[MCR] Rockies - Mt Athabasca

Subject: [MCR] Rockies - Mt Athabasca
Date: Sun, 8 Jul 2012 15:12:16 -0600
Hey there!

So for a bit of a contrast from the last few days posts on Athabasca we had 
some fairly different conditions due to warm overnight temps and a really poor 
freeze. Nicer ascent right now, if you're able to hold out for some colder 
temps and/or better freezes up there. I've been guiding from the Icefields for 
the past 3 days, guided the AA Col Route today with little to no freeze below 
9500ft. Travel on the lower AA glacier wasn't to bad but extremely wet. All of 
our boots could have been rung out like sponges only a couple hundred meters 
onto this ice. 
The steep slope which gains the col, had some fairly labor intensive track 
setting. Up to 50cm boot penetration and lots of collapsing steps made things 
tough. Lots of back filling your steps to stay afloat. Above 10,000ft as long 
as you stayed in the pre-existing track the steps were mostly supportive over 
the Silverhorn to the Summit and back.
On the way back down, descending the steep slope below the col, we got slowed 
down a fair bit crashing shins first through a 5cm crust as well. 
Definitely earned it today :)

Despite the conditions we ran into, we got to watch an amazing sunrise from the 
summit, made up for all the tough stuff!

Have fun out there!

Mike Trehearne
Alpine Guide / Apprentice Ski Guide
mike@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

www.facebook.com/cloudnineguides 



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