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Skied up Snow Dome via the Athabasca Glacier yesterday (May 9) and descended today. There was little evidence of the storm that affected the Bow Valley, in fact snowfall amounts were significantly less west of Castle Junction than in Banff or Canmore.
The Athabasca Glacier has very good coverage this year, little evidence of crevasses on the ramps between the icefalls, it seems more filled in there than I remember and certainly better coverage than the last time I passed that way in April 2005. Remember though, there are huge crevasses in this area with a history of several crevasse fall incidents to prove it.
We went up the climber's right side of the first icefall, then cut around to the left of the second icefall before gaining the normal ramp through the third icefall. This route avoids the dangerous Snow Dome seracs although there is still some hazard from the Andromeda icefalls but these are not as active. Going left of the first icefall works too.
Complete white out on the icefield this morning, some wind but little precip. Mark Klassen Mountain Guide
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