Spent the last two days in the Columbia Icefields area with a great group
from the U of A.
Extremely windy and warm conditions on Saturday scoured the upper
elevations and removed much of the spring storm snow. The ridgetop weather
station on Parker Ridge (2100m) showed gusts up to 126 km/h! As a result,
routes like the Skyladder and Silverhorn are showing lots of bare ice. The
North face of Athabasca looks to have good snow in the lower half and icy
conditions up top. Bergschrund is well filled in. Glacier travel is very
good, and the snow line has crept up to about 2600m. All in all, pretty
good fall climbing conditions in the Icefields right now.
Max Darrah
Alpine Guide
_______________________________________________
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.
|