[MCR] Polar Circus (Jan 31)

Subject: [MCR] Polar Circus (Jan 31)
Date: Mon, 1 Feb 2010 10:52:43 -0700
Four of us were team guiding on Polar Circus yesterday. Only trace amounts of snow along the Icefields Parkway and on the route. The Weather Network for the Columbia Icefields forecasted up to 10cm of new snow over the weekend but that never materialized. Our maximum temperature of -3 C was around 11 a.m. at the base of the final two pitches. We saw the evidence of the previously reported cornice failures (huge craters equals good slope test), but all was quiet on Sunday (Jan 31) due to full cloud cover blocking the solar effect. We would most likely have changed route objectives if there was no cloud. Temperature and cloud cover are two factors that now must be considered on south-facing route with overhead hazard (i.e. avi slopes, cornices, hanging ice daggers) as the February sun begins to pack a punch. There is a packed donkey trail through the snow slopes to turn the Pencil. Good hooks and plastic ice on almost all pitches.

Sean Isaac
ACMG Alpine Guide







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