Beta on Mt.Athabasca North Face in Early October.

[overzealous]

I’ve been drooling over the north face of Athabasca for several years now, and haven’t lucked into the right combination of money and time off with a good partner to make it up there yet.

 

I’ve climbed in the Cascades and Sierras, but never the Canadian Rockies. It looks like I’ll probably have the chance to go around October 6-11th, and I was hoping some of the people here could either give me some beta, or point me toward useful resources.

 

From the reading I’ve done, it seems that this face is best done as an early season route now, due to the increased rock fall in late summer with the warmer temperatures. What kind of conditions could we reasonably expect in early October? Is it likely to still be a rock fall prone dodgeing match, have the winters snows usually started and made avy danger on the approach a bigger problem, etc..? I realize that the weather itself isn’t predictable, but does anyone have any idea what general conditions around this time are likely to be?

 

Likewise, can anyone recommend other quality routes of similar difficulty around the Banaff/Jasper area that are likely to be in good shape in early October? We’re probably comfortable with 5.6 or so alpine rock, and AI3. Long days are ok, but I don’t think we’re in shape for multi-day routes at the present time.

 

Thank you in advance for any help. This planning is coming late in the season. I’d resigned myself to not doing a mountain this year – hope this trip comes through.

 

- Chris

[jmckay]

Athabasca Beta page

 

 

More then likely out of shape. There will be permant snow and possible avalanche hazard. It has been done before but not often.

[overzealous]

Thanks for the beta page. I hadn't stumbled onto that despite a lot of time searching online for any information I could get about this face. It looks like it'll be VERY useful.

 

 

Assuming we do get up there and find the face out of condition (as you say is likely) are there good alternates with a simialar feel that are generally in shape in early October (after record hot summers)?

[jmckay]

Niblock or Mt whyte

 

I think you may find some good scrambling in the louise group but once again it is condition dependent. certianly steep technical climbs will depend on what the latter part of the season is like. A couple guys went out that time of year last year and didn't come back. one on Assiniboine the other on Temple