ACC Okanagan Forum: Recent Topics

ACC Okanagan Forum: Recent Topics http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ ACC Okanagan Forum: Recent Topics en Mon, 06 Sep 2010 23:28:43 +0000 aparker on "Mount Rogers SE Ridge" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=124#post-274 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 13:21:21 +0000 aparker 274@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Starting from Hermit Meadows we followed the SW talus slope aka the 1896 Route until it connected with the SE ridge. From here we followed the SE ridge, sometimes on the crest (low 5th class), sometimes on climbers right (4th class), until the SE ridge joined the summit ridge between the Rogers-Grant col and the Rogers summit. From here it was mainly snow to the top. We descended by the large snow slope that begins at the Rogers-Grant col. Some ice near the top. Crampons good. Crevasses and bergshrund were still well bridged and supportive early afternoon. aparker on "Uto (July 25) / Victoria North (July 27) / Brewers Buttress (Jul 29) 2010" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=123#post-273 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 12:50:12 +0000 aparker 273@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Some quick notes from a recent trip. Uto Traverse <ul> <li>we went up the regular route (SW ridge?) and descended by the Uto-Eagle col (NW ridge)</li> <li>the bivy site looked to be partly covered in snow and there is still some snow below the Uto-Sir Donald col</li> <li>we were told that a party was charged by a bear on the hiking trail near where it has been re-routed</li> </ul>   Victoria North Summit <ul> <li>the large crevasses below the headwall are well bridged and there is an easy way across the bergschrund</li> <li>the snow across the rock band/headwall was very wet and it was pretty easy to set off medium sized surface sloughs</li> <li>still a big cornice hanging above the rock band</li> <li>there is a significant icy patch above the col and below the 5.4 rock step where we needed crampons</li> <li>if you are at the tea house by 6:00am the caretaker will offer you coffee!</li> </ul>   Brewers Buttress on Castle <ul> <li>foamies at the hut! and a propane stove, not white gas. there were no extra fuel bottles when we left. the bottle which is connected to the stove was 95% full.</li> <li>the fixed anchors at the end of each pitch are a great help in route finding and really speed up the climb</li> <li>there is still water available in the gully above the approach trail (it would be useful to bring an extra couple of water bottles or big ziploc bags to transport water to the hut)</li> <li>we finished the route by the variation pitch that allows you to make one finishing pitch versus two on P12</li> <li>the descent gully sucks (normal) and there is still some snow but it can be rappelled over fairly easily</li> </ul> jjanmaat on "September" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=122#post-272 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:34:30 +0000 jjanmaat 272@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Hello, Anybody working on a September trip, like last year's to the Wheeler Hut? John. bgrahn on "summer climbing" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=121#post-266 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 20:49:47 +0000 bgrahn 266@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Anyone interested in some moderate climbing this summer? Rogers/Hermit traverse, Uto peak, possibly something in the Rockies as well.Preferably mid week. kevin witzke on "Mt English Scramble - June 12/13" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=118#post-248 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 06:44:24 +0000 kevin witzke 248@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ The slide show Tuesday provided some good history on recent spring scrambles up Mt English. This years trip is scheduled for Sat June 12/Sun June 13. The team should plan to leave Kelowna mid-day to early afternoon on Sat to comfortably get to the "car-camping" basecamp by 4 or 5 pm. Exact departure times will be finalized as we get closer to June 12. The trip planning is fairly casual and if the weather is sh*@@# we can postpone or cancel the trip. 80% of the Mt English trips have great weather. Stay tuned to this posting for updates. bgrahn on "Mt English" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=120#post-262 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:22:03 +0000 bgrahn 262@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Couldn't make Mt. english trip but am going to try it soon. Any info on road and route would be appreciated. Anyone else interested in going? Thanks vesh53 on "North White River Forest Road" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=119#post-249 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 13:20:47 +0000 vesh53 249@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ so....I canna find any road condition information on the Ministry of Forests Rocky Mountain District web site. Can anyone suggest an info source.....or should I just call the District? Destination = Russel Lake. Thanks.... aparker on "Glacier Circle Hut May 22-24 2010" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=117#post-247 Sun, 30 May 2010 14:35:01 +0000 aparker 247@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ We spent 2 nights at the Glacier Circle Hut over the Victoria Day long weekend. There was just enough snow to ski on the rail bed from the highway. We roped up to cross the toe of the glacier as there were several sagging bridges and open slots. Navigation on the Illecillewaet was largely by GPS and compass in near white out conditions. We descended into Glacier Circle via the Ramp Route on the Macoun Side. This was a little sketchy in places (steep, crusty snow, bit exposed) but seemed a better choice than the summer route further to skier's left which was pouring with water. The ramp would probably be a good deal easier with more snow. We took a long 12-hours to reach the hut. The hut is in good shape. Wood stove, chimney, gas stove, and gas lamp are all working fine. The stairs to the outhouse have partially collapsed. There is a lot of white gas left from previous parties (we counted 8 litres). There is some split fire wood in front of the hut. It was difficult to judge how much more wood remains stacked nearby because there was still a lot of snow on the ground. We returned via the Fox/Witch Tower route. There were open slots (or glide cracks) crossing the mid section of the route about half way up. We chose a line further to climber's right and had to boot-pack for a few hundred meters on steep slush-over-ice. The Great Glacier trail had melted out significantly since we used it two days earlier and was definitely "character building". The Fox route is 18km from the hut to the highway. 9 hours. Photos: <a href="http://picasaweb.google.ca/agparker/10052224Glacier_circle#" rel="nofollow">http://picasaweb.google.ca/agparker/10052224Glacier_circle#</a> Steve Binks on "local crag night" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=116#post-246 Wed, 26 May 2010 15:38:52 +0000 Steve Binks 246@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ There's a couple of guys at work who are interested in learning to climb. If there is anyone inclined to lead local crag nights this year, please post and we'll get these guys signed up! thanx. PatagonianGuides on "Hire a mountain guide in Argentina" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=115#post-245 Sun, 23 May 2010 16:14:58 +0000 PatagonianGuides 245@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ International certificated Argentinean mountain guides The certification of the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations (IFMGA) or Union Internationale des Associations de Guides de Montagnes (UIAGM) is the highest professional award attainable in mountaineering. It is recognized throughout the world, and is a legal requirement in most european countries for any person taking clients into the mountains on or above glacier level, whether climbing or skiing. To achieve the IFMGA carnet takes tremendous dedication to mountaineering and a high level of skill in all aspects of the sport including rock climbing, ice climbing, alpine climbing and ski touring. It also requires a portfolio of climbing experience which takes years to acquire. The IFMGA Association was created in 1965 in Zermatt, Switzerland and its purpose is to standardize worldwide the recognition, regulations and training of Mountain Guide occupation. In Argentina the Mountain Guides Association, who train UIAGM-IFMGA-IVBV Mountain Guides is the AAGM (Asociación Argentina de Guías de Montaña- <a href="http://www.aagm.com.ar" rel="nofollow">www.aagm.com.ar</a>). Today in Argentina there are 25 Mountain Guides who hold the international UIAGM-IFMGA- IVBV Certification The training and certification exams of the Asociación Argentina de Guias de Montaña were supervised by the IFMGA for several years to guarantee that the standard of the international certification is achieved. After 10 years of hard work, the AAGM was awarded with the international UIAGM-IFMGA-IVBV Certification. From this on 25 of Argentinean Guides are qualified IFMGA Mountain Guides. Walter Rossini IFMGA Mountain Guide <a href="http://www.patagonianguides.com" rel="nofollow">www.patagonianguides.com</a> aparker on "Columbia Icefields May 14/15/16 2010" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=114#post-244 Tue, 18 May 2010 15:24:23 +0000 aparker 244@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ We traveled up the Athabasca Glacier on May 14th, camped SW of Snowdome, climbed South Twin on the 15th, and skied out on the 16th. On the approach up the Athabasca several wet snow avalanches had crossed the bench under the seracs, and we saw two small serac falls reach midway across the bench. There are a couple of barely covered crevasses mid-way. Good overnight freezes (-12C) made for fast travel. The "shoulder" on S. Twin (before the summit ridge) was hard ice covered in 15cm of sugary snow for about 60m. Crampons and ice axes were *very* handy. glevac on "Executive Meeting Minutes, April 27, 2010" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=113#post-243 Tue, 04 May 2010 21:23:35 +0000 glevac 243@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Executive Committee Meeting Minutes The exec met at the bunkhouse at 7:30pm on April 27, 2010 Gearmeister- Ron Berlie has agreed to care and store for the club’s gear. Gear will be resident in Peachland. Power Point Projector- Members of the club who have used the new projector have been satisfied with the results. Additional adapters will be purchased for use in all type of computers. Social- The June social is planned to be a trial run at a new venue, the Creekside Pub and will feature a Mt English slide show in order to prepare for that months trip. Winter Trips- The committee was very pleasure with the success of this year’s winter ski trips. Trips included the Asulkan Hut weekend, Alpine Holiday week long trip and day trips to the Gorge, Apex and Mt. Baldy. Next winter’s winter camp has been reserved with Valhalla Mountain Touring. Summer Trips- The committee is looking into the possibility of volunteering to help out with the Asulkan Cabin refurbishments which is expected for early September. Summer trips that are currently in discussion include a June – Mt English trip and possibly Pinnacles in July. An email will be sent to members when more details are available. ACC National – The ACC National Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday May 15th, 2010 in Canmore, Alberta. See the ACC website for additional details. janice on "Cedar Park, Gomer Wall Rock Fall" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=112#post-241 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 22:36:37 +0000 janice 241@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Apparently, the Spring rains caused some rock fall affecting the Give Me Face (5.7) and/or Squeeze Me In routes at Gomer Wall in Cedar Park, Kelowna. The rock fall initiated above the anchor affecting the route below. So, helmets might be a good idea... If anyone has climbed this crag recently and is able to make additional observations, please post. Steve Binks on "March Asulkan Trip Info" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=102#post-221 Fri, 19 Feb 2010 18:51:44 +0000 Steve Binks 221@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ An email with more details was sent to all participants on February 20th. Here's the list of participants as of February 20th: 1) Andrew (Kelowna) 2) Brenda (Kelowna) 3) Steve (Kelowna) 4) Gerald (Kelowna) 5) Tyler (Kelowna) 6) Henry (Kelowna) 7) Brian (Vernon) 8) Nick (Revelstoke) 9) David (Kelowna) 10) Ross (Edmonton) 11) Jason (Calgary) 12) Jaymi (Calgary) Wait List: 1) Marie-Hélène (Kamloops) 2) Sophie (Kelowna) Meeting Time 10:00AM at the Asulkan Trailhead parking lot on Friday March 12th. It's preferred that we all meet at this time. However if you want to start earlier (or later) we ask that you: 1) have been to the hut before. 2) do not travel alone. 3) discuss your plans with the trip organizer. 4) sign and return a waiver to the trip organizers in advance (important!) Meeting Place The Asulkan Trailhead parking lot is located on the south side of the Trans Canada Highway about 3km west of the Rogers Pass Visitors Centre between the Loop Brook Campground and the Illecillewaet Campground. Permits You will need a National Park Pass displayed on your vehicle. A Park Pass is available from the Visitors Centre located about 3km east of the Asulkan trailhead. It's open from 7:00AM to 5:00PM. Entire Trip Cancellation Due to Excessive Avalanche Hazard ACC Okanagan Section Policy: "The avalanche conditions will be assessed [by the trip leader with group consultation] on the Wednesday [prior to the trip] and should conditions render travel to the hut unsafe, the entire booking will be canceled and participants will receive a refund. Those persons wishing to continue can contact the ACC on an individual basis and rebook the hut on that date. Individual requests for refunds due to inclement weather and/or marginal conditions will not be granted." Trip Cancellation by Individuals If you need to withdraw from the trip please inform the trip leader! Then contact the next person on the waiting list to take your place. Any financial arrangements made with respect to the hut fees are entirely between the individuals. Packing Sensibly If this is your first trip to the Asulkan Hut please take note: 4-5 hours and 900m doesn't sound like much. However we often see people underestimate the difficulty of the approach to the hut. It's steep in places, the skin track can be slick, and depending on the conditions it can seem quite grueling. Pack intelligently (if you're bringing a keg, leave the wine behind!) The ACC requires that I mention the following: "Please be advised that these are non-guided trips and the following equipment and a working knowledge of it's use is mandatory for each participant: avalanche beacon, probe, shovel, backcountry touring gear such as alpine skis/touring bindings and skins, similar telemark gear and/or split board/skins." "There is no legal requirement for trip participants to be ACC members, but non-members are not covered by the ACC's insurance should they be found negligent in causing someone personal injury or property damage/loss. It is strongly recommended that all trip participants become members of the ACC, as this protection is one of the benefits of membership." More info regarding ACC waiver policy and liability issues can be found at: <a href="http://alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html</a> Waivers Waivers must be signed and returned to the trip leader before leaving the trailhead. We can do this at the trailhead but if you can get them to me earlier it's appreciated. Scanned and emailed is ok. I'll also be at the February social at the Bunkhouse. Waivers are here: <a href="http://accokanagan.ca/index.php?page=waivers" rel="nofollow">http://accokanagan.ca/index.php?page=waivers</a> More info about the Asulkan Hut in general, equipment needed, etc: <a href="http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=43" rel="nofollow">http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=43</a> Please post questions or concerns, offer a ride, ask for a ride, etc. What am I forgetting? Let me know. And yes, I have plagiarized Andrew's notes. He's that good! Steve. aparker on "February 19/20/21 2010 Asulkan Hut Organization" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=100#post-211 Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:10:48 +0000 aparker 211@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ An email with more details was sent to all participants on January 30th. Here's the list of participants as of January 30th: 1) Andrew (Kelowna) 2) Brenda (Kelowna) 3) Steve (Salmon Arm) 4) Mike (Kelowna) 5) Henry (Kelowna) 6) Brian (Vernon) 7) Nick (Revelstoke) 8) Pam (Calgary) 9) David (Calgary) 10) Stuart (Kelowna) 11) Bruce (Penticton) 12) Mark (Revelstoke) Wait List: 1) Tyler (Kelowna) 2) Gurpreet (Kelowna) 3) Marie-Hélène (Kamloops) Meeting Time 10:00AM at the Asulkan Trailhead parking lot on Friday February 19th. It's preferred that we all meet at this time. However if you want to start earlier (or later) we ask that you: 1) have been to the hut before. 2) do not travel alone. 3) discuss your plans with the trip organizer. 4) sign and return a waiver to the trip organizers in advance (important!) Meeting Place The Asulkan Trailhead parking lot is located on the south side of the Trans Canada Highway about 3km west of the Rogers Pass Visitors Centre between the Loop Brook Campground and the Illecillewaet Campground. Permits You will need a National Park Pass displayed on your vehicle. A Park Pass is available from the Visitors Centre located about 3km east of the Asulkan trailhead. It's open from 7:00AM to 5:00PM. Entire Trip Cancellation Due to Excessive Avalanche Hazard ACC Okanagan Section Policy: "The avalanche conditions will be assessed [by the trip leader with group consultation] on the Wednesday [prior to the trip] and should conditions render travel to the hut unsafe, the entire booking will be canceled and participants will receive a refund. Those persons wishing to continue can contact the ACC on an individual basis and rebook the hut on that date. Individual requests for refunds due to inclement weather and/or marginal conditions will not be granted." Trip Cancellation by Individuals If you need to withdraw from the trip please inform the trip leader! Then contact the next person on the waiting list to take your place. Any financial arrangements made with respect to the hut fees are entirely between the individuals. Packing Sensibly If this is your first trip to the Asulkan Hut please take note: 4-5 hours and 900m doesn't sound like much. However we often see people underestimate the difficulty of the approach to the hut. It's steep in places, the skin track can be slick, and depending on the conditions it can seem quite grueling. Pack intelligently (if you're bringing a keg, leave the wine behind!) The ACC requires that I mention the following: "Please be advised that these are non-guided trips and the following equipment and a working knowledge of it's use is mandatory for each participant: avalanche beacon, probe, shovel, backcountry touring gear such as alpine skis/touring bindings and skins, similar telemark gear and/or split board/skins." "There is no legal requirement for trip participants to be ACC members, but non-members are not covered by the ACC's insurance should they be found negligent in causing someone personal injury or property damage/loss. It is strongly recommended that all trip participants become members of the ACC, as this protection is one of the benefits of membership." More info regarding ACC waiver policy and liability issues can be found at: <a href="http://alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html</a> Waivers Waivers must be signed and returned to the trip leader before leaving the trailhead. We can do this at the trailhead but if you can get them to me earlier it's appreciated. Scanned and emailed is ok. I'll also be at the February social at the Bunkhouse. Waivers are here: <a href="http://accokanagan.ca/index.php?page=waivers" rel="nofollow">http://accokanagan.ca/index.php?page=waivers</a> More info about the Asulkan Hut in general, equipment needed, etc: <a href="http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=43" rel="nofollow">http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=43</a> Please post questions or concerns, offer a ride, ask for a ride, etc. What am I forgetting? Let me know. janice on "Winter Camp Has One Spot" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=101#post-212 Tue, 02 Feb 2010 11:12:48 +0000 janice 212@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Greetings Backcountry Skiers, Just in case you missed the first annoucement.... One spot on the Okanagan Winter Camp at Golden Alpine Holidays from 27 February to 06 March 2010 is now available. > > This back country ski trip is organized by the ACC Okanagan > Section and is a self catered (yep, the turkey dinner + world's > best homemade lasagne are on the menu), self guided trip. The > group, your gear and your food are flown in by helicopter there > and back. At 2134 m. (7,000 ft.), snow quality and great ski > company are ensured. Cost is now $858 for non-members and $833 for > Okanagan members. > > Visit <a href="http://ww.goldenalpineholidays.com" rel="nofollow">http://ww.goldenalpineholidays.com</a> to check out the > terrain at the Meadows Hut (renos completed in 2008). > > Contact <a href="mailto:ajmcq@shaw.ca">ajmcq@shaw.ca</a> if interested. aparker on "How to change your forum password" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=99#post-209 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:08:59 +0000 aparker 209@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ A password is automatically generated when you register with the forum. To change your password to something easy to remember: 1) Login with your old password and at the top of the page you will see: Welcome, username! | Log Out where "username" is your username. 2) Click your username to view your profile. 3) Click Edit (top right). 4) Enter your new password in the "Password" section. glevac on "Executive Meeting Minutes, December 1, 2009" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=98#post-208 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 20:45:56 +0000 glevac 208@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ Executive Committee Meeting Minutes The exec met at the bunkhouse at 6:30pm on December 1, 2009. The summary is below including an important reminder regarding “Waiver Forms”. Financial Report • Payment has been made for the winter ski camp at the Golden Alpine Holidays Meadow Hut • Signing authority on the bank account has been changed to the new Treasurer PowerPoint Projector Purchase • The committee discussed several options and compared prices between projectors. General Director (Jim Tanner) will evaluate proposed projectors and a decision on which projector to be purchased will be taken by the committee at a future meeting. • It was recommended that a policy be adopted for the use and safeguard of the proposed projector. Details will follow at a later time. Memorial Photo Contest • The annual photo contest was held shortly after the committee meeting with excellent member participation with over 60 photos entered. Winning photos can be viewed on the club’s website at : <a href="http://www.accokanagan.ca/index.php?page=photocontest" rel="nofollow">http://www.accokanagan.ca/index.php?page=photocontest</a> AGM in Review • Everyone seemed happy with the Telemark X-C club in Westbank as the venue for the AGM. Winter Trips Update • Both Asulkan ski weekends were filled rather quickly and it was suggested that a third ski trip should be considered for next year. A Wells Grey 3-4 day ski trip will be looked at as an additional trip. Waiver Forms • Trip leaders are reminded that waiver forms are needed for all participants when organizing ACC trips. • Non-ACC members may be invited to ACC trips, however they should be informed of the following re: liability issues: "There is no legal requirement for trip participants to be ACC members, but non-members are not covered by the ACC's insurance should they be found negligent in causing someone personal injury or property damage/loss. It is strongly recommended that all trip participants become members of the ACC, as this protection is one of the benefits of membership." • For more information regarding ACC waiver policy and liability issues can be found at: <a href="http://alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html" rel="nofollow">http://alpineclubofcanada.ca/services/safety/index.html</a> • Waiver forms are required to be kept for a minimum period of 6 years under ACC policy. Trip leaders / organizers are asked to return all waivers forms to the club’s secretary (currently Gerald Levac) at the next social meeting. Social • The committee is always looking for suggestions on activities for the monthly social. Do not hesitate share your ideas. nfried on "Anyone skiing or ice climbing Jan 1-3?" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=97#post-206 Sun, 27 Dec 2009 22:03:20 +0000 nfried 206@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ I'm available Jan 1-3 and am looking to backcountry ski or ice climb. Let me know if you have a trip I can join or are free and would like to organize a trip. Thanks, Neil nickt on "Glacier park winter permit area expansion" http://accokanagan.ca/forum/topic.php?id=89#post-189 Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:21:43 +0000 nickt 189@http://accokanagan.ca/forum/ I've just had a quick look at the e-mail I was sent by Parks Canada on changes to the Glacier Park winter permit areas. The map in the e-mail shows some significant extension of the permit areas. In particular McGill, Grizzly Shoulder and Cheops North are now permit areas (as is the Bostock Pass parking area). So it looks like only Illicillewat/Asulkan is avaliable without a permit. There are also significant changes to the permit process - including EVERY INDIVIDUAL will need to get their own permit and there will be some sort of annual permit (for those who attend orientation sessions).