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Thursday, July 10, 2008

[MCR] Schiesser Ledges, Kallen/Roth on Mt Fay.

We climbed up the Schiesser Ledges to the Colgan Hut on July 7th. A
half a dozen snow patches to kick steps in over the length of the
route, good step kicking conditions with an ice edge around the
perimeter of the snow. The once red paint that marks the route has
faded to orange and can, unfortunately, resemble orange lichen. The
chains are still in place in the rock bands, but avalanches? have
stripped the cable.

The night of July 7th provided a decent freeze. July 8th we climbed
the Kallen/Roth to the summit of Mt Fay. The Bergshrund looked wide
from below and we opted to cross it one rope-length to climber's
right via a bridge and some M1 climbing to gain the rock 30 meters
higher. A one pitch left rising rock traverse over rubble ledges
bought us back to the route. Ice anchors all the way. Some small rock-
fall on route. We rapped the route off of a slung block then 5
abalakovs (the bergshrund may be crossable dead centre in the route).

The Chouinard and Berle/Kallen routes are a mess with recent serac
calving. Looks like the whole glacier is going to fall off! There is
a size 2.5 slab out of the bottom of the Central Ice Bulge Direct,
crown line of the slab up to 1 meter deep and down to the permanent
ice surface. Normal route looks good with an eyebrow bridging the
bergschrund.

Descended the Schiesser Ledges July 9th. Added a rappel station about
halfway up where the last cable use to be.

Happy trails

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
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