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 Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 2:46 PM
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I don't really do the TR's much anymore, but since I said I would and i'm not doing anything, here it is.
We finally found a 3rd person to make a go with us on Mt. Columbia. The plan was to ski the Eastern route from the top, if possible (conditions), or if not, then from as high as possible. Conditions were reported as good and the weather window looked promising so off we went.
Being as good as I am with remembering what the dates are (me a few weeks ago-"so it's April??18th??" shop guy: "uh no dude, it's May 9th") I overlooked the fact that the Wilcox winter camground was closed for a week starting on May 14th. Too bad I didn't realize it was May 14th lol. We ended up getting a few hours sleep beside the car and were up, fed, and leaving the climbers lot at 5am.
Our plan was to blitz through the serac section to gain the Athabasca headwall section. On our way up we witnessed some seracs fall onto our plan "A". In light of this event, we detoured to plan "B" which was to take the zig zag route out onto the first bench out onto the centre glacier, and then up and back on the second bench. I'm glad we did. It wasn't much longer, and the coverage was excellent. The views and vantage points of the glacier were top notch from here aswell.
Mt. Andromeda
 
Serac fall smokes our uproute, we took a detour up our second option and chose crevasses over icefall. The coverage was pretty good and the detour was straight forward, but this way would be a mess of traps with less snow coverage.
  
 
Nearing the top of the Athabasca headwall
 
I've read a few other reports where people have said that the approach once above the Athabasca headwall seems like a never ending uphill roll over....they are right about that! The ever expanding views make up for it big time. I like how you slowly get a tease of the summit, and then get a gradual top to bottom view of the peaks. Kind of like natures own strip tease.
Mt. Castleguard and Mt. Columbia
 
Mt. Columbia and Mt. Bryce
 
The pics don't do these peaks justice. The scale of the place is huge. We were just shy of 10,000 feet, and the peaks still tower 1000 metres above. Jason commented on our way out that the guy over there working up Snowdome was skinning for 10 minutes, and it looked like he hadn't moved an inch.
Jason in camp and looking toward Snowdome
 
We wanted to get to the far side of the trench, but slogging in the oven finally convinced us to stop and set up camp on the close side. This saves you from having to carry camp back out of the trench on the out day anyway. JP was not feeling to well, and slowly started to deteriorate as we set up camp. Soon after he was vomitting, and had a headache and chills. He was off to bed and sound asleep by 5pm.
JL and I stayed up to watch the sunset and discussed options for the a.m. We decided that if JP was not better in the morning, rather than leave him in camp for the day and try our objective we would start making our way out incase he gets worse. It's a long way when you're sick, and we both felt abondoning a partner for an objective would bite us in the ass should his condition get worse.
I like the views and Sunset over the Twins
 
The alarm rang shortly after 4am. I woke up to check on the weather. Looked good, some cloud was starting to roll in and the wind had picked up a bit. The summit was shrouded in cloud. I woke JP and JL up and asked how JP was feeling. He said he was feeling like shit, and after some more discussion we decided to pull the plug, get up and start moving while we had a freeze to our advantage.
JP getting ready for the day and the sun casts it's morning hue on Mt. Bryce
 
JP resting up while JL collects a flag, and ice chaos on the flanks of Mt.Snowdome
 
Jason makes his way down the glacier
 
We skied back down under the serac fall route since it would be over quickly. Looking up at the underside of the seracs as you ski under them makes you feel really small. There were a few slightly open slots and saggers in one short spot that spiced up the run a bit with a few hops and jumps.
James getting clear of the final serac hazard. We roped back up and headed over to the tourist bus viewing area.
 
In the end, we didn't get our objective, but it's not like I don't have the time to try it again. It was totally worth getting up there. The setting alone makes it all worth while. I'll definately be heading up there again....hopefully soon. Turns out my partner after having been up there would be willing to do the trip with 2 people, so that should make it easier to go on short notice. |
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Jasper, ab
Canada
1028 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 2:53 PM
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| Really good report and fabulous pictures. |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 2:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by lobo
Really good report and fabulous pictures.
Thanks! Glad you liked the pics. I made a last minute swap at the car. I wanted to bring my SLR, but ended up taking the small point and shoot instead. I had enough shite to carry. |
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 | LeeL
Advanced Member
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Extreme ski tourin, mountain bikin addict who hikes at least once a year
2506 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 3:20 PM
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"nature's own striptease". You should write more - that was really well done. Enough mountain porn and big faces to keep any addict entertained.
Speaking of which - got any more pictures of Bryce. That is out of my league but what a face |
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over the hills and far away
Canada
708 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 5:08 PM
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| Too bad about not making it, but good of you to show concern for your pal. Nice pics... I'd love to climb Columbia one day... |
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258 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 6:09 PM
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| Nice TR and pics. Looks like quite the trip! |
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Powell River, bc
Canada
2527 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 7:17 PM
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I think it's GREAT that you chose to leave,I'm sure you'll be back! AWESOME report and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the pictures!!!! Hurry up and go back  |
Edited by - no quitting on 05/17/2010 8:10 PM |
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| gyppo
Intermediate Member
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Edmonton, AB
Canada
745 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 7:21 PM
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Nice trip report, nice pictures! And a good call on pulling the plug even though you'd been planning this trip for a while. It's not always easy but this time it seems like it was a no-brainer for you guys. Well done. And well done on getting onto the icefield for a night! must have been absolutely awesome!
Benoit |
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bandana wearin', pole huckin', view lovin', dog herdin', 4x4 navigatin', lake huntin', butt-slidin' bridge crosser, who enjoys postholing with an overnighter pack
Surrey, BC
Canada
4646 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 8:15 PM
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What a spot for a camp! Awesome   . |
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Trail running, bike hucking, fast packing, beer drinking collector of pine cones on a day pass
AKA
Dances with Trees
Forest Gnome Cabin
Canada
13025 Posts |
Posted - 05/17/2010 : 8:19 PM
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| Every time I've been in that area I've noticed it takes me some time to get used to the grand scale of things. Thanks for the post |
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Finally stopping that crazy suffering that is ice, climbing to concentrate on great ski tours!
3502 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2010 : 05:59 AM
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Damn, look at the visibility! Awesome pics and thanks for the TR. Haven't checked TGR yet, so this was nice to find. I know EXACTLY what you mean about the scale of things.
Sorry to hear about your chum getting sick, sounds like AMS, hope he got better as you got lower. I've known a few people that are fine when zipping up and down peaks, but go downhill if they spend time at 3000M. Doesn't seem high when talking about Alaska or the Himalaya, but it can really put someone down.
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
558 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2010 : 06:11 AM
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| Those photos are great! |
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Calgary, AB
52 Posts |
Posted - 05/18/2010 : 12:35 PM
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Thanks for posting, T2C. Awesome pics! I've never seen any TRs show what it's like going up through the icefalls on the Athabasca Glacier.
This trip is definitely on the to do list. |
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31 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 09:28 AM
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Nice to see what conditions are like up there. Were there a lot of other folks up on the Icefield?
Last year we went up Columbia at the end of May - on the way up, a massive serac the size of a bus or larger fell off Snow Dome completely enveloping us in a powder cloud on the lower bench (the one you guys went up) for about a minute. Then on the way down, we got trapped in the "mess" you mentioned on that same bench. Fell in to a big crevasse that was lightly covered and ended up that we were all over a big crevasse field that took a long time to get out of. The icefalls and headwall definitely need to be taken seriously! |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 09:41 AM
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^It's funny you mention that. I was telling a story to the guys while we were making our way across the lower bench of a trip report I read online from last year where a group was dusted by serac fall. That must have been your trip report?? It's definately not a place to piss around.
We didn't see anyone on our first day, and on our way out we saw a few groups heading in.
LeeL, I took a look and that's the best shot of Bryce that I have, the rest are taken from further down the glacier where more the the peak is obscured.
Thanks for the comments on the pics. |
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Simpson quoting tree hunter and canyon rapping rockhound who longs for the return of his trapped Toyota
Salt Lake City, UT
USA
2268 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 09:51 AM
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| It's always great to see shots of some of the larger, but less visible peaks along the icefield. Bryce is always awe-inspiring to look at, and your shot of the Twins at sunset really captures the essence of the place. |
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Finally stopping that crazy suffering that is ice, climbing to concentrate on great ski tours!
3502 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 1:06 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by time2clmb
It's definately not a place to piss around.
No doubt. Last Easter we put our heads down and motored under those seracs as fast as we could skin, and we weren't out of the kill zone more than a couple minutes when a big 'un came down. Scared us all silly enough to ski all the friggin' way down the Sask Glacier on our exit. The snow cover last year was very thin, and we didn't see a viable route off to climber's left, but some of the guides found one, way, way to the left. Even though we'd be faster descending our up-track, avoiding the seracs just seemed smart.
In hindsight, the ski down the Sask Glacier was good for our group. One of our team had a very cumbersome sled that caused no end of problems if there was any sort of decent grade, so the long gentle ski down the Sask Glacier was perfect. Personally, now that I can tick "Columbia Icefields Traverse" off my list, I'll make plans to descend the Athabasca unless there is a very serious reason not to.
Great pic of Bryce is right! A long time ago I took a bunch of Bryce from the summit of Mt. Castleguard, and it's an amazing looking peak. I seem to recall that there are some moderate routes on it, but the approach is a hulluva slog. Am I wrong? Off topic, but thinking of slogs, we scouted the approach to Mt. Forbes last summer, and thanks to no trail maintenance past Glacier Lake and other crap, Forbes sank way, way down on my list. Not as low as Wilson, but down there for sure. |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 1:15 PM
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quote:
kill zone
lol, that's exactly what I kept refering to it as. I think I was the only one amused by it though.
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49 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 3:06 PM
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Nicely TR Kev. Good to see the spring season's going strong (making up for that weak a** winter). Though, I'm not even gone a month and you try for the one I wanted to get up the whole time I was in cow town. You'll have to get out here and hit some of these coastal peaks this winter.
Happy turns.
Sean |
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Alberta-based choss climbin', flame throwin', rappel lovin', ass talkin' hater who doesn't like "Gumby" for a descriptor
6302 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 3:56 PM
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Knowsam, you'll have to come out next spring and try it when I make another go.....if I don't get back at it this spring. I'm not going to bother making a summer go on it as I want a chance to ski it properly.
Definately going to spend some time on the coast next winter. |
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31 Posts |
Posted - 05/19/2010 : 4:56 PM
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Yeah, that was probably my trip report that you read last year...
I totally agree with you, definitely ski this one. It'd be a heck of a walk even just across the "arm" from the trench to the base of Columbia...and back again, when you could be skiing it in about 15-20 minutes :)
A couple of teasers from our trip to make you want to go back. Just like you said, the setting is incredible in good weather.
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Columbia Icefields pics
