[MCR] Rockies: Lake O'Hara conditions August 11th, 2012

Subject: [MCR] Rockies: Lake O'Hara conditions August 11th, 2012
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 2012 23:57:47 -0600
Things are currently almost good as they get around Lake O'Hara. 

Mt. Victoria is in great shape from Abbot pass up the south ridge. Descent to 
Huber glacier, as of friday, is mostly either hard ice or firm dirt in the 
upper 2/3 and then snow on the bottom slope to the still manageable 
bergschrund. 

Huber ledges/glacier route is still in great shape as of friday. West face is 
almost dry but rockfall is still a concern out of the west and northwest face.

Lefroy west face is starting to look pretty scrappy, thin and icy on the upper 
1/2.  It would be a REALLY bad idea in the heat or rain right now. 

The only route, I feel, that is worth considering on Glacier pk is via the 
bottom 1/3 of the Ringrose/Glacier couloir to the "Glacier".  Work hard to 
minimize the time spent beneath Ringrose pk. and in the couloir- Saw two 
quartzite microwaves bouncing down there around 11am saturday. Everything north 
of the Ringrose /Glacier couloir over to Lefroy looks icy and tedious. 

Hungabee is coming around and is certainly climbable via the north and west 
ridges. The rockfall potential off the west face in any kind of heat still has 
me scared off till the big snowfield melts back some more. 

Biddle is probably as good as it gets- which ain't saying much:)

Odaray via the South Ridge and Tarrant/Morrison buttress was in great shape 
last week and probably still is.

Cathedral is as always, a beautiful walk in the sky. Expect low angle ice.

Rockfall is the "main" big deal these days. Bare ice is around and the rocks do 
seem to love to roar down ice at least as much as they love to ricochet off 
other rocks. 

No cataclysmic icefalls like the "Ghost Glacier" event in this neighbourhood 
but the upper Huber glacier has been pounding the slopes below it for a few 
weeks with everything from "fridge" to "destroy your block" size ice 
avalanches. 

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide
laristan@xxxxxxxxx
 


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