May 30- Plenty of snow at Parkers ridge that was isothermal and sloppy
on Saturday. Still offered a good opportunity to practice basic snow
climbing skills.
May 31- Went from the toe of the North Athabasca glacier to the
Boundary-Athabasca col and over to the west ridge of A2 peak (a small
peak between Mt. Hilda and the East side of Athabasca).
There was bare ice on the steep part of the glacier toe with
increasingly deep snow as we gained the col. With a good overnight
freeze (-2 at 4am at the campground) the travel was fast and the
didn't start to soften until mid afternoon. Similar conditions were
found on the Boundary glacier (snow was 1.5 -2 meters deep) with most
of the big slots still well hidden with the winter snow.
All in all conditions are highly variable. The glaciers felt pretty
good while frozen hard but would be terrifying if in isothermal
conditions. The same goes for the snow and ice faces. It is probably
wise to still stay off committing high Northerly aspects that haven't
had a really good exposure to the heat of spring ie: the ramp route on
Athabasca. With a good overnight freeze and an early start many other
routes such as the AA col route, Silverhorn, North Face of Athabasca,
Skyladder appear to have minimal winter snow lurking above and plenty
of bare ice exposed. The Andromeda Strain, Shooting Gallery, Asteroid
Alley, and Grand Central Couloir could be in really good condition
with properly cool overnight temps and minimal daytime warming.
Beware that sun exposed descents late in the afternoon and warming
cornices are a major concern this time of year and are a major
consideration when looking at the choice of routes and timing of your
climbs.
Rob Owens- ACMG alpine guide and Assistant Ski Guide
mobile 403-609-0960
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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.