Climbing Conditions

Rockfall, lightning and great conditions

Rockies, Lake O'Hara area

Climbing Conditions

Wide variety of conditions in the Lake O'Hara area all revolving around the melting snow.

On the bad news side-Lefroy and Glacier are almost snow free with lots of melting ice so rockfall is becoming a regular occurence on the standard routes with any warming or rain. The Tokkum and Opabin glaciers were in good shape last week but the steep little South facing slope to Opabin Pass must be turning into a choss pile by now. Mt Huber NE face is almost all ice now. We saw a fairly large chunk of the Huber summit cornice fall off and sweep the climbers left side of that face around noon yesterday.

On the good news side-The standard routes on Victoria and Odaray are in good shape. Some bare ice getting from the Huber Glacier to the Victoria ridge but the schrund is easily passable as of yesterday.

Hungabee's NW face is a melting out and those west ridge routes could be reasonable fairly soon.

Finally, there has been a LOT of thunder and lightning everywhere around the region the past few days and some of it not forecasted by some of the weather forecast products I use. That is obviously a big concern for fires but it also spooks me having thunderstorms build up relatively quickly and stick around for a long while. I love a BBQ but not if I am on the grill!

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide

On The Map

These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.