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Mt. Robson/Kain route
Flew to the Dome on September 22 at 10 a.m.and out on the Sept 23rd with 1 guest. Mt. Robson is in the very best condition at present. We experienced sunny skies and clear nights. Lows of -6 and highs of 10 but it felt a little colder with wind chill. Moderate to strong wind gusts from the south persisted throughout. Crevasses and bergschrunds had good bridges though many slots remain masked by recent snow. Witnessed some rockfall and sloughing to size 1.5 from steep rocky solar aspects. On the higher reaches of the mountain’s south side there were occasional isolated 5-10cm melt freeze crusts that would pop off in small chunks but not propagate. The latest storm snow is 30-40cm deep in wind deposited areas. It has settled onto the Kain face as perfect ankle deep névé, making it for ideal step kicking.
We ascended the Kain face from its right hand margin just left of the prominent ice bulge. I would estimate the Kain had 100 meters of good step kicking terrain at the top and bottom where I was able to use the tractor pull technique and three 60 meter pitches of excellent ice climbing in the middle section. The connector ridge snow was soft enough that I could kick in a good safe track with equally good footing either directly on the ridge or downhill of the wildly overhanging cornices that cap it. I was able to short rope most of it using running belays (snow picket and ridge features) for the narrowest exposed portions. The “roof” or upper south face was in fine form. We took a line left of the SE ridge, then trended left towards the center of the face which gains the summit ridge via an excellent ice runnel. The roof was mostly pitched ice climbing with some longer short roping sections as well. Affording amazing views, the summit ridge was just fine although it was quite windy at the tip top of the Rockies!
Of note is that I guided the route in a somewhat unconventional manner in that instead of the usual bivouac on the Dome, I opted for a high bivouac atop of the Kain face. I found that this really worked quite well and will probably do the same the next time. It really was not too much trouble bringing up a light mountaineering tent, sleeping bag, light stove/pot and food up the face. Excellent bivouac spots can be carved out- see pic. Total combined climbing time over the two days was 16 hours up and down. Descent was mostly on v-threads with snow pickets useful on the lower angled and deeper snow sections. Used 2 x 60M half-ropes, 8 screws, 2 snow pickets and lots of abalacov material.
Happy Trails,
Eric Dumerac
ACMG/IFMGA/UIAGM Mountain Guide
Canada: Canmore 403-609-1564
France: Chamonix +33 6 78 15 45 23
CAA Professional Member, Level II, CSIA ski instructor level II
Pioneering alpinist, rock, ice, mixed climber, backcountry skier and certified mountaiun guide at your service
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Connecter Ridge.jpg
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Ice Runnel.jpg
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Kain Face.jpg
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Roof Ice.jpg
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Roof.jpg
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Sid at Connecter Ridge Bivi.jpg
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Sid on Summit Ridge.jpg
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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.
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