Climbed Temple yesterday up and down the scrambling route. Temps of 5
degrees at 5 AM at the Moraine Lake Paking lot. Route is in dry shape and we
didn?t use crampons. There is a small patch of snow left right below the
crux, for which, when frozen in the morninig, an ice axe could be handy -
it's only 10 meters wide at best but wiping out would have grave
consequences. Given the current temps it'll be gone within a week's time.
Notable was that the snow right on the summit (3500m !) did not carry
already at 9.30 AM. I think all the haze in the air probably from the
Kelowna fires and a thin overnight cloud cover prevented a thorough
refereeze.....the snow underneath the crust is completely moist and soggy.
A few other observations en route:
The approach traverse to the Sentinel still has two large snowy patches
which make bringing boots / ice axe worth-while.
The Perren Route to the Neil Colgan hut looks snow free to the glacier
The "Center Ice Bulge" on Mt. Fay's north face is bare ice for the upper
half
The 3.5 Couloir (the large couloir visible from Moraine Lake) has avalanched
down to the ice at some point not too long ago and looks ugly (lots of
indication of current rockfall). The fractureline is about 2/3 up.
Cheers,
Jorg Wilz
Mountain Guide (ACMG / IFMGA)
OnTop ltd.
www.ontopmountaineering.com
1-800 506 7177 or (001) 403 678 2717
_______________________________________________
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.
|