[MCR] Mt. Fay - North Face

Two of us from Parks Canada Visitor Safety climbed the Berle/Kallen route on the North Face of Mt. Fay yesterday (Sept 28), then descended the West Ridge and the Perron Route back to Moraine Lake.  Conditions for the ascent up the face were excellent, while the descent was a bit tedious.

 

With a temperature of -4 on the glacier, the snow ranged from perfect neve to the occasional drift up to 30 cm deep. Walking across the glacier was easy travel but we were a bit wary of thinly bridged crevasses. Crossing the bergshrund was easy, and then the climb was ankle deep steps almost the whole way, drilling screws into the glacier on the right or digging down 30 cm to find ice screws. We wondered if we might encounter wind slabs, but didn't. There is a good sized fresh cornice overhead, and climbing past it to the left was easy. The climb was in perfect shape.

 

The descent down the west ridge was fine, but slow as there is 20-30 cm of snow covering everything and so it was crampons and slow movement the whole way. When descending the final snow slope back onto the glacier, it was easy to cross the bergshrund.

 

The Perron Route had verglass all over it, and we continued to wear our crampons until about half way down. Even the very bottom section has some sketchy verglass, so we really had to move slowly in order to not grease off.

 

Perfect September alpine conditions.

 

Grant Statham, Brian Webster

Parks Canada

ACMG Mountain Guides

 

 

 

 

 

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