[MCR] A2, boundary glacier, North glacier loop

Subject: [MCR] A2, boundary glacier, North glacier loop
Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2012 17:31:18 -0600
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

Attachment: A2 ridge to summit.jpg
Description: JPEG image

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