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A World in White
- Ski touring on the Columbia Icefield
by Markus Kellerhals
The Columbia Icefield
is a cold, white place, ill-suited for human habitation. It is also
a spectacular destination for ski touring.
The icefield lies on
the Continental Divide near Jasper, Alberta. It consists of an undulating
plateau of ice and snow, lying at an elevation of 2 400 to 3 300 metres.
Around the edges of the icefield rise a number of high peaks including
Mount Columbia, which at 3 747 metres is the highest peak in Alberta.
Several large glaciers flow down from the icefield, draining the ice
that builds up at higher elevations.The
Athabasca Glacier is easily the most famous of these glaciers; famous
by virtue of the fact that it descends to within a few hundred metres
of the tourist highway between Banff and Jasper.
It was near the base
of the Athabasca Glacier where we started our icefield tour last April.
Unlike many backcountry ski trips which begin with an uphill grind through
the trees, we began with a slight downhill from the approach road onto
the Athabasca Glacier. Disguised under a blanket of snow, the glacier
was distinguished from the surrounding snow-covered terrain by its smooth
surface and characteristic tongue-like shape.
Unfortunately the ambiance
of our start was ruined by the diesel roar of a Caterpillar tractor
clearing a road onto the glacier. In summer that road is used by Sno-Coaches,
special buses that carry thousands of tourists onto the glacier every
year.
Once on the glacier
we started up the gentle incline, roped together for safety. Rock walls
and ice cliffs towered above us forbiddingly. Nearby, the summit of
Mount Andromeda trailed a long banner of wind-blown snow. After half
an hour the Caterpillar noise was lost behind the more pleasing sounds
of snow compacting under skis, wind whispering across the glacier, and
boots squeaking softly in bindings.
The approach up the
Athabasca Glacier proved straightforward, except for a few steeper sections
where we were forced to detour around large crevasses. At one point
the crevasse patterns forced us to the edge of the glacier where we
were threatened by huge ice blocks barely hanging on to the steep slope
above. Fragments of ice strewn across the glacier, spoke of past ice
falls. The danger was obvious and we hurried through.
Above the final steep
section the magnitude of the Columbia Icefield became apparent. To the
south a vast plain of snow sloped towards Mount Castleguard; north of
us rose the ice covered slopes of Snow Dome. Ahead of us to the west
it appeared that we had almost reached the high divide of the icefield.
Unfortunately this proved to be one of those optical illusions that
are so common on large icefields. The ground continued to slope upwards,
albeit at a steadily decreasing angle, and to the west Mount Columbia
remained frustratingly out of view.
As we approached the
divide, clouds that had been billowing across the icefield finally engulfed
us and turned our world to white. Moments later snow began to fall.
We decided to camp, rather than ski further in the disorienting white-out
conditions. Our hastily chosen campsite was just below Snow Dome and
about 10 km from our starting point. It put us in a good position to
attempt Mount Columbia if the weather improved, and also had some nice
slopes to ski right beside camp.
The beauty of snow
camping is that the surface can be excavated, shaped and sculpted to
order. Before pitching the tents we built a wall of snow blocks around
our site to shelter us from the wind. Inside the wall we pitched the
tents close together so if the weather worsened we could pass food and
gear from tent to tent without having to venture outside.
Later that afternoon
the clouds enveloping us began to thin and occasionally break. Several
of us took the opportunity to ski up nearby Snow Dome. As the name implies
it is an easy ski ascent. Its major claim to fame, other than being
a fine Icefield viewpoint, is that it forms the hydrographic apex of
North America. From its summit ice flows southwest to the Pacific Ocean
by way of the Columbia River, north to the Arctic Ocean by way of the
Athabasca River, and east to Hudson Bay by way of the Saskatchewan River.
After appreciating this bit of geographic trivia we enjoyed a 600 metre
descent back to camp on excellent powder snow.
When we arrived back
at camp we found our miniature tent city had grown. Our party of six
had been joined by another four friends who had known we were in the
area. The evening chill drove me to my tent, where Linda and I cooked
dinner from the comfort of our sleeping bags. Several of the hardier
souls in the group cooked and socialized outside despite the cold.
Next morning dawned
cool but not clear - clouds still enveloped our camp. No one in our
group was motivated to head off for Mount Columbia under the prevailing
white-out conditions. Instead we had a slow morning, lingering over
hot drinks and amusing ourselves with "home improvements" on our snow
fort. By mid morning, the clouds started to dissipate and the sun shone
through. We caught glimpses of several other parties skiing across the
icefield. Finally the white pyramid of Mount Columbia appeared off to
the west. It was too late to climb Columbia, but we salvaged the day
with a few great runs on the sun warmed southern slopes of Snow Dome.
Day three on the icefield
was the day we had been waiting for. We arose early to see Mount Columbia
glowing orange in the first rays of the sun. It was perfectly clear
but bitterly cold. After wrestling our feet into frozen boots and gulping
down a hurried breakfast, we set off for Mount Columbia.
The approach begins
with a long level section that might grow boring were it not for the
spectacular peaks filling the horizon. The flats eventually gave way
to a gentle slope leading down to the Trench, the major col that separates
Mount Columbia from the rest of the Icefield. The final descent to the
Trench was steeper - steep enough for some wide turns through the feathery
snow.
On the west side of
the Trench a broad ramp leads up to the base of Mount Columbia's final
steep pyramid. As we ascended the ramp we gained increasingly expansive
views of the icefield to the east and north. Fifteen hundred metres
below us we could see the tortuous descent of the Columbia Glacier from
the icefield to the headwaters of the Athabasca River. Squeezed between
rock walls and sliding over cliffs, its surface was a chaotic jumble
of seracs.
At the base of the
summit slopes we left the skis behind. Most of the party donned crampons,
except for a few of us who had foolishly left them behind. On these
final slopes, clouds once again enveloped us. It turned out that crampons
were very useful for the climb. In places, the snow steepened to 45
degrees and occasionally gave way to ice. The people with crampons were
able to walk straight up while I had to hack away with my ice axe to
nick small toe steps.
Quite suddenly we broke
out of the cloud and were on the summit. Behind us a solid mass of cloud
blocked all views east, but in front of us was a bird's eye view of
the remote and seldom visited icefields to the west of Mount Columbia.
We lingered on the summit taking pictures and soaking up the sun's rays.
Finally it was time to descend and begin the long journey back to camp.
The descent back to
the Trench perfectly illustrated the beauty of ski touring. Travelling
on foot this would have been an unmitigated plod. On skis we made huge
swooping traverses, linked a few turns, then traversed again. The last
few hundred metres down to the Trench was continuous turns on still
excellent snow.
Skis or no skis, the
final leg back to camp was a struggle. We were all tired from a long
day, night was falling, and a chilly wind sucked away our body heat.
The major redeeming feature of the ski back to camp was when we bumped
into a party of friends from Edmonton. We stopped briefly to swap stories
and to plead for food and water. When I finally reached camp I dove
straight into my sleeping bag, tired but satisfied after a great day.
On our final morning
the clouds were back again. They didn't worry us anymore though - all
that remained was a straightforward descent down the Athabasca Glacier
and back to the cars. This run down proved to be great fun. The full
packs on our backs added a challenge and some extra force to our numerous
wipe-outs. Finally back at the cars we felt as if we had switched seasons.
That morning we had woken up to minus 25 degrees, now we were standing
around in t-shirts finishing off that essential final ingredient of
a successful ski trip - the post-trip beer.
If You
Go:
The best time
to visit the Columbia Icefield on skis is in the spring months of March
through June. Earlier in the winter it's just too darn cold for most
parties. In the depths of winter the majority of Rockies skiers head
to one of the many backcountry cabins rather than face the rigors of
winter camping. Whatever time of year you head to the Columbia be prepared
for cold temperatures. The wind never seems to stop and nighttime temperatures
of thirty below are not unusual.
Crevasses are a very
real hazard on the icefields, particularly on the approach up the Athabasca
Glacier. Ropes, harnesses, crevasse rescue gear and the knowledge to
use them are required. Most of the peaks require ice axe and crampons.
Avalanche rescue gear is essential for this and every other Rockies
ski mountaineering trip.
To reach the icefields
drive south from Jasper or north from Lake Louise on the Icefields Parkway.
The Icefield Visitor Centre is located about 100 km south of Jasper.
Directly across from the visitor centre is the Athabasca Glacier and
the approach road which leads up the left edge of the glacier. Ski routes
on the Columbia Icefield are described in "Summits and Icefields" by
Chic Scott. Several maps show the icefield including the NTS series
"83C-3 Columbia Icefield". Further information can also be obtained
from the National Park office in Jasper at (780) 852-6176.
Other
Destinations:
Skiing in the Rockies is of course more than just the Columbia Icefield.
There are destinations for every taste: deluxe backcountry lodges or
rustic cabins, mellow trail tours or steep ski mountaineering objectives,
roadside telemark slopes or multi-day tours through deserted valleys.
The place to begin your research is with Chic Scott's pair of excellent
guidebooks.
"Summits and Icefields"
generally covers the more challenging objectives - glacier tours and
ski mountaineering peaks. It's twin - "Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies"
covers a host of generally easier tours - backcountry huts, trails,
and valley bottom tours.
The Wapta Icefield is
a great trip for parties that want an easier version of the Columbia.
The great advantage of the Wapta is that you don't have to carry your
home on your back - it is served by a network of four alpine huts. For
a quick one day ski mountaineering fix try Mount Hector, one of the
super classic ski peaks of the Rockies. If you want mellow ski touring
in beautiful surroundings consider a visit to the Mount Assiniboine
area, or to the Tonquin Valley in Jasper. Close to Jasper, Banff and
Lake Louise are numerous ski trails ranging in length from one hour
to one day.
For neophyte ski tourers,
there are numerous introductory courses designed to teach you the basics
of safe and comfortable backcountry skiing. For information on these
courses ask at any of the outdoor stores in the area.
Many of these stores
have ski touring gear to rent. Ski touring season in the Rockies is
roughly December through May, with February through April generally
having the best conditions.
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