Trip: Waddington Range traverse with NOLS - entered via "Twist lake" to exit via knights inlet
Date: 6/15/2011
Trip Report: To start are epic we drove across the border into BC then drove for 15 hours to the "end of the road" at the Foster Family Ranch near Twist Lake. After spending the night camped out in one of the family's fields we we began to bushwhack are way around the lake and up Twist Creek. The approach was long and made difficult by large amount of dead pine.
Are group then crossed over a high pass and down to another alpine lake where we got resupplied via helicopter. We then proceeded to approach
Geddes pass for two days.
After which we dropped (sliding down scree and nasty slopes) to the bottom of the Bell glacier. Bad weather (a mixture of snow and sleet) pinned us down in are tents for the next 4 day. After a two day push up the Bell weather cleared and we made it down to the franklin glacier without incident.
After digging up are cache on Franklin glacier and practicing crevasse rescue for two days we packed up camp and headed over the Shelf glacier onto the Confederation glacier then booked it up to Jubilee pass.
After down-climbing onto the Jubilee glacier we took a rest day are practiced ice climbing technique. When then packed up the next day and climbed the adjacent ridge which was filled with nasty scree and unprotected runouts. It took us 13 hours to get to are objective. Coincidently this day I also turned 18
The next day was spent slogging down the remaining Ridge to a "old logging" road which leads down a lake and a floatplane ride home. the road it turns out was gone in many places replaced by large sums of alders. At the end of the day we could not find a suitable spot to camp so we opted for a open bivy and prayed for no rain.
The next day the rain began as we slogged down the remaining slope to are extract point.
The next day we waited for fog and rain to clear and are plane to show up. a small window opened and half are group was on there way. However me and several others got stuck for another 36hours before weather cleared enough to fly.
after 30 days in "the Wad" we returned to civilization.
Note: I am a NOOB with photos
Gear Notes:If you approach on foot be prepared to destroy very expensive clothing.
Goretex is mandatory my rain jacket turned out not to be waterproof spent many days semi-wet.
Berghaus yeti gaiters would have made my day
the snow was fairly soft and crampons were not needed for much of the trip
If entering on the twist lake side bring bear spray the first day we saw 4 bears walking around.
Approach Notes:approaching the Franklin glacier on foot is not advised
CorilAir has "Ok" service expect long delays if the weather is anything but bluebird
If you approach Jubilee glacier from the knights inlet be warned the "old logging road" is nonexistent in many places. After bushwhacking your way up the road you will hate alder trees for the rest of your life. This can become "Type 2 fun" very fast.
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