Seven ACMG guides and 18 guests summited Mt Athabasca via the AA Col route yesterday, September 5th. The storm snow from earlier in the week has largely disappeared from below the glacier level. Once on the glacier 10-15 centimetres of that storm snow made for good steps even given a breakable crust from the overnight freeze. The storm snow got knee deep on the steep slopes from the head of the AA Glacier to the Athabasca saddle. The snow was deeper on the main slope and much shallower out on the screes to climber's left.
We considered descending via the North Glacier and Ramp Route, but dry wind blown snow above 10,000 feet led us to assume that a wind slab would be sitting on the Ramp and we descended the AA Col.
Happy trails, Barry Blanchard Mountain Guide www.barryblanchard.ca www.yamnuska.com
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