| Climbed with my friend Chris C. and Barry Blanchard of Yamnuska guide service, fantastic guide and a fun guy to be with to boot. We helicoptered into the park and hiked up to the Hind Hut on 9/5/05. Left hut 5:30 AM the next day. Chris, Barry and I were going up the North Face while two others staying in hut went for the North Ridge. Weather was clear but there was lots of snow, crampons stayed on the entire day. Made slow but steady colouir progress to a short pitch or two (5.4? but felt spicier with east face 3000' exposure)where we joined North Ridge which led to the summit cornice. On top at 3:30 PM, waited for other two to summit and then we all decided to rap down together (party of two only had one rope). 20+ rappels into the night, none of us were able to keep count. Burned all of our slings and pitons as well as some nuts. Dropped my ATC about half way down. About five times we went to pull the ropes and they got hung up. But the weather held and we were back at the hut at 12 midnight on the dot. Hiked out the next day to the Assiniboine Lodge (great people there). Apparently the guests had been watching our headlamps as we rapped from a telescope at the lodge. A beautiful mountain, stunning. I'm sure better climber with better conditions could race up and down, but I prefer the winter conditions. Couldnt have been more perfect for me.
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