[MCR] Wapta Traverse March 25-29

My second trip guiding across the Wapta in two weeks. 

March 25, we were able to ski in via Peyto Lake, and Glacier this time (avoided it last time due to the avalanche cycle of March 12/13).

26th to Bow Hut and some good skiing on the glacier tounge.

27th up Mt Gordon then onto Balfour Hut.

28th gained the high bench to Balfour High Col via the morraines. We were able to cross the crevasses at the top of the bottle neck on climber's left (away from Mt Balfour), then ascend onto the top of the broad rounded ridge to the east (further away from Mt Balfour). Got whited out at the col and had to ski by compass and GPS to the Scott Duncan. Moderate southerly winds gusting to strong, and constant snow all night.

29th, my birthday, happy fresh 30 centimetres! We avoided the big slope below the east face of Mt Niles again and skied on the valley flats to where it cliffs out. There we climbed back onto the Schiesser/Lomas exit as we did on March 21st:

skied down the valley bottom flats instead to about 8500 feet where we ascended an east facing slope to regain the Schiesser/Lomas bench (15 meters of boot packing).

Got three whumpfs on flat ground rounding onto the Schiesser/Lomas bench. Great skiing down to treeline, then connecting glades down into the creek.

Barry Blanchard

Mountain Guide

www.barryblanchard.ca

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