Slesse - Glacier Conditions

[Drew]

jmace and I did the Illusion Peaks traverse yesterday, giving us a bit of a ringside seat to the Slesse glaciers and icefalls.

Most ice falls between about 9 AM and 4 PM. Expect at least one an hour but they were sometimes as close together as 10-15 minutes.

The buttress toe approach is getting strafed by both Pocket Gl and North Slesse Gl.

There is a nasty serac to get onto the Bypass ramp

There is also a newish serac overhanging the North Rib start that calved once during the day and put debris almost onto the North Rib start.





This last one shows where icefalls mostly occurred during the day.

[squamish climber]

Thanks Drew, good photos and info - the toe of the Buttress is looking sketchy there. With this weather how long do you think it will be before the pocket glacier slides away?

BTW folks, if you haven't read Marc-Andre Leclerc's trip report of doing the NE Buttress and the North Rib in a day check it out. It's a great read and quite impressive when you think of it nearly 6.000 feet of alpine rock climbing in one long go. Well done Marc!

Marc-Andre Leclerc

[Drew]

I wouldn't want to predict that Dave. Some years it goes and some years it doesn't.

[Drew]

Missed getting video of most of the ice falling but did catch this one
http://www.flickr.com/photos/druclimb/9349423470/

[Drew]

Pocket glacier slid last week, probably sometime on Friday as reports have it there Thursday and gone Saturday morning.

Bare rock to the bypass start with some little remnant chunks still lurking above near the east face

[bennygroundh20]

Just got back from a trip into the Nesakwatch spires on Sunday and got some great views of both the pocket glacier (or whats left of it) and the North Slesse glacier. The North Slesse looked as though it had not calved in some time, but certainly there is still some potential. In General the slabs were dry with no ice chunks present, and it looks like the approach is as safe as one could hope for considering the terrain features present.

B. Groundwater

[Todd Mackenzie]

I climbed the NE buttress one week ago. We saw a huge chunk come off what is left of the pocket glacier as we were about to cross over to the north side of the NE Buttress that would have obliterated us. Don't linger here! We also saw chucks falling off the North Slesse glacier, so it definitely isn't dormant.

On the other hand, we did the whole approach/descent in approach shoes, so boots, crampons and axes are unnecessary.

[Optimally-Primed]

I snapped this iphone image of Slesse and the ByPass Glacier from 30,000' en route to Winnipeg. Looks like excellent conditions to me. All systems go for a September ascent. What a striking line!

[TravisMcC]

Has anyone been up there recently? What is the status of the pocket glacier?

[Todd Mackenzie]

I was in the Rexford area yesterday and had a look at the pocket glacier through some binoculars. It is there and looks quite jumbled up, although, we only heard a few seracs fall over the 3 days we were there.

[Drew]

pic from yesterday, courtesy Donna

[J Mace]

North Rib glacier looks great, which after having done both the NEB and and North Rib I would have to say the latter is considerably better. Generally, once the pocket glacier is gone, the North Rib glacier is too broken up to cross.

[ecarter1]

Pretty sure we heard the glacier slide yesterday. Morning and afternoon photos. Can't figure out how to embed them.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/97665793@ ... 953334378/

[Todd Mackenzie]

Looks like that snow finger at the top is still guarding the start of the ramp. I know some people who enjoyed the show from Rexford!


Edit: Its already been climbed since it slid: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chilliwackmc/

[J Mace]

Like this Eric [img]putphotourl(.jpg)here[/img]

Little marc climbed it on the 12th and said it was still a very dangerous place to be. I am just amazed that people go for this line in early August. There is no where to run if any little piece decides to come get you. Go in September, or avoid that choss pile and do the better line to the right; the N RIb.

A party behind us bailed after several VW sized blocks ripped through the cirque as they were preparing to cross. I watched this go down from the crux of the direct route below the bivy ledge, glad no one got hurt. Its still fully heads up, make good choices.