[MCR] Burstall Pass area

Chomping at the bit to climb some ice, we hiked in to the Drip at the Centre of the Universe on Mount Birdwood on Friday.  The approach is mostly snow free until the last couple hundred metres below the first pitch.  We were disappointed to find that the nearly solid white line visible from the road was mostly unconsolidated snow stuck to very thin, immature ice.  We bailed after 1 pitch as the sun was quickly warming up the face above us and the icicles started falling off.

The route is probably climbable but expect slow going and challenging protection on spotty thin ice.  I took us quite a while to find a pin placement worthy of a rappel anchor and there was no ice to be had for an Abalakov.

Also, any keen skiers thinking of heading to the Robertson Glacier for some early season turns might want to look at the attached photo before strapping your skis to your pack.  It looks like you would be walking all the way to the ice then spotty patches of snow between open crevasses and exposed ice.

Happy hunting.



Marc Piché
Mountain Guide