North Twin

Quick report

Riding Quality

good

Snow Conditions

crusty, windAffected

On our wayout the Saskatchewan glacier vally was 80 percent walking. No freeze below 2400m. Windward slopes on the Columbia icefield are quite shallow. Snow depths: Top of Kitchener 10cm Top of Snowdome 10 cm Kitchener to Snowdome 150cm Top of Studfields 0 cm Sw rib down North Twin towards South Twin 0 to 100cm Standard route towards the base of Twins 240cm plus Camping site at top of Saskatchewan glacier at 2500m 280cm plus Toe of Saskatchewan glacier 0 plus. Notable creveases: top of north Twin. Across the east side of main peak of Studfields. We tryed to go from North Twin to South twin but found very thin snow pack on the icy. Would recommend coming into South Twin low. South twin was quite icy. Good freezes above 2700m the last 4 nights. Breakable crust on steep south aspects and wind affect everywhere else. Easy travel only used ski crampons for 15minutes. We avoided the Athabasca headwall do to low snowpack and weak freezes and general creveasse risk. Quite a few parties taking the Saskatchewan approach. Overall many areas with thin snow. I would always skin with the rope on and avoid unroped travel once surface crusts breakdown and snow becomes soft. No new avalanches up high but numerous recent wet loose and wet slabs avalanches visible down the 93 N.