Info on Slesse conditons.

[DRep]

Anyone been in the area recently. How does the pocket glacier look? Bivy ledge? Standard descent? I know there is probably alot of snow up there still.

[Rad]

Dru can post a photo, but unless it gets hot for an extended period, the pocket glacier will probably not melt off entirely this year. We were up in the Challenger area last week and there is still TONS of snow up high.

[G-spotter]

I don't have any recent photos but the steep stuff on the NEB is probably snowfree and there's still gonna be snow on the bivi ledge. I think the cornice on the summit finally fell off a week or two ago.

[Buckaroo]

Hi snow year srsly doubt pocket glacier will melt out. Snow will def be on bivy ledge. Standard descent is now crossover. New topo available. West side road is locked

[G-spotter]

Here's the most recent pic I could find. Distant shot from Cheam Range, July 29

 

[DanielHarro]

Were can one get the new topo?

 

[twz]

This was taken 7/24/11

[boadman]

Wow, that's a lot of snow. I did it this same weekend a couple of years ago and the pocket glacier was gone already. Looks like you might actually have to have some glacier gear.

[DRep]

Thanks alot guys. Looks good! Lets get that topo of the descent posted!

[jmace]

http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/images/7/7e/Crossover_Pass_Descent.pdf

[dfrost]

A couple of friends went up there 2 weeks ago & got turned around at the river crossing--evidently the footbridge was washed out and the river too high to cross safely in their estimation. This was just after a couple days of rain, so I imagine the river is lower; it sounds like you will have to factor in a little more time to find a crossing.

[jmace]

Thats too bad, it was there in June of this year. With regards to the glacier crossing the North Rib glacier is much less threatening and the route is quite good.

 

Then you can use the cross over descent trail to your bivy and then just pick up your stuff on the way down. PLenty of safe sites and water.

 

My thoughts were a few thin pins on the rack would make the route protect better, but we had none.

[DanielHarro]

Thanks for the topo link and the update!! May have to head in their at th end of the month or in September.

[skeletalmachine]

 

Taken from Rexford on August 1. The rumble from icefall on Slesse once the sun hit the glaciers was impressive. Every few minutes all day long.

[kurthicks]

A couple of friends went up there 2 weeks ago & got turned around at the river crossing--evidently the footbridge was washed out and the river too high to cross safely in their estimation. This was just after a couple days of rain, so I imagine the river is lower; it sounds like you will have to factor in a little more time to find a crossing.

 

were they at the newest trailhead? years ago, I went to the trailhead described in Nelson & Beckey and found no bridge, but old abutments. We waded. Drive further up the road.

[Buckaroo]

Here's the latest topo

 

http://www.jeremyfrimer.com/visitor/Crossover_Pass_Descent.pdf

 

I disagree with the fact this guy put in a trail and I think it will grow over in a year, especially the way things grew this year.

 

And if he put up flagging tape someone should take it down and put up cairns.

 

I have never understood why anyone would do the shortcut start, you miss about 8 pitches that way including the first which is one of the best. I've always done it from the toe. It's like doing the Salathe and not doing Freeblast.

 

Either way I would sneak up on the glacier through the trees that come up between the two glacier snowfields to the climbers left of the toe. Then either climb up the hanging glacier skirting near its top to the bypass, or run across the rock to the toe. It's pretty flat right there, we ran it before sunrise the last time we did it.

[jmace]

The trail is awesome its become popular among the hiking and scrambling crowd looking for a new trail and view as well as folks scrambling crossover.

 

ITs doing just great.

 

How you start NEB has nothing to do with this trail

[Buckaroo]

That's fine, the only real problem I have is the flagging tape. As soon as the trail becomes established maybe someone can clean that up.

 

Correct, the start has nothing to do with the trail. Sorry if my post seemed that way.

[G-spotter]

Photo hotlinking is disabled so I can't post it but here's a pic from August 7. Note serac near base of buttress

 

[G-spotter]

A couple of friends went up there 2 weeks ago & got turned around at the river crossing--evidently the footbridge was washed out and the river too high to cross safely in their estimation. This was just after a couple days of rain, so I imagine the river is lower; it sounds like you will have to factor in a little more time to find a crossing.

 

The logs on the crossing are still in place. Your friends were likely mistakenly using the old trail

 

http://www.clubtread.com/sforum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=40475

[fern]

I heard 3rd hand that Colin Haley climbed it last weekend and the pocket glacier was nasty and mobile so they gained the buttress very very low and climbed 5 pitches of 4th class just to get to the normal start.

 

[John Frieh]

Bump: any Slesse updates?

[G-spotter]

see Squamishclimbing.com for pics of the serac from last week

[JasonG]

http://squamishclimbing.com/squamish_climbing_bb/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2495

 

Amazing difference from the 2009 picture....the glaciers are happy this summer.