[MCR] Mt.Victoria North Summit & Upper Victoria glacier conditions

Greetings, 

 I have been in the Lake Louise group the last few days and guided Mt. Victoria's North summit with two guests on the 23rd.  Upper Victoria glacier had firm snow in the early morning with good bridges over its usual giant crevasses. I got a side view of some of these bridges where they pinch close and they do overhang quite a bit, so giving them a wide berth is recommended. After traversing the glacier, there were several schrunds to navigate in order to gain the Victoria/Collier col approach slabs. I followed in a previous ascents track (fellow guide Patrick L on summit register) where this party had found a key way across an exposed snow bridge traverse. This works well enough and good steps can be made, but a slip could send one either way into a crevasse/bergschrund. Though one can weave the rope around the crest of this bridge, a snow picket or two would make for good protection on this exposed traverse. As well beware of not going to high on the very end of this snow bridge (while ascending), as it is much thinner and hollow than it appears (as seen once across it) - so it would be wise to take a lower traverse across at the end of it!

The slabs are their usual rock littered self, the upper cornice has melted out to a fairly tame state though there is one little chunk hanging on the very left. The rest of the route was in excellent shape with rappels refurbished with new cord. From the col we found a very good rappel (purple sling) on the descenders left side (Collier side) in the white dolomtic limestone which leads to another good rappel (several pins) thence easy down climbing back the way you came. On the descent the glacier had noticeably softened. On the way up the glacier we had gone up and right  around the central crevasses/low angled serac, which gave us a gradual ascent and on the way down, after crossing the bergschrund we went out into the middle glacier (old avalanche debris) which worked well descending.

Happy trails,

Eric Dumerac - Professional Mountain Guide
Mountain Skills Academy Owner/Operator
 

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