[MCR] Rockies, Mt Assiniboine and environs

Subject: [MCR] Rockies, Mt Assiniboine and environs
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 2011 20:18:03 -0600
I spent the nights of July 27th to 31st in the Hind Hut below Mt Assiniboine. We helped the renovating carpenters carry their kit to the helicopter. The men did great work, new windows that don't leak and are tastefully -alpinely- framed, mouldy plywood replaced, a new kitchen table and benches, and gone is the dumb second door into the hut.

July 28th my two guests and I climbed the NE ridge of Mt Assiniboine in what the Scotts would call "full conditions". Crampons on for the upper 5/6ths of the mountain, M2 climbing through the Red Band, verglass chipped off of handholds on most of the steeper sections, some small suspect slabs skirted (but plowed through on the way down and they seem to be happy staying put, stable I'd say), footholds cut into a number of harder slopes (we had a decent freeze), especially in the rhime on the summit traverse.

We did a half dozen left leaning rappels (to the east) off of the highest slung blocks on the summit ridge (found 3 anchors then couldn't find any others for all the snow), then shortroped down to four more rappels (50m ropes for us, so 50 m rappels) from the top of the Red Band. Challenging downclimbing 20 cms of mashed potato snow over the harder stuff underneath, crampons wanting to skate.

We were 16hrs hut to hut and I'll state that the peak is in challenging conditions right now due to the snow.

July 29th we enjoyed a mid day start and climbed Mt Strom, then traversed the ridgeline to Wedgewood peak.

July 30th we got a fabulous freeze and climbed Mt Sturdee via it's north snow and ice slope to the east ridge. Descent via one 25m rappel to the south then contouring around to the Assiniboine/Sturdee col. A great climb and fantastic to see Hans Gmoser, one of my heros, signed into the summit register in 1952! (tap the copper tube with and adze to get it open).

July 31st we climbed Mt Magog via the largest snow gully at it's north end (faces the hut).

August 1, today, we descended the Gmoser highway which is bookended with healthy snow patches start and finish right now. We put on crampons for both and had them off for the middle 'highway' part.

Happy trails,

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

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above the Red Band, July 28th


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Mts Assiniboine and Sturdee, July 29th


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Mt Assiniboine, August 1. Note the size two slab out from below Steve Holeczi's route (the slab first seen on July 21st). Having walked under it the day before I concluded that it was kicked out by a cornice collapsing from the ridgeline above.


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