Mt Brazeau ski attempt 2013

Sat/Sun Apr 20th/21st - Mt Brazeau attempt

Synopsis: A spectacular area that doesn't appear to be frequently visited. A long way in makes for a big first day.

Humbled in the mountains once again. The forecast called for spring conditions with scattered flurries Saturday and partly cloudy on Sunday. Given most of the guidebooks talk of a 3 day trip we knew it was going to be 2 full days, however our thinking was descent would be much quicker on skis.

James and I met at the Rampart Creek Hostel, great digs and not very busy this time of year. Up at 5 and out the door at 6 was the plan. In reality we took the time for a great breakfast - meusli with warmed milk and cafe mocha's - feeling modestly decadent. The drive to the parking spot beside the Sunwapta Warden's station on highway 93 took 45 minutes, along the way we passed Beauty Creek Hostel which would have cut some time off the morning commute.

We geared up in light wet snow and modest visibility and left the car at 7:30 am, my watch showed an elevation of 1555 metres. It had definitely been warm however we were lucky enough to have a mostly supportive crust.

We started off working our way up Poboktan summer trail which follows much of the creek. We were lucky enough to have tracks to follow for the first couple of hours from folks doing the 6 pass route.

After 1 1/2 hours we were starting to look for the turn onto Poligne Creek towards Maligne pass, I had a bit of a laugh when it was obviously signed. Route finding skills not needed quite yet.

Pretty cruisey so far. The tracks continued up towards Maligne Pass and, as Chic Scott mentions, the climbing begins in earnest. We were happy to still have easy travelling conditions and the sun actually started to make an appearance.

We blew by the turnoff up to Coronet Glacier, however James's mountain sense (and handy GPS) kicked it and we quickly backtracked and started breaking trail to the north. At this stage we were just under 4 hours of travel and 345 metres of elevation gained. Likely we could have turned earlier but we followed a pretty obvious drainage (photo taken on the way out).

Even though we didn't have the benefit of tracks, a supportive crust and very little ski penetration kept travel pretty easy and we quickly found ourselves in a small box canyon which we climbed out of on climbers right. The sound of water rushing under the snow kept us focused (once again photo taken on descent).

From the top of the box canyon I lead us on a bit of a wandering route through the trees to climbers right. On descent we found the route much more straight forward to just get back on or beside the creek. In fairly quick order we broke through the forest so see the route up to Coronet Glacier. Lunch was at 1 pm and 2055m taking refuge from the wind behind a large rock that wasn't being particularly effective.

While eating there were a couple of waves of wind and blowing snow, funny enough the closest experience I've had to it was sandstorms in the desert. At this point we were at the 6 hour mark and I had steeled myself for a 10 hour day so after a quick bite we shouldered the pigs and carried on, James seemed to be doing fine.

As is often the case this time of day, things seemed to slow down a bit. It was definitely longer to the turn east onto  Coronet Glacier than it appeared.  We took a line to climbers right attempting not to drop into the valley.  It worked but I wouldn't want to be up there if avy hazard was high.

We finally rounded the corner and wound our way through some moraines before dropping down and gaining the glacier proper. The wind did start to pick up and cloud cover increased.

We put the rope on at the glacier toe at 3:30 pm and by then had made our way up to 2340m.  At that point it looked like an hour to the top, however Coronet Glacier was a gift that just kept giving.

James lead the vast majority of the way up the glacier and it was a slow grind, taking a full 3 hours to get to the top. Lot's of false summits and elevation gain. To add to it the weather started to close in and the wind, although mostly at our back, became a factor.

Shortly after this photo, the weather closed in and got a little ugly. I was under the incorrect assumption that we needed to descend and then turn north to gain the Brazeau Glacier. We ended up pretty much exhausted (speaking for only myself of course) with viz coming and going on terrain that was steepening and just didn't feel right. We backed off and could just catch the rocks from Mt Henry Macleod above us so backtracked directly into the wind up to a somewhat sheltered spot close by. 

By the time we picked the spot we both had some frostbite going and were pretty knackered, it ended up being a 1500 metre 11 hour day. A quick platform got dug out, the tent erected and gear sorted, slowly. I knew I wasn't doing well when it took me 15 solid minutes to get my harness off! With the tent up and sleeping bags installed we both jumped in and shivered pretty violently as the tent bounced around in the wind. Funny thing, we both fell asleep and woke up at 10 pm wondering why it was dark!

After some quick rehydration and nosh we tucked back in and got up at 8 am, just 10 minutes before the sun hit the tent. We later heard that it was -16 at big bend 700 metres lower so it was definitely a cool night. I thanked my lucky stars I left the -3 bag in the car and took the warm one! 

Given where we were at it was a pretty simple decision to bail. We originally were thinking of going down to the lunch spot for breakfast however in the sun it was warm enough to cook while breaking camp. With the blue sky and valley cloud the views were fantastic! 

Fortunately the wind was minimal. Looking back the view of Brazeau, in the middle with the sun, was staggering. There was much discussion of coming back for a 4 day trip and doing the Macleod, Valad, Brazeau traverse one day and running around to Warren, on the left, the next. 

Making it back to the lunch spot only took two hours, including skinning back up after the glacier snout. 

The remainder of the trip out was quicker than expected. There was a fair amount of up and down, especially after we hit the Poigne Creek trail, however we made it without putting the skins back on. There were what looked like lynx tracks following our old ski tracks for several kilometers on the way out.

We were fortunate that it did freeze well as the track was still crusty with no real isothermal snow. The one grass patch at the end grew a bit however.

In the end it was just under 5 hours out and we celebrated with beer and chips in the parking lot. Tingly fingers for a couple of days and a funny looking toe were the only casualties. 

As I said humbled in the mountains again, but I'll be back! Beautiful area and my sense is it is a bit easier doing it on skis.

Good Luck & Bad Dreams 2013

Sunday March 24th, 2013 Good Luck & Bad Dreams WI4, David Thompson Country

Synopsis: 4 stars out of 5, a great pitch of ice up top and if the column low down is in it would be fantastic!

Geoff and I got spanked the day before on Elliot Left Hand, the deep snow took us 2 hours for the approach and after climbing the first fun pitch realised that there was a lot of new snow higher up and it had avalanched in a previous cycle and covered the chains. We spent quite a bit of time digging, managed to get wet feet and struggled on the descent.

Our goal for day two was to find something with a trail into it and spend more time climbing. We heard that two parties were on Good Luck & Bad Dreams the day before, one bypassed the initial curtain and one climbed through so we thought we'd give it a try.

Given we had a bit of a party the night before at Shunda Creek Hostel the day didn't start too early and we left the climbers parking lot just before 11. Sure enough there was a beaten path in and we were standing below the curtain in a little under an hour.

The day started out -10C but there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was definitely getting warmer. I checked out the pillar and thought it looked a little spooky, especially given it was in full on sun and detached from pretty high up. We checked out routes around this bit and settled on following Eric and Craig's trail up and to the left from the day before.

Once up in the trees it got a little sketchy with some consequences so we put on the crampons and pulled out the tools. After that it was fine and we were soon standing below the upper pitch.

Just a beautiful place to be on a blue bird day with fresh snow and great views in all directions.

The top pitch of ice was excellent, given the fiddle farting it was 1:15 pm by the time I set off and we were out of the sun. The ice wasn't plastic but it was pretty close. I was happy with the lead and focused on staying relaxed, keeping the heels down and enjoying the climbing!

Once at the top there were two fresh abalakov's already in place and Geoff gave it a crack. Rapping off was a pretty quick affair as there were bolts and rap rings set up at the bottom of this pitch.

From that anchor 60 metre ropes were just tickling the snow at the bottom so we were out in two raps.

All in all a pretty short day, we were just under 5 hours car to car. As mentioned, the top pitch was stellar and if the curtain was in it would make for an excellent day!

French/Haig/Robertson 2013

Saturday March 16th, 2013 French/Haig/Robertson Circuit

Synopsis: 3.5 stars out of 5, a great day out traversing 3 glaciers with the potential for a great ski out.

David was good enough to make room in an Edmonton ACC section trip for me and we all met at Beamer's in Canmore early on. Having said that the avalanche hazard was upside down with high, considerable, considerable something I hadn't seen before. The high below treeline and notes talking about isothermic slides didn't seem to jive with a weather forecast calling for -8 early morning however sunny and a high of +3 did cause concern. I was pretty convinced we weren't going anywhere and didn't even bring a camera, thanks to David and Paul for the photo's.

After some discussion at Beamer's in Canmore  we agreed to head to the parking lot up spray lakes road for a look, given the options in the area. En route the snow banks grew larger as we approached and the temperature stayed just below zero with heavy overcast.

All 8 of us left the cars at 9:15 am and gingerly made our way towards the French glacier. Everything was stuck together pretty solid with a hard overnight freeze which made for fast travel. The sun made a few brief appearances however it looked like we weren't going to get the solar effect that was called for and we all gradually got more comfortable with the snow pack. The group stopped for a brief snack at 11 am and as we gained elevation one could start to feel the layers of sun crust and the faceted snow beneath but things stayed stuck together. 

We took a moment to don our harnesses before gaining the French glacier itself however given the hard shell didn't bother with a rope. Frank and Marc chose to descend the French col rather than continue on which brought our group down to a more manageable half dozen. The climb up to the col was aided by the tracks from the party in front and as it neared the clouds parted and it made for a neat moment.

We reached the French col at 1:15 pm having gained roughly 800 metres of pretty easy going. However the fun was about to start. We could see the group of 5 ahead of us and caught up as we contoured around on the Haig glacier.

We caught up to the party ahead and passed them as we headed up to the col. Unfortunately about then the visibility was drastically reduced with strong wind and snow. The snow pack got pretty thin around the rocks and we decided to put the skis on the packs and kick steps upwards.

Kevin, David and Paul did most of the trail blazing and eventually the clouds parted enough for us to see we were actually a little to the climbers left and above the col. We all managed to make our way to the Robertson col at 2:15 pm and had a quick snack to celebrate.  The wind was strong enough hanging out wasn't any fun so we went over and down.

The ski quality was a lot better than I expected with the blowing snow.  No real slabs, just a little heavy in spots but nothing at all to complain about.  All 6 of us had great runs down and finally ended up in the flats.

My now it was snowing pretty heavily although still below freezing. From there we basically put our heads down and plowed through for 1 1/2 hours to the parking lot.

All in all a great day out, especially given the low expectations.  It was just over 9 hours and 1150 metres of elevation gain by my watch. Thanks to David, Paul, Kevin, Katharine, Kristina, Marc and Frank for a great day out! Needless to say we convened at the Rose and Crown to celebrate.

Mt Hector 2013

Saturday March 9th, 2013 Mt. Hector 3394m

Synopsis: 4 stars out of 5, a 1600 metre ski ascent followed by a 50 metre scramble with unbelievable views.

Darcy and I had attempted Hector several years ago on May 9th and had a bit of an epic, compounded by isothermal snow and some suspect decision making. I was keen for another go at it, definitely earlier in the year. We set the date aside and during the week before it appeared that there was going to be an ideal convergence of stable avy hazard, clear blue sky and a weekend!  

The usual suspects; Andrew, Brenda and I, met at Laggan's at 6 am only to find that their website lied and they didn't open until 7. Fortunately, I scarfed a egg mcmuffin on the drive from Canmore but Andrew and Brenda were forced to go without. Thinking we were lucky if that was the worst of it we carried on and found the parking spot easily, got ready and headed out at 6:40 am. Perfect timing as it was just getting light enough not to need a headlamp.

It was 15 below C in the parking lot, so a little cool for those from west of the rockies. Fortunately it made for a hard pack trail on the way in and easy climbing. There was one other guided party on the route that left about the same time we did.

There were a few kick turns up towards the waterfall area however we were fortunate in the snow pack was sufficient and crampons weren't really needed. Once past this area we picked our way around some rocks and up to a bench with a view. 

We were pretty much following a highway at this point as there was definitely a fair amount of traffic since the previous dump a week before.  At 9 am after gaining roughly 650 metres, we finally popped over a ridge into the sun.  Ah warmth!

There was some obvious avalanche activity on south facing slopes from the week before.  From here you turn southwards and climb a longer slope to get close to little Hector.  I remember this as being the biggest avy hazard of the trip however it wasn't really a concern, we were more worried about the bases of our skis!

There was a lot of evidence of the strong winds we heard about the previous week but they weren't really an issue (yet).  

Once we gained the slopes in front of Little Hector (complete with quite the cornice!) we choose to climb up on the climbers left of a moraine.  It was a bit of a gamble however definitely the safety play given the slopes above and paid off nicely.

We descended the moraine onto the toe of the glacier and put the rope on. It was 10:30 am and we had gained just over 900 metres. Although the sun was shining, there was really no impact on the snow. Tracks faded away on the glacier but with boot top snow the trail breaking wasn't bad. (I think, as I was enjoying things at the back of the line, the joys of being the heaviest of the group!)

Once on the glacier you start to appreciate just how far you have to go.  A beautiful setting however I must admit I spent more time looking at my ski tips than anything else.

The guided party caught up about now and we started to play America's Cup racing as we both set out to find the easiest way up to gain a slight advantage.  Eventually in the bowl just before the headwall they stopped for lunch and we overtook them.

By this time we were in shirts and baseball caps, partially due to the extra work as the slope angle increased. I took a bit of a turn breaking trail close to the top and with a healthy slab set up it was a bit of work. It was starting to feel like a long day, however the views back were spectacular!

We gained the col at 1:30 pm, totally unprepared for the change in temperature and wind. The wind was blasting through as we all struggled to get all of our warm clothing back on and then set up for the scramble up top. To add to the mayhem I realized that I hadn't adjusted my crampons to fit my ski boots so was busy readjusting with numb fingers.  The spin drift off the top was something to behold.

The guided party caught up and was first up the scramble, another party of three caught up but elected to climb the "skiers" summit across the way.  

Andrew scrambled up and gave us a hip belay through the tricky bits and soon we were on top.  Very windy but fantastic views. With all the fiddle farting it took us an hour from the col, but it was totally worth it. While on the way up, we met the guided party descending. The client was particular pleased, but nearing the end of his rope.

I had a friend, David, leading an ACC trip into Balfour hut and it was great to look over and see most of their route. Between the breeze and cold we didn't stay on top long and couldn't wait to get back on the skis.

Once on the skis and down out of the wind we stopped for a long lunch in the sun. Ski quality wasn't fantastic as there was a bit of a crust, but it was good to be going downhill! I pondered the results of pulling my skins in a hurricane!

We pulled the skins at 3 pm and were back at the car at 5.  As mentioned, the ski quality wasn't great and it did get pretty isothermal at the bottom with some evidence of new slides down low.

In the end it was a 10 hour day complete with 1650 metres of elevation gain, some exercise for sure but a great day on a classic peak with great company!