ACMG Alpine Guide Exam Conditions

The ACMG Training and Assessment Program just finished the last 4 days conducting the Alpine Guide Exam and found the following conditions:

Mount Castle - Brewer’s Buttress
-The “Goat Plateau” has had several recent washouts that can be tricky to navigate
-Route and all the hardware was in good condition
-We opted for the walk off via Rock Bound Lake due to reports of the gulley having bad washout conditions with the potential for increased rock fall

Eisenhower Tower - Dragon’s Back
-Route and hardware is in good shape
-No snow in the bowl between the the two routes on the upper mountain after the Dragons Back

Buller Buttress #4 - Boot Crack
-Ridge was dry and climbed well
-Boot Crack was seeping heavily so we opted to reverse the ridge which worked well
-All fixed hardware in good shape

Mount Kidd - The Fold
-Rather than following the route description for the start, we opted to climb the ridge directly rather than from the gulley on the climbers left, this offered easy access and protected climbing on the ridge
-Lots of older fixed pitons found throughout the route
-The tree rappel on the descent is optional and there is a walk around to the skiers right

East End of Rundle (EEOR) - Eeyore’s Tail and Generosity
-Both routes were in good shape
-Recent hot weather followed by some rain had more rubble on the ledges than usual

ACMG Alpine Guide Exam Candidates