Page Type:
|
Route |
|---|---|
Lat/Lon:
|
63.42000°N / 145.4205°W |
Route Type:
|
scramble/snow climb with glacier approach |
|
Time Required:
|
A few days |
|
Difficulty:
|
walk-up |
|
Approach
start on Richardson Highway at the bridge over Castner Creek. Climb up onto the moraine of the Castner Glacier and continue for about 6 miles until the glacier splits in two. This is also where the moraine ends and bare ice (usually covered with snow) begins. Head up the right (south) branch towards M'Ladies Mountain, for 4 more miles, past the west face of White Princess, until the glacier rounds a gentle corner. The ridge which begins at this corner is the route. The altitude here is about 5,700 feet.
Route Description
Begin by crossing from the glacier to spur leading up to your ridge. There may be crevasses here so watch out. Climb any number of snow or scree slopes to gentle alpine meadows dotted with snowfields. Cross several snowfields and then climb up to the ridge crest, at about 7,000 feet. For a while the ridge is fairly easy to follow; just stay on the crest, climbing around the large rock pinnacles. The rock is very loose so be careful. At one point, there is a really narrow and exposed section, i mean REALLY narrow, and the rock is frighteningly loose. It could be wise to belay across here (though we didn't, cause we didn't bring a rope). A way to get across is to actually crawl, with hands on opposite sides of the ridge. After this are a few bumbs, and then you hit a downward step about 40 feet high. Rappel this if you can, or if conditions permit it can be bypassed on the snow to the left by traversing - probably a good idea to place some pickets here as well. Incidentally, most of the ridge crest can be avoided by going out onto the snow and traversing, but I think most will find the ridge easier and safer.
After the downward step, there is a flat section; continue past it and up a steeper part for several hundred more feet until you hit permanent snow; from there it's about 1,200 vertical feet of moderate ridge climbing on snow.
Essential Gear
rope, ice axe, crampons, snow pickets, maybe some long slings and possibly a bit of rock pro (although it's really unlikely to find anything good)
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.