Climbing Conditions

4 photos

Dry and pleasant

Mt. Sir Donald

Climbing Conditions

We climbed Mt. Sir Donald NW Ridge on Saturday together with 3 other parties and 1 soloist on a dreamy warm day without wind. As to be expected the entire ridge as well as the descent route including the West Face bypass is snow free.

The creek through the lower bivy site is still running well, on the upper bivy site in the Donald-Uto Col there is only one small patch of snow left (see first photo in the background) and soon getting water there will involve a bit of a walk towards the approach route to find snow.

The West Face bypass and the scrambling / walking sections of the lower rappels showed surprisingly few cairns or signs of previous travel and those parts of the descent are very prone to generate rockfall if several parties descent at the same time. Communicating (at times via radio) with other parties was crucial for us to avoid exposure.

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.