[MCR] Asulkan Glacier Area, Rogers Pass, July 30, 2013

Conrad Janzen
ACMG Mountain Guide

Visitor Safety Technician

Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Park

[MCR] Glacier Circle and Deville Photos, Rogers Pass, July 30, 2013 (Part 3)

 

Conrad Janzen
ACMG Mountain Guide

Visitor Safety Technician

Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Park

[MCR] Glacier Circle and Deville Photos, Rogers Pass, July 30, 2013 (Part 2)

Conrad Janzen
ACMG Mountain Guide

Visitor Safety Technician

Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Park

[MCR] Glacier Circle and Deville Photos, Rogers Pass, July 30, 2013 (Part 1)

Conrad Janzen
ACMG Mountain Guide

Visitor Safety Technician

Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Park

[MCR] Hatteras Sugarplum Group

Spent a week guiding with Kirsten Knetechel and Alex Geary in the
Hatteras Sugarplum Group for the BMC mountaineering Camp. This remote
area is located SW of the International Basin Group in the Bobbie
Burns area of the Purcells.

The weather was very hot all week with no precipitation. The snow was
quickly retreating from many of the peaks and glaciers. A spectacular
camp was setup NE of Sugarplum at the base of a glacier directly
below the Pirouette Pinnacles and below a small lake. Access was
easy here to the peaks of the area.

The rock was a mix of good granite, quartzite, sandstone and slate.
Sometimes all on the same day.

The main climbs done included: Pirouette pinnacles #2 and #3, (though
one small group climbed #1 and #2) Arabesque sub pinnacle to SE of
#1, Squab Peak (NW to SE), Mt Hatteras via E face, Snowman Peak and
the Snowman -Crinkletop traverse.

One large group attempted the SW ridge of Sugarplum from the
Squab-Sugarplum col, but ran out of time just short of a SW summit.
During the first week a group climbed Arabesque #1, via the SE ridge.

Snowman Peak was climbed by the West ridge, ( some short pitches
of easy 5th class) descent was done by the same route requiring one
60m rappel, and another 30 metre rappel to avoid the upper steep
steps. The traverse over Crinkletop to the Hatteras col was a long
day (14-17 hours) requiring a few lowers along the complex exfoliated ridge.

Squab peak was best climbed from the Sugarplum col going SE. It is
best descended beyond the main summit down a steeper snow slope to
the glacier.(Shrund opening up here)
The lower part of the Squab ridge leading to the true Hatteras col
was quite loose and exposed. Though possible we took the easier snow
slope option.

The Pirouettes were gained between #2 and #3, and descended by a snow
patch from #3.

The east Hatteras glacier is becoming quite broken on the midsection
where a convexity has exposed some large crevasses. This may become
easier as the snow line recedes.
Mt Hatteras required 4 X 60 metre pitches of snow to 50deg+ to reach
the summit of this, the highest peak in the area.

Good weather was blessing as much of the granite and quartzite is
lichen covered.

Peter Amann






Peter Amann
Mountain Guiding
www.incentre.net/pamann/
pamann@incentre.net

[MCR] Sentinel - Mt. Fay and Perren route

Went to the Sentinel last week Wednesday hence the information is slightly
dated. Ice axes came in handy as there is still quite a bit of residual snow
to traverse on the approach after leaving the trail from Sentinel Pass.

The normal route up the West side of Mt. Temple looked largely dry (see
attached photo) and so did the Perren Route to the Neil Colgan Hut and Mt.
Fay (see attached photo). Looks like the ice routes in the North Face of Mt.
Fay are losing their snow coverage in a rush.

Cheers,
Jorg Wilz

Mountain Guide (ACMG / VDBS / IFMGA)

OnTop ltd.
www.ontopmountaineering.com

[MCR] Bugaboo Spire Kain Route

Hi Everyone:
Back from a quick 2 day trip to the Bugaboos. Bugaboo - Snowpatch Col is
still in good condition (see photo) with easy travel in spite of warm temps
and lack of overnight refreeze. Good snow coverage the entire way except the
last 10 meters to the Col are on dirt. Also the Kain Route is snow-free the
entire way and saw only one other party on Saturday.

Jorg Wilz
Mountain Guide (ACMG / VDBS / IFMGA)

OnTop ltd.
www.ontopmountaineering.com

[MCR] Mt.Lefroy

I guided an ascent of Mt.Lefroy on July 25th. The route is losing snow quickly and may not be in very enjoyable shape for long. Travel is good for now up to the middle of the route, but afterwards the snowpack thins, and the two pitches after the narrows are mainly ice. Parties will need to think ahead about how they will descend the route. Rockfall on the West face of Lefroy was audible all afternoon starting around noon,  finishing the route early in the morning felt like the right thing to do. 

As per Kris Irwin's post, the SE ridge of Mt.Victoria is in very good shape. Probably the biggest hazard is that the word is out, and many folks are showing up to climb the route. There were a few parties on the mountain yesterday, but we all coordinated so that no team was exposed to rockfall hazard from above, it's worth a talk with others that are on the mountain. The sickle has some icy sections, but many of the snow can be bypassed on rock. Things would get pretty sporty if you forgot your crampons. 

Excellent weather over the past week, with some refreeze of the snow overnight. 

Jason Billing

ACMG Alpine Guide/Apprentice Ski Guide

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

[MCR] Mt. Victoria July 26th

My guest and I enjoyed excellent conditions on Mt. Victoria's SE ridge yesterday.

Travel on snow along sections the ridge was good and the snow was mostly supportive on our way up in the am but quickly breaking down by 0830 on our descent.  The snow and ice is quickly melting away from the ridge and you can travel on the rock for most of the way.  The sickle is getting icy and crampons and ice axe were necessary to safely travel through this section. 

Some pics:

 

SE Ridge in the morning glow

 

Michael downclimbing 'the sickle'

 

West Face of Mt. Lefroy

 

Kristopher Irwin – ACMG Alpine Guide

www.rockies-ice.com

www.facebook.com/RockiesIce for more trip pictures

Banff, AB

[MCR] Bow Glacier at Bow Hut

to further James Blench's post from yesterday, here's two pics of the headwall above Bow Hut. changing quickly.

dave healey,
acmg sg

[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued July 25, 2013

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued July 25, 2013 Warm temperatures and sunny skies since last week's report have made for rapid snowmelt and continued great alpine climbing conditions with the main concern being afternoon storms. The forecast for the weekend looks better the farther west you go. The Rockies from Jasper to K-Country will see cooler temperatures with a good chance of showers on Saturday and or Sunday. The forecast for the Purcells and Selkirks however, are looking sunny and warm at the moment. There are currently no afternoon storms forecast but keeping a close eye on cloud formation and getting off the peaks early will be a good idea. The snow-line continues to rise exposing lots of bare ice and creating more potential for rock-fall as the day warms up. Some routes will now require use of crampons or may be coming out of shape for the season as bare ice and loose rocks are exposed. Keep your eyes open for crevasses and bergshrunds opening up as the snowpack thins. The snowpack has settled and travel on snow is quite good now in most ranges even later in the day after it has warmed up. Access in the Rockies has continued to improve since the floods however some areas are still closed. Please check the websites of the relevant land managers before heading out. Having a personal aversion to climbing in the rain or thunder and lightning storms, my weekend plans will include shorter less committing rock routes or moderate snow and ice routes in the Rockies OR, (and more likely) any of the awesome mountains in the Purcells, Selkirks and Monashees. Marc Piché ACMG Mountain Guide
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.

[MCR] Wapta Conditions

Matt Chesser & I were up at the Bow Hut with a Yamnuska Intro to Mountaineering course July 20-25. We had generally excellent travel conditions despite no overnight freeze with boot top foot penetration. The snowline is retreating to higher elevations daily so there is lots of bare ice and crampons are needed. Kudos to the previous groups who left the hut in great shape!

 

James Blench

IFMGA

[MCR] Sir Donald - West Face Bypass, Rogers Pass, July 24, 2013

Enjoyed a hot summer day guiding alongside Fred Amyot on the NW Ridge of Sir Donald .  We used our ice axes on the approach to the Uto-Sir Donald col but with the warm temperatures crampons were not needed.  We descended using the West Face Bypass route and this option is mainly dry and in good shape.  A few meters of snow to cross in one spot but this should be gone soon.  No rockfall observed.  A great day to be up high!

 

Cheers, Conrad Janzen
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
www.banffmountainguides.com

[MCR] Mt. Temple Scramble

I guided a group of 6 with BanffLife to the top of Mt. Temple today. Winds were calm, temperature was perfect - a nice day to be in the mountains.

The route is now snow free and we did not require crampons for our ascent.

Ran into a team of 2 on our descent that climbed the east ridge and said it was in excellent shape.

Sentinel Pass, SW ridge

[MCR] Rockies - Chouinard Route, Mount Fay.

Hey All,

Returned from another trip up to the Neil Colgan Hut this past weekend to guide the Chouinard Route on Mount Fay, as well as another ascent of Mount Little.

We approached via the Perren again which was mostly dry and gave easy travel. The moat below the first couple of rock pitches climbed has melted back a lot and doesn't take any tricky manoeuvring to get past and onto the rock above. Just walk up and start climbing. There is still the usual long snow patch in the scree bowl above that, just below the chain pitch, that has water pumping down the entire route. Easy to travel with the water-bottles dry and fill up only where you need to. Was also nice to glissade down on the return trip instead of pounding down the scree.

The 5.6 rock pitche(s) that gain the glacier are in normal shape.

Worth noting that while we we're climbing the traverse pitch, the serac that is immediately to the climbers right on the Fay Glacier calved off.  A Sz. 2 avalanche filled the gully below with debris and ran all the way down to the scree slope at the start of the route (where most of us guidos put the rope & helmets on), running about 100m out into the middle of it. Looking at the ice, seems like there's potential for more sports action, head up.

In the week or so between trips the coverage on the glacier has quickly been shrinking and although we found most of the bigger crevasses to be well bridged, there's been a huge amount of ice starting to appear on the glacier. The snow faces that access the west ridge are still holding on but near the top, ice patches are starting to appear and the snow is thinning quickly on the upper half of the face.

The second day I guided an ascent of the Chouinard Route. To my eye anyway, the serac features have become less and less threatening over the past few years with the continued recession, and the consistent lack of serac debris at the base was enough to make me consider it as an option. There's no getting around the exposure to the cornice over head, so moving fast of the lower half of the route and not messing around in the bergschrund all seemed like good ideas. Was really happy my guest, Christian, could move fast.

Crossing the schrund' we were able to use a small cone of old loose wet debris the extended from the bottom of the hole up to the overhanging lip of snow on the other side gaining access to the face, if and when this disappears the only option would be to climb a 6 - 8 meter overhanging wall of snow and ice to gain the face. Given the exposure time, I think we'd likely just have turned around had that been the case.

On the face above, a couple 60m snow pitches lead to the exposed toe of the serac and allow for quick travel. We chose a line up the right most side of the feature to put ourselves out of the way of the cornice above as soon as possible. 5 or 6 pitches of fun alpine ice climbing up to 90˚, and some easy mixed climbing (if you want it) brings you to the top of the ice and on the very right hand margin of the cornice above, but not underneath it. Mind the two crevasses (I nearly popped into one) just below the summit plateau. These can be avoided by hugging the rock on the climbers right and then climbing the snow spine to the top. Couple easy but steeper moves the last few meters to top out. Bringing a picket was definitely helpful in a few spots on the route. and nice to belay off of on the summit ridge. 1 was enough.

We descended the West Ridge, dry the whole way. Most of the rap stations have brand new tat as of the last week.

Mount Little went quickly on the last day, good step kicking snow to the ridge crest and dry from there up meant we were about 25min's from the hut to summit. Route's in good shape.

If your heading up to the hut in the next week, bring your own coffee cup. Until the ACC Maintenance crew gets up there (last week of July) the place is in short supply, especially with a full house.

Have a great week!

Mike Trehearne

AG/ASG

Cloud Nine Guides Inc.

Blog & Photos of this trip at:

www.cloudnineguides.com/blog

www.facebook.com/cloudnineguides

[MCR] Abbot Pass - Lefroy and Victoria

Fellow guides Grant Meekins, Nic Sharpe, Fred Amyot, James Madden and I spent the weekend at the Abbot Hut with Yamnuska Mountain Adventures' Louise Classics.

We climbed the peaks on Sunday and Monday mornings. There was no refreeze both nights.

The snow on Lefroy is barely holding in. Soft and sometimes failing bucket steps took us up to two final icy pitches. The rock ridge to the summit is dry.

Victoria is in great shape with minimal cornice. The Sickle is shedding its snow and crampons were helpful. It is possible to stay on rock for much of the final ridge.

Brent Peters
Apprentice Alpine Guide
CAA Level 2
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Sent from my iPhone
_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Mt Andromeda - N Bowl

My guests and I climbed the N Bowl of Andromeda on Friday 19 Jul. The access to the glacier is easier than it looks. We climbed up near the centre on a low angle fin. The crevasses in the centre are open and we had to pass on the right nearest the NW Shoulder. The recent snowfall of last week had slid off the face filling the bergschund. Three pitches of snow and 5 pitches of ice gained the summit ridge.

We descended the E Ridge to the AA Col. The gully down is snow free. The AA Col is ice. Three 60m rappels put us on the glacier past the double bergschund.

Brent Peters
Apprentice Alpine Guide
CAA Level 2
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Sent from my iPhone from the Neil Colgan Hut
_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Rockies, AA Col, Mt Athabasca

I guided and instructed in the Columbia Icefields for the last three days. The firn line is migrating up the mountains. The Athabasca glacier is dry right up to the three steps and the Earth Gullies on Mt Andromeda (aka the Practice Gullies) are very icy, but with little cornicing left hanging above Middle Earth and Far Earth (the furthest up glacier gullies of the 3).

Yesterday, July 22, my fellow guides, Richard Howse, Deryl Kelly, Darek Glowacki and I guided an ascent of the AA Col route on Mt Athabasca. The erosion of the lateral moraine above the Brewster bus transfer site continues to be shocking. The trail moves uphill all the time and the big melting gullies in the moraine gobble it up as they cut upslope. Two small landslides (gravitational mass wasting) have slumped onto the trail above the big left hand turn on the approach. Hard country to keep a trail in with so much change.

The glacier still has good snow coverage. Getting over the bergschrund required some compressing of snow into it and steps kicked in above. There is one tendril of snow leading to the saddle, or you can switchback up scree. The Silverhorn ridge is dry and in scrambling condition.

My first trip up Athabasca this year, good to be on the old hill, yet saddening to see it become more rocky and less glacier covered with each passing year. The quality of the route is on the decline.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Bear in Cougar Creek

Walking out of the creek @ 8 PM on July 22 when a small Grizzly (cinnamon couloured) ran across the creek near the entrance to the canyon.

Having spent over 10 years climbing up the creek I thought it was worth mentioning it was the first bear I had seen or heard of being up the creek.

Brandon Pullan

Apprentice Rock Guide

Editor of Gripped, Canada's Climbing Magazine

[MCR] Rockies: Mt Fryatt

Roy and I climbed the SW face of Mt Fryatt on Saturday July 20.

There is a fair amount of firm snow on the route, which made the travelling easier. The summit ridge is dry. We didn't notice any significant rockfall on Fryatt although we heard some on adjacent peaks. Photo attached.

Mark Klassen

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

[MCR] Edith Cavell Area, Jasper, July 19-20th

Steve Holeczi and myself spent the last couple days climbing the east
ridges of Mt. Sorrow and Mt. Edith Cavell in Jasper.  Here is what we
found:

Weather: Hot, clear weather with some afternoon thundershowers and no
overnight freezes.  This made for poor conditions on mixed and snow and ice
routes, but comfortable climbing on the rock, even at high elevations.

Route conditions:
Mt. Sorrow - Snow-free on the ascent and a nice snow gully to save our knees for the descent. This route is a nicely stepped quartzite ridge with great views of the NF of Edith
Cavell.  We used the approach route to the NF of Edith Cavell and gained
the ridge from there.

Edith Cavell - East ridge is in good shape with some snow patches and overhanging
cornices left along the route.  Crampons would be useful for the firm snow on the approach slopes to the col and ice axes were helpful in places on the ridge proper. The NF looked
quite dry and icy for this time of year, and did not seem like a good idea given the current high temperatures.

 

Ian Jackson

ACMG Aspirant Guide

Visitor Safety Technician

Banff, Yoho, & Kootenay National Parks

 

 

 

 

[MCR] Little Yoho Valley - Presidents & Mt. McArthur

Just back from a July 16-19 trip with the Yamnuska Cadet Camp and thought I would share some pics.  On the 17th we headed up to the President Glacier for some skills practice.

 

 

As reported from the week before a significant overhead hazard exists on the climber's right near the pass with debris seen here.

 

 

We got on to the glacier from the climber's left above the moraine and only had about 30cm of snow coverage for the first 100m or so of travel before depths increased higher up.

 

 

Lots of bare ice visible here in the lower reaches of the glacier

 

 

On July 18 we climbed Mt. McArthur.  Coverage on the glacier was good and we were easily able to avoid bare ice the whole way and forgo crampons with the snow conditions we had.

 

 

The crux snow slope near the summit was soft enough for bucket steps although the group from the previous week had harder snow conditions with a good freeze and opted for the rock ridge on the right.

 

 

More pics of the area can be seen at www.facebook.com/mountainsense

 

 

Cheers,

Shaun King 

ACMG / UIAGM Mountain Guide

 

 

 

[MCR] Mt. Cline

My guest and I just returned from climbing the SW ridge of Mt. Cline and the route is in excellent shape.

 

Some observations:

 

-Thompson creek has changed a little as a result of the rains/floods of late June.  The old trail that follows the left hand side of the creek has been washed away in some spots where in wandered close to the creek.  There is also more deadfall and debris that has been deposited along its banks making travel a little slower than before.  The trail has not changed as you leave the creek bed and continue on up to gain the cliff band and beyond.

 

-Above 2700m travel on snow is excellent with minimal post-holing despite the lack of an overnight freeze. We used crampons to cross the small glacier and ascend to the ridge.  From there the route is dry all the way to the summit – including the notches – and we did not use crampons or an ice axe.

 

This was my 3rd time climbing the route and it is a good big mountain objective for those hot summer days with forecasted high freezing levels.

 

 

Beautiful bivy site

 

SW Ridge

 

 

Kristopher Irwin – ACMG Alpine Guide

www.rockies-ice.com

www.facebook.com/Rockiesice for trip pictures
Twitter: @rockiesice

 

[MCR] Bugaboo Conditions July 13-17

Carl Johnston and I have just returned from a 5 day trip to the Bugaboos. During the 5 days we climbed the Pigeon Feathers, Pigeon Spire (W Ridge), McTech Arête, Loins Way, Bugaboo Spire (Kain Route) and the Hounds Tooth. Coverage and travel on the glaciers was quite good and the Bugaboo/Snowpatch col was in great shape. The upper bergschrund is starting to open up but was easily passed on the climbers right. The last bolted rap station from the col was still buried and without it you end up above the bergschrund without an anchor.

 

A few notes on the routes:

 

Pigeon Feathers – Accessing the Marmolada/Pigeon Feathers col required climbing into and out of the bergschrund which was easy but may change quickly. The Pigeon Feathers Traverse was in excellent condition. The Pigeon fork of the Bugaboo glacier had good coverage and was easy travel.

 

Pigeon Spire – In dry conditions with the exception of 30-50m on North side of the summit block. We did not need crampons or axes.

 

Bugaboo Spire (Kain Route) – There are still large patches of snow down low on the ridge but they are easily avoided by staying high on the ridge. All the rap stations are in good shape. The NE Ridge was climbed by numerous other parties who reported dry conditions.

 

Crescent Spire area – Midsummer conditions.

 

Enjoy your trip if you are heading into the area.

 

Jesse de Montigny

Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

 

via

Peter Tucker
Executive Director
B: +1.403.949.3587
M: +1.403.689.4324
ed@acmg.ca  |  www.acmg.ca

 

[MCR] Rockfall in Weeping Wall

I just saw a video online of a massive rockfall off the Weeping Wall near the Columbia Icefields. Apparently it occurred July 17. The dust cloud went across the highway and river. The road apparently is open so it seems it didn't impact the highway.

Mark Klassen
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Banff-Lake Louise, Canada

Sent from my mobile device for which I refuse to advertise
_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued July 18, 2013

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued July 18, 2013 Summer is in full swing in the Rocky and Columbia Mountains. Conditions for many objectives have been very good in the past week, with cool temperatures allowing for overnight recovery on snow and ice routes and with minimal degradation of snow conditions over the day. Those same cool temperatures caused alpine rock objectives to be uncomfortable though, even though most routes of that type seem dry. That situation looks like it might reverse itself though. This weekend overnight freezing levels are forecast to soar to the 3500-4000 m range throughout the mountain ranges, with warm daytime highs. So this means snow and ice routes, especially those with overhead hazard, may get sloppy and the mountain might try to shoot things down at you. That said, we have a fairly well settled summer snowpack now so snow/ice climbs that are not too steep and with lesser overhead hazard may be reasonable, especially with very early starts. Most regions are also forecast to have afternoon showers due to convective build up, another reason to start early no matter what the objective. And as always with convective showers, be on the lookout for thunder and lightning. Access after the floods continues to improve at a rapid pace and kudos to highway and trail crews for getting so much back up and running in such a short time. In Kananaskis Country, Highway 40 and the Spray Road are both open now. Note however that Highway 40 over Highwood Pass remains closed, as does much of the land adjacent to that section of it. Highways 66 and 549 also remain closed. In Banff all roads are open with the exception of the Sunshine Road and the southern end of the Minnewanka Loop. Trails to many common climbing areas in both Kananaskis and Banff are open and passable with a few notable exceptions. A few trails that are open now have significant river crossings to deal with. On the southwest side of the Rockies in the Rocky Mountain Forest District there were a few washouts and bridges damaged on normal logging road access routes as well and there may be difficulty getting into peaks such as Queen Mary, King George and Harrison. Search the websites for those land management areas for more access info. If I had my druthers this weekend I would be heading to high elevation alpine rock routes anywhere in the Rockies and Columbias, and making sure I got an early start to try and outrun afternoon showers. My option if it seemed too wet for rock routes would be to go to a straightforward snow and ice objective without too much overhead hazard. Have fun. Mark Klassen Mountain Guide
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.

[MCR] Mt. Sir Donald Traverse, Rogers Pass July 16th 2013

We climbed the NW ridge of Mt Sir Donald and descended via the South Ridge towards the West Ridge of Terminal Peak, down it's South slopes and back to the parking lot via the Perley Rock trail yesterday.

Crampons were useful both on the approach and descent due to either frozen snow in the am or ice present under the snowy S ridge on descent.
The S ridge rappel anchors were in condition, but some additional anchor fortifying material might be desired. We found several of the rappels from the Promontory Ledge to be slightly longer than described in the new guidebook and the ability to rappel beyond 25m was helpful. The bergschrund on the South slopes of Terminal Peak was easily passable but that will change as summer continues.
A fun and interesting trip.

Darek Glowacki
ACMG Ski Guide and Apprentice Alpine Guide

Mike Bromberg
IFMGA/AMGA Mountain Guide


_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Truda and Swiss Peaks, Rogers Pass, July 16th 2013

Climbed Truda and the Swiss Peaks with Danyelle Magnan on July 16^th. 

We accessed Truda Peak via the Swiss Glacier and the Truda Couloir before traversing the Swiss Peaks to the Rogers Col.  Snow travel was good all day with firm snow up the Truda Couloir the morning and good step kicking down from Rogers Col in the afternoon.  Crampons were needed and several small ice patches are beginning to show up along the way.  The bergschrund below the Truda Couloir is still snow covered and easy to cross.  The bergschrunds are beginning to open up below the Rogers Col but were crossed without difficulty on the skiers L side of the face.  A few bare ice patches showing near the toe of the Swiss Glacier.

There was still 10cm of recent snow on shaded aspects above 2900m which made for some slippery rock but this was melting rapidly and the sunny aspects dried out quickly.  Good conditions overall.

Conrad Janzen
ACMG Mountain Guide
Visitor Safety Technician, Mt Revelstoke & Glacier National Park

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From: Public Mountain Conditions Report <mcr@informalex.org>
To: mcr@informalex.org
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2013 12:24:23 PM
Subject: [MCR] Yamnuska West End, Bow Valley, Alberta

I guided a rambling quest to reach the Pony Express/Western Union prow on the West End of Yamnuska on July 14th.  On the journey we encountered what I would judge to be a significant quantity of new, large loose features on the West End.  Especially concerning to me was a huge flake that makes up the right wall of the second pitch chimney of Unnamed route, which has now completely detached and is resting precariously against a chockstone.  This week I also observed a large number of people arriving at the base of popular multi-pitch crags without their helmets already on.  In a game of rock-paper-skull, rock always wins!

Brad Cooke

ARG   

 

via

Peter Tucker
Executive Director
B: +1.403.949.3587
M: +1.403.689.4324
ed@acmg.ca  |  www.acmg.ca

 

_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Yamnuska West End, Bow Valley, Alberta

I guided a rambling quest to reach the Pony Express/Western Union prow on the West End of Yamnuska on July 14th.  On the journey we encountered what I would judge to be a significant quantity of new, large loose features on the West End.  Especially concerning to me was a huge flake that makes up the right wall of the second pitch chimney of Unnamed route, which has now completely detached and is resting precariously against a chockstone.  This week I also observed a large number of people arriving at the base of popular multi-pitch crags without their helmets already on.  In a game of rock-paper-skull, rock always wins!

Brad Cooke

ARG   

 

via

Peter Tucker
Executive Director
B: +1.403.949.3587
M: +1.403.689.4324
ed@acmg.ca  |  www.acmg.ca

 

[MCR] Columbia Icefields

Fellow mountaineers,

Returning from 11 days at the Icefields, most recently a 5 day Intro Mountaineering course w the British Army w fellow guides James Blench and Fred Amyot. The following points are add to recent MCRs:

Cooler temps have improved travel conditions. Good refreeze past two nights carried well until mid afternoon

Boundary Glacier shield (left side) is 2-3 pitches of good alpine ice. Snow (firn) line has moved up to 24-2500m elev.

Silverhorn has 0-40cm snow coverage. It is possible to protect the entire route w ice screws. Exit right to stay on neve and avoid final bony pitches.

NF Athabasca looks like thin bony ice and rock. Be prepared for mixed climbing and bring rock gear.

Steady rain overnight produced snow above 2600m.

Brent Peters
Apprentice Alpine Guide
CAA Level 2
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures

Sent from my iPhone
_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Rockies, East Ridge of Mt Temple

I guided an ascent of the East Ridge of Mt Temple yesterday, July 14th. The route is in good early season shape with a healthy amount of snow above the Big Step (the Big Step is dry and climbed fine). We put on crampons for the traverse to the exit gully, good step kicking yesterday in firm summer snow that had the top 10 cms softened by the sun but frozen under that as the day was quite cool. We followed the double-ring-bolt-anchor-exit which is found by traversing to a chimney/pinnacle where the first two ring bolts are found, basically straight up from there. I didn't find the third ring bolt station as it is under snow and ice right now. We avoided the use of crampons in the exit gully, which is largely rock climbing, by kicking, or cutting, steps in the snow and ice when we had to touch it. The summit glacier is holding snow and provided good step kicking with crampons on.

The descent is pocked with strips and patches of snow and ice that demanded some deviations from the prime line.

Several other parties on the route and mountain that we caught up with in Larch Valley.

A grizzly sow and cub crossed the Moraine Lake parking lot within 10 metres of me at 10 pm as I sat waiting for my young gun client to cycle up and retrieve the Van. He had the bear spray so I retreated to the washrooms. The sow and cub ambled off into the timber, thankfully uninterested in me.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com

on the Big Step:

[MCR] President & Vice President Col

a recent picture of the col from Fri, July 12. the cornice that threatens the climber's right hand line (the usual way around the 'schrund) has shed a little, but is still pretty big. as well, the unsupported slopes below the cornice are also fat & looming. we climbed McArthur that day & found good travel on firm snow with minimal sag on any crevasses we encountered. we elected to turn the final headwall on the NE approach on the rock spine as the snow slope is still steep (aprox 60+ deg for about 15m) and quite firm.

dave healey, SG

[MCR] West face Mt. Lefroy

My guest and I enjoyed excellent conditions on Mt. Lefroy's west face route, yesterday July 13th.  A cool night and stable snow conditions allowed us to make an early evening ascent of the route, enjoying the sunset from the summit.  The summit ridge was dry and we did not require crampons. The slog to Abbott pass from Lake O'Hara is scrappy as usual but you can still travel on snow for some of the way.  The start of the SE ridge of Victoria also looked to be in great shape.

 

West Face Lefroy

 

 

SE ridge of Mt. Victoria

 

Kristopher Irwin – ACMG Alpine Guide

www.rockies-ice.com

www.facebook.com/Rockiesice