Guided Coire Dubh Integrale today, November 9. We climbed to the summit of Loder Peak and descended the ridge to highway 1-A .
Right now, there is no climbable ice on the route, although crampons were used for some verglas in the narrow part of the gully. This proved to be the crux due to challenging gear placements and the soft nature of the verglas. A few knifeblade pitons are useful in this section. The rest of the climb was done in mountain boots, easily avoiding all slushy ice.
Temperatures varied from -6°C to -2°C, although it felt much warmer in the sun. There was a small amount of snow in the shadow of Loder Peak, but never more than 5 cm deep. The lack of snow increased the rockfall hazard, although no natural rockfall was observed. The wind was light and variable on the route and ridge top winds were moderate to strong from the west.
All in all, I would say that in its present condition the route is still a good climb, but it is more enjoyable when there is ice.
Have fun, take care,
Grant Meekins
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures