[MCR] Rockies, traverse from Mt Collier to Popes Peak

Guided a fabulous walk in the sky today, August 19th, traversing from Mt Collier to Popes Peak. Conditions on the Victoria Glacier were great this morning and access to the North Victoria/Collier Col should be good for awhile.

We descended the Popes Peak rappels with a single 60 meter rope. A hint on finding the first rappel is to descend the snow and ice ridge off of Popes to the northeast (along the Alberta/BC border), scramble down a stretch of blocky black rock, and then down a second snow ridge. At the bottom of the this ridge look down and left for a large slung block.

We walked down the "hanging valley" and traversed the "prominent ledge" mentioned on page 102 of Selected Alpine Climbs. The half hour of bushwaking to get to Ross Lake was tedious.

While walking along the Great Divide Bike Trail/Old Highway we got hissed at by a large grizzly with a blue ear tag who was eating berries just above Sink Lake -five meters away from us. We retreated slowly while talking to him. He wasn't moving so we walked around the east end of the lake to gain the train tracks where it looked like he'd already eaten all of the berries.

Happy  trails,

I guess

Barry Blanchard

UIAGM/IFMGA Mountain Guide

http://www.barryblanchard.ca

http://www.yamnuska.com

barryb3@xxxxxxxxx

1 403 609 4615

cell 1 403 609 1321

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