Columbia Icefield > Mount Athabasca > Climber's LogMount Athabasca Climber's Log
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| Fuggedaboudit | Route Climbed: North Face Bypass Date Climbed: September 5, 2004  | |
| Originally hoped for the North Face. Guided by Barry Blanchard, contact him through Yamnuska Guide Service, he is the best guide I have ever climbed with. We got up into the bowl at the base of the NF, about 20 meters in elevation below the first ice, but Barry felt the entire bowl was unstable after doing avy tests on way up the bowl (it had been heavily slabbed the day before). Weather looked like it was going to crap and we saw party abandoning the Silverthorn. We decided to give it a little bit more of a shot so we dropped down and traversed left. Went up a snow gully that is between the N Ridge and the NF (hence, the NF bypass). This then took us to the upper N Ridge (crappy rock) and then up and over to the summit. Of course as we hit summit ridge (beautiful) the weather cleared and it was clear at the top. We were the only ones on the mountain at this point, awesome! Descended the AA col. The scree on descent sucks, no two ways about it. | |
| Posted Dec 29, 2004 5:38 pm | ||
| klwagar | Route Climbed: north glacier Date Climbed: august 3, 2004 | |
| A 4:30 start - cool and cloudy. Reached the summit at around 10:00. After the glacier - the Silverhorne summit and the actual summit are free of snow. There is a trail in the rock scree that leads up - completely non technical and easy. The glacier had some holes but was generally not bad. Down again after loafing around on the summit for awhile and in the parking lot by 1:30 - 2:00 in the afternoon. | |
| Posted Aug 9, 2004 11:07 pm | ||
| brandon | Route Climbed: North Face Date Climbed: July 22, 2004 | |
| Fun climbing, a longer approach than it seems. My first route of any kind north of the border. Got passed by Barry Blanchard and client just before crux, and dodged their missiles as we climbed it. Much fun. | |
| Posted Jul 30, 2004 4:44 pm | ||
| EvilGoodGuy | Route Climbed: AA Col Date Climbed: May 24 2004 | |
| Excellent Climb, 9 hours return. | |
| Posted Jun 26, 2004 2:01 pm | ||
| ant morgan | Route Climbed: North Face Date Climbed: Sept 2001 | |
| Climbed under full conditions - snow, wind and whiteout. Beware of avalanche danger on normal route descent | |
| Posted May 4, 2004 9:01 pm | ||
| ant morgan | Route Climbed: Silverhorn Date Climbed: Feb 2000 | |
| A long, cold winter ascent. | |
| Posted May 4, 2004 8:57 pm | ||
| Dan Bailey | Route Climbed: n.glacier route (?) Date Climbed: summer 2002 | |
| what a superb wee mountain | |
| Posted Feb 10, 2004 12:02 pm | ||
| ktnbs | Route Climbed: Normal Date Climbed: September 29, 2003 | |
| Super day. 9 hour round trip from the parking lot. Only two other climbers on the mountain. Misty clouds in the AM breaking clear by the saddle. Great views of Columbia and Bryce rising above the mists. Boy-howdy coming down on the moraine is hard on the toes and knees. | |
| Posted Oct 3, 2003 12:55 am | ||
| Wyoming Bob | Route Climbed: Silverhorn Date Climbed: August 3, 2003 | |
| 14 hour day on the Silverhorn, multiple bands of blue ice, many ice screws, another party on route, return via Normal Route | |
| Posted Aug 14, 2003 10:05 pm | ||
| Sharon | Route Climbed: AA Col Date Climbed: 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2002 | |
| AA Col May 26, 2002 Partners: Ken Sands, Jennifer Fry, Kent Bendell, Christine Slider, Chris (female). 6th time I've summitted via AA Col. Perfect weather provided the very best views I've ever had on top: Mts. Columbia, Alberta, Snow Dome, Saskatchewan (forgive mispelling) glacier.... Smooth climb despite 6 on rope...Spokane Mountaineers Mtn School grad climb...I was an instructor again. Snow covered most of the scree on the approach....nice! Fixed ropes for descent as verglas/running water on rock wall beside AA icefall....safer for beginners. ------------------------------------------------ AA Col May 25, 1997 Partners: Diane Britton, Dennis Scott, Dave. 5th time I've summitted...was an instructor for the Spokane Mountaineers...Mountain School grad climb. ---------------------------------------- AA Col May 26, 1996 Partners: Ben Shook, Bob Britton, Diane Britton, Brad Blevins. Bad weather: cold, wind, snow, fog most of the way but we persevered & made it. This was the 4th time I summitted Athabasca via the AA Col (Spokane Mountaineers grad climb; I was an instructor) --------------------------------------------------- AA Col May 28, 1995 Partner: Annette Polastri Briner (my figure skating coach). After turning back from my 2 previous attempts (May 1991; avalanche risk & May 1993; volunteered to run sweep & brought down ill students), it was a joy to summit for my 3rd time. Perfect conditions-- a bit too perfect, as it got so warm in the col on the descent. This was Annette's first big peak. --------------------------------------------------- AA Col May 27, 1990 Partners: Steve Reynolds, Ken Hill, Steve Trefts. Steve R. & I announced our engagement & Steve gave me the ring on top! This was my 2nd ascent of Athabasca via this route...a Spokane Mountaineers grad climb...I did it as an instructor. ---------------------------------------------------- AA Col May 28, 1989 Partners: Steve Reynolds, Brian Grove, Craig Grossman. Done with the Spokane Mountaineers (Washington State, USA) as the Grad climb for Mountain School 1989. | |
| Posted Jul 22, 2003 10:44 pm | ||
| asmrz | Route Climbed: The North Face Date Climbed: September 16, 1985 | |
| Miguel Carmona and I got introduced to the Canadian Rockies while climbing the North Face in 1985. Cought in horrible blizzard high on the face and the fact, that Miguel's brand new X-15 pick bent 90 degrees half way up the exit gully (incorrect heat treatment in the factory), we almost had an epic. But it showed us that mountains are not benign everywhere, just in California. This was a really beautiful mountain climb, one that I will never forget. | |
| Posted Nov 16, 2002 7:06 pm | ||
| Wyoming Bob | Route Climbed: Normal Route Date Climbed: August 8, 2002 | |
| Successful in reaching summit via Normal Route, 7 1/2 hour round trip. Good snow conditions, no crevasse hassles. | |
| Posted Sep 12, 2002 4:04 pm | ||
| rhlaird | Route Climbed: Silverhorn Date Climbed: August 21, 2002 | |
| Summited with Steve Jobe and Chris Hamilton. Beautiful day up a long hard route. Played in the icefield before reaching the base of the climb. Tricky getting over the 'scrund. Had to "swim" over two crevasses on the Silverhorn. Assted in communicating a needed rescue on the North Ridge. If anyone knows of climbers rescued via helicopter on this date, it would be appreciated to let me know they are alright. | |
| Posted Aug 25, 2002 6:07 pm | ||
| Fred Spicker | Route Climbed: Silverhorn Date Climbed: 8 Sept 1976 | |
| Climbed with Rick Johnson. | |
| Posted Jul 25, 2002 4:43 pm | ||
| mshareski | Route Climbed: AA col Date Climbed: July 10 2002 | |
| Beautiful weather! It had rained a couple of days before. That made the snow fairly solid and icy in spots. Descent from Silverhorn to AA glacier was getting fairly slushy by noon. Evidence of wet slides on the back side / slabs on the front. | ||
| Posted Jul 12, 2002 12:24 pm | ||
| Spud | Route Climbed: Silverhorn Date Climbed: June 24, 1994 | |
| Two attempts it took, but on June 24, 1994 I finally summited this baby. This was my first real Alpine mountain and was a helluva challenge, but a great reward. in retrospect I would have made sure to start the climb earlier in the morning as the snow became very unstable throughout the hot and sunny day. The summit gave great views of the Parkway, the Continental divide and both Athabasca & the Saskatchewan Glacier | |
| Posted Apr 25, 2002 11:05 am | ||
| mshareski | Route Climbed: Silverhorn via Athebasca/Andromeda glacier Date Climbed: 10/8/2001 | |
| Easy but long climb in poor weather. Much fun was had by all. | ||
| Posted Oct 9, 2001 11:54 am | ||
| durocher | Date Climbed: May 1997 | |
| Climbed with Yamnuska group (they have a great intro to mountaineering program if anyone is looking). | |
| Posted May 23, 2001 9:49 pm | ||
| William Marler | Route Climbed: AA Col Date Climbed: October 1987 | |
| Climbed this route after playing in the Columbia Ice fields on a climbing course run by Laurie Skreslet with Randy Knipping, Glen Wells, Dave Puglaise. We camped above the Glacier for practice. We had a good time as the weather cooperated. Very windy and stormy the next year. 1987 | |
| Posted Apr 9, 2001 9:06 am | ||
| climbit | Route Climbed: A-A Col Date Climbed: 5/23/96 | |
| Climbed this route with the Spokane Mountaineers, general mountaineering class of 1996. Rope team of 2 instructors and 3 students, of which 2 students did not make it (intestinal distress and hypothermia). I was the lone student that made it on my team. Had a terrible first part of the climb - slow and cold - owing to the 30 other people on the climb. The headwall to A-A col and the col itself were MISERABLE - wind chills were -30C at least, 30-50 kph winds, ugly. But then it calmed down and the sun came out and a perfect summit day followed! See the photos. It was about 13-14 hours from tent to tent. A Japanese tourist did take a picture of me... weird. | |
| Posted Apr 6, 2001 4:15 pm | ||
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