Bonanza Peak?

[David_Parker]

Has anyone been up Bonanza recently. With our low snow year, I'm expecting that the big 'shrud on the Mary Green glacier may be very difficult to cross, especially on the descent. I'd like to hear from someone who has seen it up close and personal! We may go up over on the company glacier and so won't know what we'll be dealing with until we come down on top of it.

Thanks

[Jim]

We did it a couple of weeks ago. The shrund is fine, a little steep ice towards the top of the glacier. The normal glacier route is blocked by a mondo-crevasse. We spent alot of time wandering about the lower glacier/ice fall. We did find a better way on the way down which skirted left, then back right on the way down. It's a big day from Holden Lake.

[David_Parker]

Jim, It sounds like you made base camp at Holden Lake vs. Holden Pass. So you did not have to get back to Holden Pass on the way down and therfore probably could stay right. However we were thinking of making base at the pass and roundtripping from there. This requires staying left and pesents different logistics in descending (so we don't have to go down to the lake and then back up to the pass to retrieve gear). So do you see that big crevasse blocking return directly to the pass?

[Jim]

Actually we went up to the pass and returned to the Lake via the pass. So it wasn't a proble for us. We did have to cross a snow/ice bridge over the last cevasse on the way down. If it's still there is anyone's guess. You should stay towards the rock on the way up, it will be obvious where you have to detour towards the middle of the glacier, pretty early. We couldn't see the big hole on the way down until we were on top of it because of the slope.

The pass is pretty dry so you'll have to hoof it a bit for water.

[Stefan]

We did it August 11 from Holden Pass. No water at the pass, but you can walk down to the stream. We had a little ice section coming off of the main glacier onto the upper snowfield which was not a problem. However, we had to traverse around a crevasse that was opening up quite good just after the ice section. I doubt it would be passable by now. However, if you wanted to climb the serac next to the rock that would be a definite go.