Spent the last day of a two day program at the head of the canyon today. We
walked in the dark the footing was comfortable and secure with crampons.
It was a busy place today and to be honest besides the main falls and some of
the immediate terrain right of the falls, fine for small or well managed
groups, the zone well described by Eric Dumerac in his recent post, that offer
good climbing is well worth it for small or well managed groups.
Currently The Center left and main large pillar are no place i would of wanted
to be hanging out all day, on and especially not below.
However, there was a large group of novices, shoulder to shoulder, belaying and
climbing for a solid 4 hours, they appeared comfortable or maybe unaware of the
potential hazard or the risk they were exposed to.
A good option for larger groups who walk to the falls and find them busy, is
some nice less traveled flows closer the mouth of the canyon, they are visible
on the left as you walk in.
However, in heavy snow periods they can pose a bit of an avalanche hazard.
Today, there was a good path down from the trail and thick ice to stand on and
the conditions would of been favourable.
Also of note, the large well traveled pillar on the left hand side of the main
flow found on the right side of the canyon has a crack near the roof. I believe
the crack occurred today not long after the loud audible settlement of the last
standing central pillar that was being top roped.
The large pillar has a good base, but I've observed it come down before when it
looked solid, give this beast respect.
As for the one on the right, it now sounds very concerning in the first half.
Limit your exposure to overhead hazard, and like Eric eluded, don't let the
debris on the ground lead you to believe there is no overhead hazard still. We
have both observed catastrophic failure of ice in this area, not unlike many
others!
Finally, don't allow pressure to climb dictate your risk tolerance.
The debris at the base says a bit, it tells you that the pillars break and that
debris can kill you. What's above your head should remind you to take shelter
and limit your exposure.
Cheers
Patrick Delaney
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
Patrick Delaney
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures _______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The
ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in
continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable
nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information
provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions
Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from
this list.
|