[MCR] Mt. Waddington

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

I spent the last week on Waddington with a group from Canada West Mountain School. Our group was the first of the summer climbing season with White Saddle Air Service.  We flew in with pilot Chris of White Saddle Air Service out of the Bluff Lake Base.  White Saddle has a new 407 which opens up the area for larger groups or just more gear and power up high.  Our plan A was to do the NW ridge via the Dais Couloir route.  On the flight in we had a good look at this area and decided to go to plan B as the Dais is very broken with an extensive  labyrinth of crevasses.  Also a significant Bergschrund guarding the base of the Dias Couloir.  There were also many fresh looking avalanches on the bench which I had thought might make a good camp two.  This route is likely best done at the latest as a spring ski outing.

Plan B was a Furry Gap landing and an ascent of the NW ridge from there.

Weather:  When we landed last Sunday morning it was clear and cool with an overnight freeze.  Crampon travel.  Every morning we continued to have an overnight crust recovery with 10-15 cm of crust over largely wet isothermal snow.  150 pound people with packs tended to stay on top while 200 pound people tended to poste hole 50% of the time.  Sunday Monday was clear.  Tue, Wed, Thurs, was cold windy and white with intermittent snow fall.  Friday dawned clear and we flew out from Furry Gap.  

Tuesday was our Summit day from high camp near the Men at Arms.  With a 4:30 am travel start wind soon reached 80km/hr with 100 km gusts.  Intense transport of snow with very little accumulating where we were.  Perhaps it was accumulating somewhere in another range.  The crux of the NW Ridge is getting on to the Angel Glacier.  I had looked at the options from the air on the way in.  The Bergschrund was slightly bridged 150 meters down from the ridge crest.  Otherwise it is impassible save very creative rope work(leaving a fixed rope; unfortunately the snow quality is usually terrible for this as an option).  I went across the schrund with a belay from a couple of snow anchors.  At this point the increasing intensity of the storm and marginal visibility turned us around. Getting across this bergschrund continues to be problematic each year, last year turning a group around.

Men at Arms;  These two features are steep exposed features which must be descended on the climb up and re ascended on the way down.  The steeper of them is the second one at 65 degrees and 60 m high.  It is hard alpine ice covered with 10-30 cm of snow/rime.  It takes excellent ice screws.

Wednesday we returned to Furry Gap.  The travel Below Fire Works Peak is bare Rock and dry.  The wind was keeping the snow fall off the rock.

Thursday we attempted Mt. Chris Spencer... really just to go out into the storm for some exercise.  We went to 2,850 meters, which is just above the bergschrund in the final summit couloir.  Again, rimming eye where, intense winds and continued snow fall turned us around.  Pockets of 30 cm wind slab were developing.  Complete reliance on GPS navigation was essential.  Also detailed observation of the glacier approach from prior days of visibility.

By Friday Morning there was about 20 cm of new storm snow from the week. The wind shifted to the NE and became light.  The skies cleared. I suspect that isolated pocket lee of features could be much more significant.  There generally had been a lot of snow just blown off the mountain or sublimating in the dry air.


Chris Lawrence
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
CAA Professional member
chris.lawrence at shaw.ca
604 892-4686 mob
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