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Western Canada / June Reports


jmckay

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June 27th, accelerated start up the spine of the left hand berm/morraine

to rockband just left of single waterfall. Good 50 m cable to pull on

here (a Canadian via ferrata! relic of the mining days?), watch for burs

and metal slivers. Up ledges left of the drainage to a cliff where the

drainage is split into two with two waterfalls. Easy and quick traverse

right (unseen seracs above so hustle) to a treed shoulder leading up to

the right skyline and the big bench right of the glacier. Did 4 or 5 of

the upper ridge pitches to a number of bivy ledges, one of which is the

big one, and the one that we slept on, snow may be gone from here in

awhile.

 

June 28th, long day up the long ridge, 6 am start to 8pm finish on the

summit and a 2nd comfortable bivy. Numerous passages of wet ice and

slushy snow up high. Started a number of sloppy surface sluffs, but the

snow underlying was good mature summer stuff. 2-4 icescrews would have

been helpful, we took none (all the ice and snow could go away with

another week or two of summer).

 

June 29th, descended the South ridge to the col above the North glacier

with one 50m rappel and one 15m one. Walked down snow slopes into the

remote and lovely valley behind Mt Stephen. Stayed high riding skier's

right treeline, then tending right once in the trees to eventually meet

the Fossil Bed trail (easy bushwack actually). This is a different

descent than the SW ridge written in Selected Alpine which looked to be

tedious with a thick icing of snow sitting of the ridge.

 

Long route, grade VI for most parties. Much choss overall. I think that

the E ridge of Mt Patterson is a similar and better route.

 

Happy trails

 

Barry Blanchard, mountain guide

 

www.yamnuska.com

 

_______________________________________________

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.

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This is a Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the South Coast Mountains region (From Vancouver to Bella Coola). Below is a 7 days summary, as well as an outlook for the next 7 days. This was compiled on June 29th, 2006.

 

 

 

7 Day Summary

The last week’s hot weather is marking a transition between late spring and early summer. The snow pack is very rapidly melting and compacting into an early summer pack.

 

 

 

Temperatures: During the warmest period this week freezing levels reached 4000m and the treeline temperatures peaked in the low 20’s.

 

 

 

The snow line varies with the lowest and most snow being close to the ocean and then less snow inland. On average the snow line seems to be around treeline – 1400- 1700 metres - depending on aspect. Expect to encounter snow patches a few hundred meters below treeline anywhere but on the southern aspects; here the sun has melted most of the snow in rocky terrain up to about 2000m.

 

-One report from Vancouver Island had the snow line at around 900 – 1000 meters, with a “fat” snow pack of 2 meters at 1200m.

 

-Whistler Mountain has no snow left on their winter Pig Alley plot at 1535m. But on the glaciers above there is an average of two – three meters of snow.

 

-In the Callaghan Valley there is 2.5 m covering the flat valley floor at 1350 meters.

 

-In contrast to all this- just NE of Hope, in the Anderson River area, a report mentions only snow patches high up and under rock faces.

 

 

 

Glaciers are still well covered but crevassed areas almost everywhere are starting to show prominent sags. You can bet that with the hot temperatures the crevasse roofs are becoming soft and fragile. Many slots are just starting to open. Areas that normally have a thin winter snow pack are in, some cases, melting away to expose crevasses and blue ice.

 

 

 

Avalanches: It seems the late spring deep slab climax avalanche cycle ended a while back. The cornices have mostly fallen off but beware of the odd cornice perched and just waiting for a little more heat and melting which will loosen the bonds and drop load. The warm temperatures have created sluffs during the heat of the day on all aspect.

 

 

 

Rock Fall: Only one fairly large rock fall was reported (on the Blackcomb Glacier) but one can assume lots more has happened in the last week.

 

 

 

General travel Conditions: The snow was quite soft almost all day during the most intense part of the heat wave this past week. During this period any nighttime crust melted away by 9am and resulted in 20cm of isothermal wet mush. Sloppy conditions for walking! However reports of steeper faces sluffing to glacier ice might be of interest to those wishing a clean steeper climb. The rock ridges and buttresses on south facing aspects looks dry and quite good for climbing.

 

A MCR posted on June 23rd shows photos of the mountains in the Duffy Lake area – expect a fair bit of snow melt since then.

 

Many of the summer only maintained roads are passable. The Hurley Pass road was ploughed a few weeks ago. In the valleys during the height of the heat wave the creeks and rivers where running high and fast.

 

 

 

Outlook:

Weather Forecast: Environment Canada calls for continued warm tempratures for its 5 day forecast; all due to the high pressure that is maintaining warm temps and light winds. Freezing levels are forecast to be around 3200 m – 4100m (warmest days are late in the weekend).

 

One thing to note: The UV index is 10+ (or Very High) in the alpine. This is a bit above normal and sunburns happen surprisingly fast.

 

 

 

Mountain Travel: Expect conditions to very similar to the above summary as long as the weather stays warm and dry. Another spell of even hotter temps predicted for the weekend should make for fine mountain travel conditions. But bear in mind that the warm conditions will break down nighttime crusts quickly in the AM. We are still in a transition of seasons and all that melting snow = above average rockfall/sluff/cornice fall/ avalanche hazards. If your traveling on glaciers look out for sags and crevasses especially in areas with a thin snowpack. Take lots of water if you are climbing in Squamish!

 

 

 

The information for this summary was gathered from the Whistler – Duffy Lake, Van Island, and Hope areas. Keep in mind that conditions at higher elevations, such as in the Waddington Range will be different – likely cooler and more spring like.

 

 

 

Have a great Canada Day Long weekend. Play safe and have fun.

 

 

 

Dave Sarkany

 

Ski Guide

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The Bugaboos have changed a lot in the last week with all of this hot

weather. People have been climbing most of the classics in generally good

conditions. There is still some snow left on shady ledges but many of the

routes are dry. The attached photos should give you an idea of the current

conditions.

 

Some crevasses have already started to open up and there are large cornices

on the east faces of the Howser Towers.

 

The climbers road is now open to the parking lot.

 

Cheers

Marc Piché

Mountain Guide

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Climbed the Gmoser route on Mt. Louis yesterday.

 

 

 

Just a reminder, there are now ‘ring’ bolted anchors every 60 meters until you reach the Kain route. Keep an eye out for them as we missed the first few sets.

 

The 5.8 pitch is a solid pitch that is best done with rock shoes. Climbs nicely as one 60 meter pitch as opposed to breaking it into two pitches as “Selected Alpine Climbs” recommends.

 

 

 

The most notable thing about the day was the horrendous Mosquitoes on the walk in and out of the mountain. I would highly recommend repellent.

 

 

 

Rob Owens

 

 

 

ACMG Ass. Alpine Guide

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Back from 3 days of "summer" at the Columbia icefields.

Climbed Athabasca today via AA col route. (+3 parking lot 0330)

Conditions held together in the gullies but only a 5cm crust is

holding the gullies from being isothermal. Along the edges step

kicking was reasonable, not to deep and a good crust.

Above the gullies the mountain was excellent travel, good and hard

both up and down.

Still pretty solid in the gullies at 1030 when we were back at the

bottom, but there is certainly a need for moving quickly.

 

Looks like a new serac under the ramp on the normal route is forming

and separating. A very large feature.

Important to give this area a wide birth from as soon as you get on

the glacier. Forget about the red line in the guide book.

The normal route up the ramp looked fat and loaded. Doesn't look like

there has been any traffic on the ramp in a while, or at all this

season. There is an old slab on the left side that has been there for a while.

Maybe this heat will clean things out.

 

Tracks visible both on Skyladder and the descent route looked

deep... post holing. I am sure the descent on south side to the AA

col is sporty right now in the heat! One party we talked to spent

the night out.

No significant avalanche activity recently observed, but lots of wet

small sluffs on the east face of Andromeda near the Strain.

The cornices on Andromeda are really drooping, and they are big!

A cooling trend would greatly decrease the hazards on some of these

fine alpine routes.

Peter Amann

 

Peter Amann

Mountain Guiding

Box 1495, Jasper AB, T0E 1E0

780 852 3237

www.incentre.net/pamann

pamann@incentre.net

 

_______________________________________________

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[MCR] Ghost Climbs: Consolation/Bonanza

 

 

 

 

Climbed both these area classics over the weekend.

 

 

 

Consolation: On pitch 6, it seems more reasonable to stay high and traverse left to the anchor as opposed to dropping down and then climbing back up as the guidebook suggests. It is easier to protect the second this way.

 

 

 

Bonanza: Some very loose and precarious blocks are situated in the lower chimney. Beware. Also, this pitch has been bolted which is not mentioned in the latest guide book.

 

 

 

 

 

Rob Owens

 

Ass Alpine Guide

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