Cathedral

Despite an early start, we didn’t beat the heat. We approached via the south-facing couloir, which was starting to see some sun by 10:00. In Vanguard Basin, there was evidence of a few wet loose avalanches from the day before. Bootpack travel was supportive - no need for crampons - and about a third of the way up, we heard an audible rumble from an avalanche in the neighbouring vicinity. We made it to 2450m under the south-facing cliffs of Cathedral Shoulder, but decided to turn back due to intense solar radiation. The snow in the couloir had softened up, which made for a pretty decent descent. On our way out, we observed more point releases and small wet loose avalanches in Vanguard Basin.

Time: 11:15 Location: Cathedral Shoulder Elevation: 2450m