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Nick Rapaich and I guided Mt Lefroy on August 31, and Mt Victoria South Summit today, Sept 1st. Both ascents felt like winter climbs.
We expected to find pocket wind slabs on Mt Lefroy and were surprised by large, cross loaded windslabs on the lower half of the route. We did a big bracket out to climber's right (west) to stay on the perimeter of the wind slabs. Less loading in the upper half of the route. We belayed 3 or 4 pitches off of good ice screw anchors to the ridgeline and summit, and lowered and rappelled that same terrain in descent. We walked right down the slabs that we skirted on the way up and nothing was moveing, so it must be ok, ... right? A cold, windy day with lots of snow being redistributed.
Victoria was a difficult ascent today with much knee to thigh deep trail breaking and even some waist deep wallows. Cold, windy, wintery. Lots of pillows of snow sitting on the eastern lee and big slabs on the big slopes. It will be interesting to see how much snow moves with the warmer temps forecasted tomorrow and Friday.
Happy trails, Barry Blanchard Mountain Guide www.barryblanchard.ca www.yamnuska.com
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