Climbing Conditions

2 photos

Mt. Joffre current conditions

KCountry - Mt. Joffre

Climbing Conditions

We summited Mt. Joffre via the NE ridge this week. The approach on the Mangin glacier has almost no snow cover but there were a number of thinly bridged crevasses that we had to navigate around. Certainly places to get into trouble up there still, even on the approach. The classic North Face route (first pic) looked to be very unappealing and would also require crossing the bergschrund, which looked complicated and committing with no bridging snow. We opted for the NE Ridge route, which leaves the glacier and goes up a short gully to easier slopes above. The gully access from the glacier was tricky, it's an ice-core moraine type feature, with a thin skin of scree covering the ice, slippery walking and awkward cramponing. The gully itself (second pic) was very very loose, and we were glad to be able to rappel down it rather than having to downclimb. There were two decent rap anchors for descent, a set of pitons at the top and a slung boulder in the middle. We used a 40m rope and it worked well. Also the summit register is getting full, if anyone is headed up there in the near future.

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.