[MCR] Mt Robson 280811

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Fair and variable winter conditions persist on Mt Robson's Kain Face route.  
On the night of Aug 23rd we received very heavy rain fall for 8 hours, on the 24th we received light rain for half the day with strong SW winds.
On the afternoon of the 24th the weather cleared and from the entrance of the Mouse Trap we were able to observe Robson's NE aspects the Kain Face and summit.

The storm had deposited 30 - 50cm of new snow on the upper mountain, wet snow up to 11 000 ft.
There was a natural avalanche cycle at ridge top and below on snow loaded NE slopes. 
Numerous size 2 slab avalanches had pulled out on convex rolls between 8000 and 11 000 ft.
The crowns were estimated to be 40 - 80 cm deep.

The warm SW flow provided little overnight freezing with low temps of 4 degrees at 8000 ft.
The fern line started at 8000 ft on the Robson glacier, snow travel was ok in the morning but poor in the afternoon
with many weak rain saturated snow bridges hiding big crevasses. 
There were many big winter cornices along most of the ridge tops and the ice falls were very active with recent ice debris at the base. 
The Kain Face was snow loaded top to bottom but mostly cornice free, the shrund was open and lightly covered over with the recent storm snow.

The weather remained clear and despite the difficult traveling conditions and snowpack hazards on the 25 and 26 two climbing parties made camp on the Dome.
On the 27th one party managed to summit Mt Robson via the Kain Face at 2:00 in the afternoon.

These conditions will improve dramatically with prolonged freezing temps. 
More conditions info and a web cam can be found at http://www.webcams.travel/webcam/1245714857-Weather-Mount-Robson-Mount-Robson


Cheers.

Mark Stewart
CIRRUS ALPINE GUIDES
Climb & Ski Adventures
In The Canadian Rockies
IFMGA/ACMG Guides
403 678 8567
cirrusalpine at gmail.com
www.cirrusalpineguides.com
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