Tried to be clever on the last day of 2020 and whip up "Sniveling Gully" in the dark to beat the hordes to "The Mare in Winter". No hordes and not much ice in Sniveling Gully. All very 2020 appropriate:)
I certainly couldn't recommend Sniveling in its current condition. Shell ice and some snow covered open water through most of the middle low angle section made it unpleasant bordering on dangerous. In the light of day the other lines on the Lower Weeping Wall looked much more appealing.
There is a good track to all the upper Weeping Wall lines. The Mare in Winter climbed well but the 1st pitch is somewhat hollow in places and required some careful moves and strategic gear placements. Yesterday was a classic "Upper Weeping Wall" inversion and sloughing and small ice cubes were coming off the "Weeping Pillar" and "Tales of Ordinary Madness". I assume all the hanging daggers were creaking and groaning.
The "Weeping Pillar" looked serious with a big overhung wave of cauliflower ice on the last pitch followed by some steep suspicious looking corners. No give-aways up there currently.
Icefields Parkway was in mostly poor condition and skates would work for long sections of it.
Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide