Our annual Alpine Base Camp trip was based at Houston Lake in the Melville Group/Moby Dick area this year from July 2-7.

We found excellent snow coverage and snow conditions throughout the zone. There was still plenty of snow at lower elevations which helped with travel through moraines. Crevasses were well bridged with a firm snowpack. Snow climbing was firm cramponing in the mornings, with softening in the afternoon to help with sidestepping and plunge stepping. Things did warm up fast one day on Moby Dick and the group elected to descend early from the E Summit before they were able to climb the Main Summit.

Most steep rock features were melted out and rockfall was minimal. We only heard one rumble over the week at 1.30 AM during an alpine start, which we assumed was rockfall, perhaps on Mt Billy Budd.

Summit ridges still had some snow, which mostly helped with the climbing.

Groups climbed Mt Fanfir NE Ridge, Mt Proteus via Houston Pass and Proteus Glacier, Moby Dick E Ridge to the E summit (descent via the S Face), and Typee Mtn NW Ridge.