good travel. 

 

Other stuff:

Snow bridges lower down (2500m) on the N. Glacier below Mt. Athabasca yesterday were quite wet/soft and weak. 

 

Cheers, Conrad Janzen

A person should have wings to carry them where their dreams go, but sometimes a pair of skis makes a good substitute. -Hans Gmoser-

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[MCR] Castle Tower June 5th

Up to Castle Hut June 4th. If you haven't been there in awhile be aware
that you need one green Coleman type propane tank (465 g) for the stove
and lantern. Lots of water running in the approach gully.

June 5, Castle Tower, 1926 route. Several snow gullies to cross on Goat
Plateau, could be a problem with a freeze overnight and no ice ax. 60 m
of snow in the scree bowl half way up the route avoided on ascent by
climbing the rock rib -climbers left (rappelled down the snow on the way
down). Overall the route is dry and good to go, lots of snow seen on the
back side, still some ice on rockbound lake.

Happy trails

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Mt. Athabasca/ icefields May 2nd and 3rd

May 2nd. Light rain most of the day to 2600m and light snow above.

 

May 3rd. Climbed Athabasca via AA col. Mix of sun and cloud, cool and strong(50-70kmh) SW winds all day. Good travel on a 5cm raincrust to 2600m and a mix of crust and old avalanche debris above that. All recent snow has been blown away on the AA route but there may be some crisp, fresh windslabs in some deep N facing gullies and low on the big North facing slopes.

 

Saw LOTS of recent and observed avalanche activity on the Banff Jasper highway south of the icefields in the afternoon heat, especially between 2400 and 2700m's.  

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide

[MCR] Trailex.org

Hi folks:

I thought I'd share this as it's related to the MCR -- promoting safety
in the backcountry.

"Trailex" has just emerged as a grassroots initiative here in the Bow
Valley. If you're planning a climbing trip that takes you through bear
country (i.e., any climb I can think of around here!), you might like to
check it out the night before to see if there have been any recent
dangerous wildlife sightings or signs:

"Trailex is a website that allows trail users to share information about
trail safety in the Bow Valley (from Banff to Bragg Creek). The goal is
to keep humans and wildlife safe. You can view recent postings before
you choose where you want to go. Or you can post a message. Share this
website with all your friends!"

Anyone is welcome to view posts or contribute.

http://trailex.org

Regards,
Tom Wolfe

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.