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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
558 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2012 : 10:50 PM
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The east ridge of Mount Matier is a 2 km-long route that rises from the Cerise Creek valley to a shoulder below the summit pyramid of Mount Matier. The guidebook rates this route as "AD" with some low-5th class climbing - we encountered mostly 3rd- and 4th-class terrain, with one section that could be described as 5th class.
Since this route deposits you close to a point along the "standard" route on Matier, it is "really more of a variation to the approach than to the climb" (as described by a wise man on another discussion forum). One can reach this same point far more easily and quickly by ascending the Anniversary Glacier to the Joffre-Matier col. But where is the fun in that?
View of the east ridge route, as viewed from the Duffey Lake Road:
The route is such an obvious, appealing and aesthetic-looking line that I had been wanting to try it for some time. With the current (and long overdue...) period of high pressure around these parts, Mike W. and Jake S. joined me for an attempt on this route over the July 7-8 weekend.
We left town at noon on Saturday, and made a leisurely drive up the Duffey Lake Road, arriving at the trailhead at 4:00 p.m. After dividing up the group gear, we got going on the 4 km trail to the Keith Flavelle Memorial Hut. The trail is quite muddy in places, with all the recent high temperatures and consequent runoff, but we did not encounter any snow until about halfway up the final hill before the hut.
The convenient crossing of Cayoosh Creek:
The overgrown logging road section of the trail:
Crossing one of the creeks draining out of the basin on north east side of Joffre Peak:
Descending to the hut:
Two hours of hiking got us to Keith's Hut, where two other parties were already staying. We had a relaxed evening of cooking, eating and gazing up at the route from the hut's porch.
Evening views of our intended route from the hut (the long snow ridge, interrupted by rock towers):
  
After a fitful sleep, we were up at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, scarfing down breakfast and getting geared up. From the hut we dropped down to the east, crossing and traversing the lateral moraines left by the Anniversary Glacier, in order to work our way onto the lower section of the east ridge.
Descending the north moraine in the morning:
Once you gain the ridge itself, the first kilometre or so involves some fairly straight-forward snow slogging, interspersed with benches of heather. However, on a cloudless day like this past Sunday, the views are outstanding!
Vatange Peak to the east:
Mount Howard to the south:
Good times!:
 
As you hike higher along the ridge, you steadily gain elevation and the ridge begins to narrow:
 
Mount Howard and the impressive-looking Twin One Glacier:
The route ahead of us, the north east face of Mount Matier in the background:
Eventually, after about a kilometre, you get to a point where you are ascending a fine crest of snow, looking down on the Twin One Glacier on your left and the Anniversary Glacier on your right:
   
Eventually, your passage along the snow crest is blocked by the first of several rock towers, which are separated by narrow and exposed sections of snow. We scrambled through most of these rock sections in our crampons, and at times we used a few cams and nuts to protect particularly exposed sections. There was only one section where we decided to set up a belay (probably in the 5.4-5.5 range???).
Looking back from the first rock section, Duffey Lake in the distance:
Climbing over the first gendarme:
  
You encounter a few more of these towers, which you can outflank on their south sides:
   
The north-side faces of Mount Matier, getting closer:
Looking north, across the Anniversary Glacier, at the south face of Joffre Peak:
More gendarmes:
 
Looking back along the route:
We ended the rock section with one rappel down to a snow shoulder below the north east face of Mount Matier. At that point, we had a debate as to whether or not to finish the standard route up to the summit. Two of us had already been on top, and frankly the snow slog in the mid-day heat, in our semi-dehyrdated state, just was not that appealing...we had finished the east ridge, so the summit seemed a bit like an afterthought. However, the minority argument prevailed over the lazy climbers...so we rigged up for glacier travel, marched around the summit pyramid to the base of the standard route, and then kicked steps straight up. After 45 minutes we were on top of the highest peak in the immediate vicinity, looking down at Lilloett Lake, Duffey Lake and Lower Joffre Lake all at once.
Summit shots:
  
Looking over at Joffre Peak (the Australian Couloir prominently displayed):
After a quick bite, and the last of our water, we headed back down and joined the well-stomped path over to the Joffre-Matier col, and down the Anniversary Glacier:
On our way down to the hut, we were treated to some views of several of the gendarmes we traversed (from below, on the Anniversary Glacier):
 
After slogging down the glacier, and gorging on fresh snowmelt near the hut, we packed up the rest of our gear and made the weary hike back to the truck.
View of the north-side couloirs on Joffre Peak from the clearing (Central Couloir looking pretty dry...):
Looking back at Mount Matier from the clearcut:
All in all it was a great time, traversing along a moderate but (at times) wildly exposed alpine ridge in fantastic weather, topped off by a quick visit to the highest summit in the area. On the way home we destroyed a large pizza and inhaled some beer, before arriving home at midnight.
Gear: 60m x 9.1 mm rope, set of nuts, three C4 camalots (#0.3, #1 & #2), 5 pickets, handful of pitons (not used), standard ice axes and one tool (not needed) |
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 Manitoba's misadventurin' bushwhackin', dog sloggin', dehydratin', beer drinkin' biggie - who's eager to peak bag Mt Currie in a dress
Squamish
5048 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2012 : 11:09 PM
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Awesome. Thanks for sharing.
Always looked at that route and wanted to do it. |
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Squamish, British Columbia
Canada
1008 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2012 : 11:14 PM
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| Looks like an awesome climb and great conditions |
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north van, bc
Canada
940 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2012 : 11:18 PM
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how were the cornices on matier and the ridge? 2 weeks ago they were huge and we wanted no where near avervisery in the after noon. we could hear stuff crashing down in the area by 2pm a couple days in a row. and saw fresh cornice fall caused avi debre down howard.
we didn't quite make the top of the ridge before our turn around time and then came back down it. looks like we had a bit more snow on the ridge. the rock sections still had bits of snow and ice on them too.
I will try again at some point! I could have sworn your trip was posted for mid week not sat / sun?... |
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6784 Posts |
Posted - 07/09/2012 : 11:31 PM
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Thanks for this T/R
Looks like a great weekend out. We'd lke to explore more in the future around there.
I dont know much about climbing or snow travel,but did those pickets actually see action and would they even hold in those conditions?
Hopefully not starting a gear bashing thread,or some nonsense debate. |
Edited by - Aqua Terra on 07/09/2012 11:37 PM |
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832 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 02:51 AM
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| Nice route choice, good handling of the gendarmerie. |
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West Vancouver, B.C.
Canada
289 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 06:54 AM
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| Nice work Don and company. It looks like an interesting route. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
1114 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 07:01 AM
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| Great report. |
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Vancouver
108 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 09:54 AM
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Great report. A few years ago, my son and I scrambled up the ridge from the Vantage Col but stopped at the first Gendarme (slightly higher that the Joffre - Matier Col) as we weren't equipped or experienced for the higher class of ascent. Great views though and a really nice route for people who want the views with no technical climbing. 
Here is view from the ridge with the Joffre - Matier Col in background. |
Edited by - btrenholme on 07/10/2012 09:58 AM |
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Peak bagging, bushwhacking, zamboni driving, snowshoeing, self portrait artist, and speed demon who loves to hang out on Mt. Seymour
3999 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 10:36 AM
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I wandered up the lower east ridge some years back - more by accident than design - when heading for Taylor - whoops meant to say Vantage.
Great to see it all work out for you guys and good pictures of the route. |
Edited by - simonc on 07/10/2012 12:57 PM |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13465 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 12:28 PM
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Beautiful shots. Like to explore of this one on a day hike, and get up as far as I can within reasonable limits.
K |
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Surrey, BC
Canada
949 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 1:54 PM
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| Nice report, I too wanted to try that way a few years ago. Nice to see what it looks like. |
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
558 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 8:39 PM
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To all: thanks for your comments! It indeed was very interesting to see what is up there.
@ smac: we did hear something big fall down from Joffre around 10:00 a.m., but we did not see what it was. There were still some big cornices along the lower third of the east ridge (we were mindful to stay well to the south side of the ridge until it narrows down and leads up to the rock towers). The rock sections were pretty dry for us. Nothing overhanging the standard route on Matier's summit pyramid. Trip got delayed a few times for various reasons.
@ Aqua Terra: the pickets did indeed get used. In addition to carrying them for use as possible anchors in a crevasse rescue situation during our descent down the Anniversary Glacier, we used them while climbing a narrow and exposed "tongue" of steep snow that lead up to the rock on the final gendarme (you can sort of see it in my photos). Would they have held? I hope so, but we did not actually test them by taking a fall on them (thankfully)...I did place one as an anchor (deadman style) after down climbing some slabby terrain to a snow shoulder when we were somewhere in the middle of the rock towers; I was actually surprised at how much it had set up by the time my partners made it over to me - it actually took a fair bit of effort to dig it out. However, the snow at that location was deep, heavy and wet - in other spots that we crossed the snow cover was pretty thin. All that being said, I find snow anchors to be the trickiest for me to assess (compared to rock or ice). Not to mention that pickets are annoying as hell to carry...
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canine loving, machete-toting bushwhacking lake seeker, Indiana Jones hat-wearing off-road 4x4 guru
Surrey Hole, BC
Canada
6784 Posts |
Posted - 07/10/2012 : 10:56 PM
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thats cool
I asume set up time is much shortened in spring, early summer. |
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1 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 08:10 AM
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| FYI the icefall at 10 am actually came off the East Ridge of Matier. A big chunk of cornice came down in the spot above the Anniversary Glacier, about halfway up the ridge, where there was a previous cornice fall/avalanche. We were partway up the South Buttress of Joffre and saw it come down. I guess the sound echoed and made it sound like it was coming from Joffre. |
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Vancouver, British Columbia
Canada
558 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 08:45 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by dizzyadora
FYI the icefall at 10 am actually came off the East Ridge of Matier. A big chunk of cornice came down in the spot above the Anniversary Glacier, about halfway up the ridge, where there was a previous cornice fall/avalanche. We were partway up the South Buttress of Joffre and saw it come down. I guess the sound echoed and made it sound like it was coming from Joffre.
Thanks dizzyadora - I think we saw you across from us (party of 2?) on your way up while we were taking a break amongst the gendarmes. I believe I know which spot you are talking about (when seen from below). We couldn't see it from our vantage point when it actually fell, so we were looking over at the usual suspect locations on Joffre's southeast face. Good to know. |
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Kootenay Bud
2695 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 2:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Aqua Terra
I dont know much about climbing or snow travel,but did those pickets actually see action and would they even hold in those conditions?
Hopefully not starting a gear bashing thread,or some nonsense debate.
Hopefully, this is not seen as gear bashing, but there has been a schwack of research done on pickets/snow anchors by various groups. The most often quoted report was done in NZ after a big fatality involving a couple of respected guides and snow anchor failure. You can find the report various places, but one spot is here:
http://arc.lib.montana.edu/snow-science/objects/ISSW_O-061.pdf
Not directly related to snow anchors, but also of interest the Kiwis did a bunch of tests on short-roping after a separate fatality - a guide and two clients on a modest 30 degree snow slope - and again some interesting results:
http://www.alpinerecreation.com/pdf/ShortRopeTests.pdf |
Edited by - sandy on 07/11/2012 2:59 PM |
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271 Posts |
Posted - 07/11/2012 : 11:09 PM
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nice,
so cool to see the areas we ski when you can't really ski them... |
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Guarded by Gendarmes - Mount Matier East Ridge
