We did a glacier travel training day on the Hector Glacier yesterday August 14.

Conditions on the lower glacier were good with better snow coverage than last year, although there are still plenty of crevasses. The snow was a bit sloppy and weak due to warm temperatures but where the snowpack was deeper it was well settled and bridges seemed to be reasonably strong.

Although we didn't go to the summit it looked like good conditions on the upper mountain as well. The bergschrunds are becoming visible but looked manageable.

There looked to be approximately one zillion parties on Achilles Spire. But all quiet on Hector.

Photo of the upper mountain attached.