Current
Conditions
Welcome to Current Conditions,
an edited bulletin board where you'll find up-to-date information about what's
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WARNING! Mountaineering, Skiing and Technical Climbing are, by their very nature,
potentially hazardous activities. The information presented here is intended as
an adjunct to, not a replacement for, sound judgment and experience. The accuracy
of the information presented cannot be guaranteed and may change with time. The
onus is on the individual to verify the applicability of the information to a
given time and environment before using it as the basis of any kind of decision.
This must not be your only source of information on any given subject. Seek additional
information from guidebooks, reputable climbing schools, mountain guides, local
climbers, Park Wardens and Rangers. Common sense and a strong will to survive
must pervade your thoughts and actions. By using the information contained here,
you are releasing the authors, contributors and The Alpine Club of Canada from
any liability for any injury, including death, that may occur. You have been warned.
Current to: Sunday, 15 August 2004
Alpine Climbing/Scramble
| 26 Sept 04
|
Wapta Ice Field
|
Comments: We traversed the Wapta from the Bow Hut to Yoho Valley this
weekend (on foot not skis). The snow pack on the Wapta is about 1.5 feet of
fresh slush. We didn't put on crampons for the entire trip. No snow
accumulation on the rock above the hut. Crevasses are covered but just. We
did punch through a few. The exit into the Yoho valley sucks, but wouldn't
be too bad with a couple meters of snow cover. I see why everyone does the
exit into the Stanley Mitchell hut instead.
|
Keith S.
|
| 14 Aug 04
|
N. Face Mt. Bryce
|
Warning!
Do not try bushwacking up Bryce Creek. We spent one and half days crawling
over dead trees, fighting through brush, stepping over bear dens, and just
having a miserable time reaching the basin below Bryce's N. Face.
The valley seems full of dead trees that make progress difficult.
|
Ed Q.
|
Rock Climbing
Ice Climbing
| 04 Feb 04
|
Professor Falls
|
Professor Falls is in great shape. The
ice is beautiful blue, in some place plastic, some white airy ice is also visible.
In general one can find very good lines to climb. The last pitch is very wet,
probably not worth the effort considering the ice on the leader and his second,
iced up ropes, iced up gloves, etc. Belays/rappels from bolts are great! Awesome
route with great ambience. The approach is on foot or cross country skis, the
snow is too deep for a moutain bike. It takes 1.5 hours from the car to the bottom
of the climb on foot.
|
Paul M
|
| 31 Jan 04
|
Snowline
|
The route is harder, steeper than it was at the
beginning of the season. The ice is thin at the bottom, so don't use a long screw
as your first screw. Clime 2m past 3 Abalakovs (45m up) and belay from a protected
corner, notice the black Abalakov. From the corner step right onto steep ice and
venture upward for the second pitch. The ice/snow boundary is fragile a large pieces
of ice detach once you reach easier ground. Belay from a tree. Rappel from the upper
tree to the 3 Abalakovs and from there to the ground. Rappeling from the Abalakovs
seems more solid than rappeling off a tree 60 m up.
|
Paul M
|
| 24 Jan 04
|
Heart Creek
|
5 ACC members played in Heart Creek
on Saturday despite a -15 degrees Celsius temperature and blowing snow. There
is about 40 metres of good grade 2 ice for beginners or Alpine practice. The Grade
3 ice has 2-3 good lines, with anchors in the trees. There is ice on the approach,
now buried under 10 cm of snow. We walked up the creek with crampons for that
Alpine experience.
|
Mark L
|
| 19 Jan 04
|
Snivelling Gully, Weeping Wall
|
We (ACC group) climbed
the Snivelling Gully. The weather was great, the ice was plastic, and we had a
good time. The route is in good shape, wet in some places, take care when climbing
some thin ice on exit. Exit to the left. It is tempting to climb 4-5 m vertical
pillars on exit, but these end abruptly with 1.5 m high rock band. On the top
of the rock band is frozen snow, thus an exciting exit, far beyond the grade of
the climb. Snivelling Gully Direct (5) is in awesome shape. Weeping Wall Left
(4) is in great shape, Middle (5) looked harder that Right (5) which is in great
shape. Rappels (50m, 60m) in Snivelling Gully are from trees and bolts. There
was a party climbing on the Right and their progress was reasonable.
|
Paul M
|
| 11 Jan 04
|
Ghost
|
A fantastic ice review, a huge pat on the back to all the hard work and organization
from the climbing committee and their other helpers! It's quite a sight to come
back to camp in the dark from a fantastic day of climbing- to see the tents warm
and aglo, the fire burning, and the chili on. You guys rock! Valley of the Sun
is as fantastic as the book makes it out to be- a gorgeous slot canyon that tops
out near the base of the Devil's Head tower. A great ramble oozing with character.
This House of Sky is the fattest I have EVER seen it- no logs visible on any of
the pitches, if you can believe that. The pillar at the back of the bowl is huge,
and the ice is blue all the way to the summit. Now that's a nice long day!
|
Stacey K
|
| 11 Jan 04
|
Sunshine, Aquarius, South Ghost
|
Sunshine and Aquarius
are in good shape. Sunshine is visible from the river bottom. Route is a straight
forward one pitch climb. Rappel/belay from the trees. To get to Aquarius follow
the tracks in the trees, once clear of snow contour around the mountain and you'll
see it. It is a good strenuous pitch, with a vertical section near the top. On
the way back return the same way, rappel Sunshine.
|
Paul M
|
| 10 Jan 04
|
Anorexia Nervosa, South Ghost
|
Anorexia Nervosa in Planters
Valley is in good shape, not thin at all. Climb two pitches, short bottom pitch
and 65 m upper pitch. The upper pitch in longer than 60m so take that into account.
Belay/rappel the upper pitch from the trees. On the lower pitch two Abalakov anchors
were melting out, back these up on rappel (take a piton along, or rappel from
frozen in dead tree stumps) . Climb Wuthering Heights in the same location is
not in good shape, the bottom part is melted out.
|
Paul M
|
Backcountry
Skiing
| 05 Apr 04
|
Crowfoot Mountain
|
Skied
Crowfoot Mtn on Apr 3 with party of three. Bow Lake still well frozen, as was
the second canyon trail. BUT a couple of previous small slides on the E side of
2nd canyon had got completely to ground. Left trail to Bow Hut above second canyon
and headed up the S side of the drainage. Snow cover was not huge but adequate
all the way to the high nameless col W of Crowfoot. About 2-6 cm of fresh on top
of older wind crust. Higher on the W aspect of Crowfoot, the surface was more
sun and wind crusted, and we had a couple of small whoomfs. Ditched skis (about
900 horz m, & 100 vert m from summit), and finished on foot. Good views, blue
skies (with a cloud over Jasper), and some IMPRESSIVE cornices. Return same route.
|
Alan M
|
| 12 Jan 04
|
Cirque Peak
|
We
parked 1 km north of Bow Lake and skied up through the trees to the open area
NW of Cirque Peak. Ground was well covered with excellent snow up to treeline.
For 500 ft above treeline snow was also pretty good, then was quite windblown
with a few rocks above that.
|
Ray N
|
| 11 Jan 04
|
Helen Lake
|
Skiing was pretty good with 60 - 75 cm
base on mostly facets. Observed two avis on Mount Crowfoot and Thompson (both
north faces). Snow stability was generally fair. Looks like big problems after
next big snow fall. Turns were fun so far! We did break through to rock/trees
in some shallow areas.
|
Rob D
|
| 08 Jan 04
|
Black Prince
|
Toured up drainage/ridge just north
of Black Prince. Snow was 75cm with mostly facets. Triggered size one avi (wind
loaded small slab) on NE aspect skiing through glades. Turns were pretty good,
but occassionally sinking deep (50cm) into snowpack.
|
Rob D
|
|
