Just back from a week in International Basin, south of Golden in the
Purcell Mountain Range. I was in there with guides Matt Peter and Deryl Kelly.
We were set up in a luxurious tent camp in the upper cirque under Mt Sibbald.
Peaks climbed over the week included Mt's Subbald, Strutt,
Sandilands, David, Battlement, International and some fun Unnamed
peaks (Mary Peak and Miner;s Peak) just north of the basin.
Access is straight forward on to the glaciers. Mt Strutt was climbed
via a couloir just to the west (5 belayed pitches on the left side)
and via the Strutt-Sandilands col. The col route has a northerly face
with large shrunds and moats which required climbing the far right
hand side in 3 pitches. The last pitch was a grotty section of rock
to gain the col. From the col both summits are easily climbed in 15-20 minutes.
We lowered off a tower in the col which needed at least a 60 metres
lower/ traverse to get people below the cracks and holes, then easy
decent to camp. One can also easily go down the south side and around
the Sandilands Battlement col and loop back.
International was climbed by the West ridge and the north glacier,
groups reported the West ridge to be very loose 3rd class.This is the
highest peak in the area.
A large slab had come off International's NE face some time earlier
this summer...date not known.
Access to the far glacier (and return from International's West ridge
is marked on a photo attached. This area will require crampons very
soon as the snow melts back. a trail and a few cairns mark this spot
in the ridge which is the key to connecting the glacier that heads
over to Malachite and Horseman Spires
Sibbald Peak is a straightforward glacier climb with some steep snow
near the top. The North ridge can be used for ascent or descent for a
change of scenery, but the ascent route can also be reversed.
A large party tried to traverse from Sibbald to Strutt but ran into
technical difficulties, poor rock and too many people.
Mary Peak is a fun climb/scramble up the SW ridge from the lake in
the back of the cirque. Miner's peak was gained near the pass leading
to Mt David, and gain via SE snow and loose rock to a very pleasant
ridge leading west. One short lower is required, and the last tower
is traversed on ledges on the north side to avoid the steep wall,
then gain the ridge when it eases off. One party climbed a pitch of
5.7-5.8 on this north wall. The rock is nice quartzite and generally
very nice 3rd and 4th class.
Battlement peak was climbed via the NW ridge and was reported as
being a nice scramble on decent rock. 80 metres of steep snow leads
onto the ridge.
Mt David was climbed from the east col and required about 2-3 pitches
of steep snow leading to a easy summit ridge.
The meadows in the area offer spectacular scenery, flowers, lakes,
ridges and nice snow patches for descents, and the bugs were not too bad.
We only had one freeze on Thursday night where crampons were needed
on the lower angle snow. We did use them on the steeper snow slopes..
No other significant cornice failures or slabs were noted during this week.
Peter Amann
Mountain Guide
Peter Amann
Mountain Guiding
www.incentre.net/pamann/
pamann@xxxxxxxxxxxx
camp with some peaks.jpg
Description: JPEG image
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