[MCR] Rockies, Mt Assiniboine attempt

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

I guided an attempt on Mt Assiniboine Sept 22-25.

Sept 22nd was my first walk in via Assinboine Creek and Assiniboine Lake. It is a beautiful walk that took us 8 hours to gain the Hind Hut. Radio frequency for Settler, Palliser and Cross River roads is 158.130. We had a wet walk through the forest and new snow above 8000'. The Sturdee Glacier demanded some end running around crevasses. I said to myself "first slab of the year" when I stepped into a freshie windslab on the far side of the Assiniboine, Strom col. Winter gained and gained over our stay at the Hind Hut. A great approach description available here: http://dowclimbing.com/Assiniboine.html

Sept 23rd we climbed Mt Strom via its East Snow and Ice Arete. More wind, more windslabs, more snow.

Sept 24th we attempted the North Ridge of Assiniboine after ruling out the N Face Couloir due to windslabs. Slow going in early winter conditions and freezing temps. We climbed through the Red Band, the Gold Band and trough the scary Black Band. It was 1:30 pm there and we opted to bail. Slabs that I had avoided on the ascent granted good plunge stepping on the way down and I gained confidence in their stability. We'd left the hut at 05:30 and were back to it at 19:00.

Sept 25th we walked out. I kicked off a couple of car sized soft surface slabs on the way over the Assin/Strom Col. We avoided much of the Sturdee Glacier, and its egg shell bridged crevasses, by staying on its northern lateral moraine until the last couple hundred metres when we went down its central tongue. I still found one 50 cm wide hole. Tricky glacial travel out there right now. Lunch down at Assiniboine Lake was beautiful and we got to the car 6 hours after leaving the hut.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com

N Ridge of Assiniboine, Sept 24/13:

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