[MCR] Lake O'Hara conditions.

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Things just keep getting drier around O'Hara. Seldom seen bergschrunds continue to open and be problematic. A few days ago a really nasty one appeared at the base of the col between Little and Big Odaray. It was approximately 20m long, 1.5 m across and at a depth of 3m was FULL of very deep looking water with snow and ice chunks. Found myself thinking about life jackets as I crept past that thing. Even the wee Opabin glacier has an ugly little 'schrund below the pass for the 1st time in many years.

Last winter's snow remains only on some really high slopes-a surprising example, the NE face of Huber still has snow from top to bottom and snow anchors were much easier to use than digging deep for an ice screw belay yesterday. The snow from August 30th is almost all gone except on the shadiest lee features above 3000m.

Victoria, Huber, Odaray, Cathedral, Hungabee, Biddle, and the Wiwaxy's are all about as good as they get as long as you don't mind the bare glacial ice on some routes. Lefroy and Glacier Pk by the "traditional" routes would have a lot of tedious bare ice and rockfall would be a serious concern when things warmed up above anything but a deep freeze.

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide
laristan at telus.net