Cosmiques Arete

Stoked to finally get up in to the high mountains for a quick solo lap on the Cosmiques Arete.   This is a pretty damn special route.  300m of easy scrambling in a spectacular setting topped off with 2 pitches of easy mixed climbing and to finish it all, a latter right to the gondola.  Too easy!

Return to Chamonix

Canmore Alberta has some interesting weather... to say the least.  Every May long weekend, which is also the closeing weekend for most of the ski areas around here Canmore will recieve almost a 1 meter of snow!!   This year I strategically placed my self in Squamish for the the may long weekend hoping i could avoid shoveling my car off one last time.  Sure enough Squamish was great, rock climbing, good friends and we actually even made it out skiing one day (Husume Coloir off Blackcomb - Was horrible!!!)   Thinking I dodged the annual spring storm i headed back to Canmore to pack and start making my way to Chamonix France for the summer.   Sure enough first night back i awoke to 10cm of new snow on the ground!! WTF!  Thats it!  i book my ticket for that monday the soonest departure possible thinking there is now way it will be snowing in Chamonix its only snowed 3 times into the valley in 2011.   First morning in Cham its puking!!  Snowflakes the size of loonies.   I just cant seem to escape winter.  And the real problem now is that i dont have skiis with my to at least squeeze one more day in.   Going to Ceuse........

These the some of the sights you can normally see from town....  not now

Aigulles du Chamonix

Petit Dru

Mont Blanc

Squamish

Just back from a short trip of rock climbing in Squamish BC.  Somehow managed to sneak in a couple classic routes between rain storms!  Climbed the Grand Wall, Angles Crest and a few hot laps on the apron.  No pics this time but check out a few from past trips.  

Paul McSorley following pitch 7 on the University Wall (5.12)

Climbing a new route (5.11ish) near the Squaw

The Spit Pillar pitch of the Grand Wall (5.11) 

Angels Crest

Climbing in the Smoke Bluffs

Ross following pitch 2 of the University Wall

Mount Victoria NE face

Ok... one last ski trip.   This time joined by Canmore locals Andrew W and Gery U we ventured up the mighty mount victoria at the head of Lake Louise.   A 2:15 am departure landed us on the summit enjoying some of the most spectacular views of any mountain at 9am.

Sunrise of Lake Louise

Gery approaching the ski line

Gery kicking up the face

The line (straight off the summit mid picture)

Did we just ski that??

Keiths Hut/Mount Matier

Last ski trip of the year!!  Simon and David came up from Vancouver to do the spearhead traverse from Blackcomb to Whistler but with a poor forecast we headed out to the Duffy lake road to spend a night at the Keiths Hut.
With what looked like the last blue bird day for a while we headed up the Matier Glacier from the Joffre lakes.  A wild ascent line underneath the North face of Mnt Slalok and up through the Matier glacier icefall took us to the summit Mnt Matier befor heading down to the hut for the night

Looking at our ski ascent following the ramps in the center of the photo

Boot packing through the Matier icefall

Weaving through crevasses below Mnt Joffre

Heading up Mnt Matier with Slalock in the background

Simon on the summit of Matier!

Looking up at Matier and the Anniversary glacier from the hut

Wapta Traverse

April 26 - 29 Guided a 4 day trip of the Wapta Traverse from Bow Lake to Sherbrooke.  Spring was no where to be seen with nice cool temps and dry powder snow making for great skiing.

approaching the Bow Hut, our first hut of the trip

Day 2 and our second nights accommodation, the Balfour Hut

Looking back at the Vulture Col and Mount Olive from the Balfour high col 

Our descent from day 2 in the distance

Seracs on our way up to the Balfour high col

Ski Guide Exam

Just finished the ACMG full ski guide exam. This year the holiday was based out of the Rockies and the Bugaboos. Our time in the Rockies was basically a unpleasant beating by high winds in a white out... not so fun. On the other hand our time in the Bugaboos was amazing!! What a place to ski tour!!!!! See photos

Flying In

Touring up from Cobalt Lake

Heli Tracks on the Vowell Glacier

Skinning below the Cresent Towers

Bugaboo Spire

Technial ridge walking on the Cresent traverse

Skiing the Bugaboo/Snowpatch Col