[MCR] Mt. Stanley / Kootenay National Park / Rockies July 19 & 20

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

This info is a bit old now but we were on Stanley July 19 & 20.  
 
Both the east and west glacier tongues were bare ice with lots of overlying
rocks that were rocketing down with high regularity at 5am on the 19th with
no overnight freeze.  We were able to bypass the western tongue via the rock
ridge on the left (2nd class with one step of 3rd).  Above the tongue some
serac and rock fall hazard exists on the left but was avoidable by
cramponing right across ice patches.  The eastern tongue has no bypass
option and seemed out of the question without a very solid freeze.
 
We found a very cool glacier camp beside a rock fin at GR 667698 (NAD 83).
July 20 we climbed the lower slopes of the Kahl Route to the flat shoulder
on the NW ridge with easy step kicking past the well filled schrund and 2
steeper snow pitches to the shoulder.  Consistent with Mark Klassen's
observations we found unconsolidated, untrustworthy snow above 3000m and
avoided the steeper upper slopes of the Kahl Route.
A large cornice capped the Waterman Couloir and deep ugly avalanches had
slid down the length of the route.
 
Cheers,
Shaun King  ACMG / UIAGM Mountain Guide
www.mountainsense.ca  +1-250-505-5139
www.facebook.com/mountainsense
 
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