Attempted a guided ascent of Mt. Aberdeen today. We turned around near the toe of the Aberdeen glacier due to snow and avalanche concerns. Roughly 15cm snow had fallen at this elevation (2500m) (likely more higher up) and there was evidence of a recent slide near the toe of the glacier. 20-30 min after turning around (9am) we heard/witnessed the morning avalanche cycle let loose with numerous slides coming from many of the adjacent alpine slopes and gullies.

Our plan B was Mt. Fairview (2744m) which went well but, was not in typical summer conditions. The recent snow has made route finding a bit tricky in certain spots where drifted accumulations of snow hid the main track. We met one party that turned around on their attempt but later changed their minds and decided to follow us up to the summit. We were happy to break trail and chat with them along the way.

Looking forward, the weather forecast continues to show unfavourable alpine climbing weather for the next few days with rain, snow, and possible thunderstorms disrupting things. Now is the time to try those easier hikes and scrambles that you have been overlooking and have fun with shorter, less committing objectives that have very minimal overhead hazards.

Have fun!

Patrick Lindsay
Ridgeline Guiding Services
www.ridgelineguiding.com