[MCR] Van Isle - Triple Peak

Spent some time working in the Vancouver Island Alps this weekend. Climbed Triple Peak via it's Northern Route. 

 

The 2wd (HC) logging road up Marion Main gets you to just over 700 m, and then a steep climbers trail gets you to a beautiful alpine lake (1050m) in an hour,  followed by snow and rock to the top (just over 1500m). Amazingly, there is still a couple of good chunks of snow from last winter - mostly in acre size patches, starting at 1200m. To get to the rock climbing, the snow steepens and ends in a large moat. Need to be careful where you exit onto the snow as the most lip is overhanging quite a bit. A belay is recommended.

 

From there it's 5 pitches of  4th and low 5th basalt, breccias (really good quality), and the odd vertical heather slope to the top.  My climbing mates tell me there is quite a nice view from the summit - coast to coast. If we hadn't of chosen the one day of fog and drizzle in the past month, I would've been happy to see that.

 

Brian Gould
Mountain Guide

[MCR] Athabasca

Rob Owens and I took a couple of groups up Athabasca North Glacier
today. Little change from the last time I was there about 10 days ago
except the crevasse bridges at the bottom end of the ramp continue to
slowly deteriorate and the trail keeps getting pushed further climbers
left, closer to the Silverhorn.

The Silverhorn serac has not been active for several weeks now.

Just a skiff of new snow with the cold front that passed through last
night.

Otherwise good, fast conditions up Atha-B.

Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide

_______________________________________________
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.

[MCR] Mountain Conditions report for the Coast Mountains for Sept 7

MOUNTAIN CONDITION FOR THE COAST MOUNTAINS. Sept 07/06
Generally conditions in the coast range are excellent.
Warmer than average temperatures are keeping lots of
people out in the mountains.
Some things to think about however are the conditions
that are left from this past hot summer.
Glaciers are generally getting harder to travel on,
with bare ice or firn on most slopes. Also Crevasses
are more troublesome right now with many classic
routes such as the North ridge of Wedge requiring more
effort and time to navigate than usual.
As well this hot summer has melted almost all snow in
the alpine, even pockets that usually remain in most
years. This has left a troublesome mess of perched,
dangerous blocks in many areas. Extra care should be
taken at the toes of glaciers and the base of rock
routes that usually are covered in snow or ice. The
lack of left over snow is also making hard to get
water in the alpine.
There have been a few serious accidents in the past
week. Remember to keep your guard up and keep playing
safe.
Craig McGee. IFMGA

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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.

[MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary Sept 7th, 2006

Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Interior Ranges issued September 7th, 2006.

 

The snow that fell around August 30th is now just a memory except on high elevation north aspects.  There was almost zero reported snow avalanche activity from this storm with the exception of some wet slides as it melted away.

 

It has been very unseasonably warm most days and especially most nights up high. In the past week overnight temperatures never went below 14c at the Conrad Kain Hut and it was 6c at the Abbott pass hut at 6am the one night I was there. It is "September" in name only.

 

The Rockies are back in good summer conditions. Glacier travel is reasonable again if you get a good freeze. There is lots of variation in the condition of various snow and ice faces. Some could be good objectives if you get some cold temperatures and others will be dirty and best avoided no matter what the temps are. Alpine rock routes are good, with the exception, again, of the steep high North faces. It is still too warm and way too dry for most of the big mixed routes at present.

 

Perhaps due to all the smoke in the air things sound very warm and spooky in the transitional areas in the Bugaboos and interior ranges. Reports of LOTS of rock and ice fall around bergschrunds on the Howsers and Bugaboo/ Snowpatch col and even some sustained rockfalls and major changes in boulderfields like the area between Lion's Way and Ears Between on Crescent. An alpine guides exam in the area was descending all week via the Snowpatch/Pigeon col rappels and Bugaboo glacier to avoid the Bugaboo/ Snowpatch col in the pm. The descents off the East faces of the Howsers sounds serious as you approach the ice with rock and icefall being observed all day. The West faces of the Howsers and the North ridge of the North Howser are in great shape but think hard about how you are going to get off those things. These same caveats would probably apply to similar terrain throught the Purcells and Selkirks. Having said all that, the stone is warm and dry and the forecast isn't too bad except for Saturday.  

 

Choose your objectives carefully from home and don't be afraid to turn around if the long, hot and dry summer has left your route in really rough shape. It could be a great weekend for a route with low angle transitions between rock and ice as your plan A or at least as your plan B.

 

Bon Cours,

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide  

[MCR] Mt. Bryce North Face, South Glacier route

Marco Delesalle and I climbed Mt. Bryce's North Face this weekend. The
route is in excellent condition. The recent storm snow has gone through
some melt-freeze below 3000 m and makes for good travel. Above 3000 m the
face steepens and the snow turns to winter--dry powder--and is shallow
(10-15 cm) from sloughing and avalanching during the last storm and
somewhat facetted, but makes for excellent climbing. There is a lot more
rock on the face than the photo in Dougherty's book indicates, and the
bulges at the top of the face are not there--we took a direct line left of
the rock to within 10 m of the summit. We climbed the ice at night,
summitting just before dawn to minimize hazard both for the climb and the
descent.

I should add that the route is far more complex and involved than you
might guess from Dougherty's description and more challenging than any
other grade IV routes that either Marco or I have climbed. Imagine
beginning your trip with 2 hours of hard core bushwhacking (Dougherty was
accurate about this!) followed by a climb of Mt. Temple's E Ridge,
followed by an ice face about 40% longer and quite a bit steeper at the
top than Athabasca, and consider that there is not a single trace of any
previous human impact anywhere between the cutblocks and the summit, and
you will get a good idea of what's involved.

The South Glacier route is currently in poor condition with high hazard
and is not recommended. The couloir is least hazardous when the sun is not
shining on it (i.e. at night since it's south facing), when it is covered
with snow, and when temperatures are below freezing. Right now, with
overnight freezing levels below 3000 m and with the couloir covered in
rubble for its bottom two-thirds, it is not a good place to be at any time
of the day for climbing or descending.

You can get a good view of the top half of the couloir from the Bush North
road at about km 88.5. If you see rubble, don't do it. Even if you don't
see rubble, the bottom half is the worst area and you might not find out
until you're there how dangerous it really is.

For those interested in more information I'll put a trip report up later
today or tomorrow on the Canadian Mountain Encyclopedia,
http://bivouac.com, a site I highly recommend checking out and subscribing
to.

Regards,
Tom Wolfe
AAG
_______________________________________________
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.

[MCR] Lake OHara area

Climbed Victoria from Abbotts pass and down Huber ledges today. Lots of drifted snow in sheltered spots but the ridge is mostly dry. Up to 60cms in drifts but average around 30cms. Tough 5cm crust with dry snow underneath. Spooky in places as it definetly hadn't settled as much as I had hoped. I didn't climb the snow face on Huber as it looked loaded and was in the sun. Lefroy and Glacier peak looked dark and unattractive after all the recent avalanche activity. Hungabee and Biddle are still plastered. Tarrant buttress is mostly dry.

 

The unsettled snow made the glacier travel tricky as the new bridges have no useful strength but are not sagging at all.

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide 

[MCR] Assiniboine

In the Assiniboine area today. Snow is down to the hut but Gmoser Highway
is almost dry. Sun exposed aspects are drying quickly up to the 9500 foot
level and should continue to do so over the weekend.. North aspects are
staying white.

Marc Ledwidge
Mountain Guide

_______________________________________________
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.