| Author |
Topic |
|
Golden, BC
37 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 08:16 AM
|
It's definitely almost over...
Great trip out on the Columbia Icefield with our friend Jay. The weather was great for an attempt on North Twin and Stutfield. We weren't the only ones with plans on the Icefield. Numerous parties dotted the landscape as they plodded along their respective access routes. Even on the northern part of the glacier where we went, we counted four different groups.
The access is long but since it's light from 6 am to 9 pm, we took our time. At a predetermined point ("this is close enough"), we camped. Our packs were heavy and we looked forward to the next day where we would travel with less gear.
The next morning started with a clear sky but the wind was atrocious. It never really let off. On our way to North Twin, we bumped into Vern (finally), Jason and TJ. They had just gotten their friend evacuated because of respiratory distress...At least they had managed to summit the Twins Tower the day before...The ascent went well considering there was an old track to follow, but that wind! The summit is not technical but the wind made it so (almost). We managed to crawl up through the 80 km/h gusts. A quick stay and we descended the same way...Stutfield was a nice ski up a mellow hump, with the summit being reached in about 1.25 hour...The wind didn't let up until the next morning where we enjoyed exceptional weather for our return slog.
All in all, a great trip, worth the distance, with fantastic weather..
                    |
Edited by - Golden Scrambler on 05/15/2012 08:50 AM
|
|
Edmonton, AB
Canada
486 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 08:59 AM
|
Good job guys! Nice view huh? Did you encounter the crazy wind on Saturday or Sunday? I went up Castleguard on Saturday and the wind was about like 40-50kph all day...
Next time I should bring binoculars with me. I thought there will be people attempting Columbia, but I was wrong, people were going to North Twin :)
I'm jealous. North Twin and Columbia are certainly on my to-do list for the next few years, but I have to practice lots of things like winter camping, GPS reading, more advanced crevasse rescue..., and find snowshoeing partners, maybe Jeff, Andrew, Mark? There's no way I can ski with crevasses around with my absolutely beginner skiing skill... |
|
|
Calgary, Alberta
Canada
623 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 10:35 AM
|
Nice pics! It was very nice finally meeting you! Did you peak over at Twins Tower? How'd you like that view?  It nearly made me vomit when I realized I was going up there!! 
I'll be posting a TR later this week but if you're wondering about Ferenc - he's doing OK and came home from an Edmonton hospital yesterday. At first HAPE was suspected but since the fluid is still in his lungs and he had a fever the doctors have changed their opinion to Pneumonia - but they still suspect HAPE as a co-symptom or something like that. In any case, he needed to get down FAST. Quite the scare. |
|
|
Finally stopping that crazy suffering that is ice, climbing to concentrate on great ski tours!
3522 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 12:05 PM
|
We're a week out from our departure to Columbia. How's the approach up the Athabasca? Reports seem to be trickling in that there is still good travel on skis right from the toe, but it looks like you guys did the snow-coach road. Carried skis from the parking lot, I take it...
Glad to hear that you had a good trip, I'm stoked about getting back up there next weekend... |
|
|
Finally stopping that crazy suffering that is ice, climbing to concentrate on great ski tours!
3522 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 12:27 PM
|
Steven: You can be a novice skier and still do reasonably well up there. I did a traverse of the Columbia Icefields at the end of my first year on DH skis, and found it not too bad. If you can learn some survival skiing skills, you'll be fine. You don't ski unroped in those crevasse fields, so it's not about turns. The Columbia Icefields is a "mountaineering trip that happens to use skis." It's NOT a "ski trip." If you're looking for good skiing, head to the Wapta or elsewhere.
One thing about using skis is that travel on the up is much easier too, thanks to the float offered by skis. Snowshoes are better than boots, but still inferior to skis, and by a serious margin. We encountered some poor snowshoe-ers on the Wapta, and man, were they having an awful time.
The bummer of AT ski gear is the $$$. But, used gear is usually easy to find and it's a good way to get going once you decide to get into it. |
|
|
Golden, BC
37 Posts |
Posted - 05/15/2012 : 12:53 PM
|
| johngenx: there is still quite a bit of snow but it gets very soft during the day so you'd be postholing near the bottom...we drove to the climber's parking and hiked from there...one from our group had runners on to walk to the snowcoach loading area, good idea...up on the glacier, it's still mint.. |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
|
|
North Twin and Stutfield
