I guided a fly in ski camp on the Waddington Glacier this past week, we skied at elevations ranging from 3200m down to 1500m

We flew in from Bluff Lk (White Saddle Air) and camped on a 2640m col 1.8km SE of the summit of Mt Agur. From there we skied towards 3 objectives (Snow Dome, Mt.Munday and Irresistable Mt). We also skied many slopes close to camp on the Waddington and Bert Glaciers on poor viability days. The best skiing was on Thursday where we woke up to 30cm of cold new snow. I was like a winter day.

At 2300m there is at least a 3m snow pack depth above glacier ice. Above 2300m HS is 3m+. Crevasses are opening and saggy. Conditions look more like the end of May/early June. There is not much winter snow left below 1000m.

Above 2000m 30cm of past HST has turned to melt freeze where sun effected or is settled and bonded to the 260513 crust on true N aspects.. Under this the upper snowpack was mostly frozen and locked up (with a 50cm + crust) above 2300m. Below this elevation much of the pack is isothermal to at least 1m down.

To exit for a lower elevation (and better weather) pick up we toured down the west edge of the Waddington Glacier passing Martello Tour and Pivot Dome for a pick up at a 1500m tree line meadow.

Thanks Mike, Stephen and Alison

Lovely remote ski camp location with plenty of objectives,