Climbed A2 today with a party of 18.
Decent travel up boundary glacier, other parties came up North
Glacier and we switched descent routes making for loops.
A bit punchy in shallow areas on ascent up from boundary lake but
once on the glacier travel was good. Above 2500 metres foot
penetration was about boot top on way up.
The hanging serac on the boundary glacier looks quite overhanging and
we stayed far right lower down till we were beyond it.
On the descent things softened up quite a bit. Our party came down
the north glacier and then traversed off right to the meadows below
Boundary Peak. Travel lower down was quite tedious in unsupported snow.
Still a lot of snow up high and the snowpack varied from 1.5 to near 3 metres.
The weather was quite unsettled, snowing lightly most of the day.
Still a lot of snow just above Boundary lake and without a good
freeze the lower sections would be slow going. Some serac fall from
the east face of Athabasca came across the ascent route though do not
know how old it is.
On another note, the icefall that came from Athabasca north glacier
some time this spring/winter?, has deposited ice all across the area
where you head to go to the North Glacier left side. Seems this is
happening every 15 years or so.
The one from this year ran quite far up the opposite side of the
valley with interesting blocks melting and forming small monoliths.
Peter Amann, Cyril Shokoples, Matt Reynolds, Jeremy Mackenzie.
Mountain Guides.
Peter Amann
pamann@xxxxxxxxxxxx
A2 ridge to summit.jpg
Description: JPEG image
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