Columbia Valley Search and Rescue spent the past 6 days (July 5-10) in the Bugaboos on an Advanced Mountain Rescue course.

The week started with warm and sunny conditions, and light to moderate wind. Travel conditions were excellent on supportive snow and dry rock. The snow was melting quite quickly, snow bridges thinning and weakening, and crevasses and bergschrunds were opening up.

In the past 24 hours we noted rapid snow loss during a rain event, with up to 5cm wet snow overnight above 3000m, and rain soaked snow with weak crevasse bridges. Granite ridges will dry out pretty quickly. Be aware of impending rockfall due to recent moisture loading.

Visibility was limited during the storm, so not much avalanche activity was observed, but we suspect there were wet avalanches running off steep terrain, and possibly some deeper slabs pulling out.

The Marmolata - Pigeon Feathers bergschrund was passable going up or down as of yesterday.

We didn’t travel through the BS Col, but we heard it is being used.

Jordy Shepherd
ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide