[MCR] Rockies, North Face of Mt Athabasca, June 12th

Subject: [MCR] Rockies, North Face of Mt Athabasca, June 12th
Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:18:57 -0600
My fellow guide, Peter Thurlow, and I guided the North Face of Mt Athabasca yesterday, June 12th. Lots of information from the Athabasca area yesterday so we'll just add on in the believe that more information is better.

It is the days of the overnight frozen crust and we found ok travel on the North Athabasca Glacier if you followed old tracks below 9,500 feet (we followed old descent tracks as they got us farther away from the seracs on the N side of the mountain), above that -basically at the base of the Silverhorn- the frozen surface carried well.

There has been a couple of large serac avalanches into the north basin recently, and it looks like there is more to come as there is a large serac tower seperated from the hanging Silverhorn Glacier on all sides (see photo) ready to go. We didn't dally across the basin - put your head down and get a move on.

The bergshrund was crossed easily on an eyebrow of snow. The frozen crust over moist snow did not grant enough foot penetration for short- roping so we climbed 5th class (note that it is not very often that a guide can short-rope there). We had two seperate snow picket belays (having two snow pickets with us was good), one at 30 meters (the shrund crossing) and the second a full 60 meters higher. Both of these anchors were enhanced by first compressing a square meter of snow before picketing, or T-slotting. 60 meters higher again the snowpack shallowed out and I could dig down to ice for screw anchors in less than a meter.

There is a nice amount of ice in the crux right now and it is easier than when it all gets hacked out, or melts, in later season. Fun climbing.

We descended down the AA Col route and it was still holding together well -not avalanching from the sun- at 15:00. I think that this will not be the case given a clear sky and the warmer air temperatures that have to come soon.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com

JPEG image


The hanging serac that should serve to hasten one across the North Basin


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