Enjoyed a beautiful day on the NW ridge of Sir Donald yesterday. The route is in good condition, with only a little bit of last week’s snow and verglass lingering on the summit block. Contrary to local ‘word on the street’, the ‘west face bypass’ descent option is in great shape and currently does not require either and ice axe or crampons. Definitely a time saver on descent when conditions are dry.
The bolted descent route is set up well, but definitely requires a 50m rope. Several people have recently chosen to climb with a shorter rope, hoping to scramble the difference between stations. Not a good option! Better to carry the extra 10-15m of rope on the way up than to come up short on the way down. Be careful in the dihedral portion of the rap line if there are parties above you, as the potential for climber triggered rock fall could definitely be an issue.
Cheers,