[MCR] Mt. Fay - North Face

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Two of us from Parks Canada Visitor Safety climbed the Berle/Kallen route 
on the North Face of Mt. Fay yesterday (Sept 28), then descended the West 
Ridge and the Perron Route back to Moraine Lake.  Conditions for the ascent 
up the face were excellent, while the descent was a bit tedious.
  
 With a temperature of -4 on the glacier, the snow ranged from perfect neve 
to the occasional drift up to 30 cm deep. Walking across the glacier was 
easy travel but we were a bit wary of thinly bridged crevasses. Crossing 
the bergshrund was easy, and then the climb was ankle deep steps almost the 
whole way, drilling screws into the glacier on the right or digging down 30 
cm to find ice screws. We wondered if we might encounter wind slabs, but 
didn't. There is a good sized fresh cornice overhead, and climbing past it 
to the left was easy. The climb was in perfect shape.
  
 The descent down the west ridge was fine, but slow as there is 20-30 cm of 
snow covering everything and so it was crampons and slow movement the whole 
way. When descending the final snow slope back onto the glacier, it was 
easy to cross the bergshrund.
  
 The Perron Route had verglass all over it, and we continued to wear our 
crampons until about half way down. Even the very bottom section has some 
sketchy verglass, so we really had to move slowly in order to not grease 
off.
  
 Perfect September alpine conditions.
  
 Grant Statham, Brian Webster
 Parks Canada
 ACMG Mountain Guides
  
  
  
  
   


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