Slesse/Joffre condition forecasts for this July?

[Reima]

Greetings from the old world!

 

We'll be crossing the pond to visit friends and family on your continent, and while we are over there, we'll use the opportunity to spend some weeks enjoying trad and alpine climbing in the BC area.

 

I'd like to ask you locals, what are your forecasts on alpine ice climb conditions on routes like the couloirs on Joffre and Slesse this coming July? We'll be packing in the next few days and trying to decide whether to bring full alpine ice kit or just glacier gear.

 

From the Slesse TR I understood that that route would be past its prime already? What about other alpine ice climbs? Do people climb those at this time of the season or is it now time to concentrate on rock routes?

 

 

Cheers,

 

Reima & Niamh & Juuso

Helsinki, Finland / Dublin, Ireland

 

[G-spotter]

Deeper, wider couloirs like those on the north face of Joffre are often better in late summer when the snow is compacted down to ice. Central Couloir on Joffre can be great in late July.

 

North Couloir of Slesse never melts down to ice. It just vanishes and leaves broken rock behind. You are a couple months too late for that one.

[Reima]

Thanks G-spotter, I could not have hoped for a more complete answer.

 

So, we'll bring our full kit for Joffre and given some good weather, will be posting a TR here.

 

cheers,

Reima

 

[G-spotter]

The northwest face of Matier is not a couloir but it is a nice PD type ice face right next to Joffre that should have some good conditions in late July.