Guided The Joker yesterday in the south Ghost. The climber’s left approach ice was in though thin and hollow in spots. The Joker itself was in good condition, took 10-16cm ice screws, but was hollow and thin in spots too. The most challenging point of the day was figuring out where to best traverse into the base of The Joker because unsupportive snow was hiding lots of down sloping rock slabs which is quite tricky to travel over. Good route selection here is important to avoid a tumble.

For weather & conditions:
-Temps ranged between -3 to -6
-Winds were gusty and variable with lots of snow transport happening.
-Snow depths ranged between 20-40cm with deeper spots in gully features. Lots of windslabs were felt throughout the whole approach.
-Driving conditions were quite good for the Ghost, relatively speaking. We did not drive the whole way up the cut line to the highest parking lot for the Joker, as you’d need to put chains on to make it up there because the fresh snow was making the steep sections too slippery.

Winter is here!

Patrick Lindsay
Ridgeline Guiding Services
www.ridgelineguiding.com