Ski Mountaineering Photos from Mount Columbia Return Day

May 11, 2009

What a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky. The twins are shining in the sun. I wish I could wake up to this view every morning. We skied up the icefield and the views were spectacular. I got many great photos, plus some panoramas of mountains that are hardly ever photographed. Skiing down the Athabasca Glacier involved a lot of snowplowing and sideswiping. The bottom of the third ramp was a great spot for a break. Lots of real cool seracs. After passing all the seracs we tore up the remaining glacier with our skis by skiing across it many times. Once at the toe we got to enjoy carrying our skis back the remaining distance to the car

Click on the play button in the top left to start the slideshow or click on any picture to enlarge it. Use the icons on the top left to navigate.

A cool panorama of South Twin and North Twin and the Icefield to the right of them.

A cool panorama of South Twin ...

Our camp in the trench. The twins are behind.

Our camp in the trench. The ...

A panorama from the trench. Mount Bryce on the left. The twins on the right.

A panorama from the trench. ...

A close up of South and North Twin.

A close up of South and North ...

Crevasses of the trench.

Icefall on the trench.

A cool panorama of South Twin and North Twin and the Icefield to the right of them.

A cool panorama of South Twin ...

Skiing up the trench.

Looking North West up the Athabasca River Valley. Dais Mountain on the left. Mount Quincy on the right.

Looking North West up the ...

Peaks of the Bush River Valley. Most of them are unnamed. Ladylove Mountain is one of the peaks on the left. The peak on the far right is Pawn Peak. The next peak to the left of it is Basil Peak.

Peaks of the Bush River ...

A hole we passed by.

Peaks of the Bush River Valley to the South West. Most of them are unnamed. Ladylove Mountain is the first close high peak on the left. The big peak on the far right is Pawn Peak. The next peak to the left of it is Basil Peak.

Peaks of the Bush River ...

Looking back to Mount Columbia. The trench is below.

Looking back to Mount ...

The Twins to the North West.

Skiing up the icefield.

Looking North West across the Athabasca River Valley. Sundial Mountain is on the left. In the center is Warwick Mountain with Dias Mountain behind it. Mount Quincy is on the right.

Looking North West across the ...

A closer version of the previous photo. Looking North West across the Athabasca River Valley. Sundial Mountain is on the left. In the center is Warwick Mountain with Dias Mountain behind it. Mount Quincy is on the right.

A closer version of the ...

An unnamed peak to the South of Mount Columbia.

An unnamed peak to the South ...

Yuri taking a break. Columbia and the trench in the background.

Yuri taking a break. Columbia ...

The twins to the North West.

A nice close up of Mount Columbia. Our tracks can be seen up the East face route.

A nice close up of Mount ...

A panorama looking across the Athabasca River Valley to the North West. Wales Peak on the far left. Next Peak over of similar height is Chaba Peak. Behind Chaba to the right is Mount Clemenceau in the clouds. The next peak to the right is False Chaba Peak, with the almost level ridge. The twin summits a bit more to the right with similar height is Sundial Mountain. The left one is the true mountain. The high mountain on the right of the photo is Dais Mountain with Warwick Mountain in front of it. Mount Hooker can be seen between Sundial and Dais in the distance.

A panorama looking across the ...

Looking South West into BC. Pawn Peak is the big rounded Peak left of center in the photo. The peak to the left of it is Basil Peak. To the right of Pawn Peak in the distance is the Adamant Group in the Selkirks. The next peak to the right of Pawn Peak on the same ridge is King Peak. Of the 3 peaks to the right of King Peak the right most one is Queen Peak. The peak on the far right is an unnamed subpeak of Mount Columbia.

Looking South West into BC. ...

A panorama from high on the Columbia Icefield.

A panorama from high on the ...

Zoomed in view South West of the Columbia Icefield. The first really big peak is Mount Saskatchewan. To the right behind Saskatchewan is Mount Amery in the clouds. The next really big mountain in the photo is Castleguard Mountain. Mount Lyell is on the far right.

Zoomed in view South West of ...

A zoomed in panorama looking South of the Columbia Icefield. Mount Lyell is the first really big mountain on the left of the photo. Mount Forbes can be seen to the left of Mount Lyell. The Snowy ridge to the right of Mount Lyell is Oppy Mountain. The close peak to the right of Oppy is Watchman Peak. To the right of Watchman Peak is two high peaks in the distance. Queens Peak is the left one and Mount Alexandra is the right one. The big wall in front of Mount Alexandra is Mount Spring-Rice. The giant cool looking mountain on the far right is Mount Bryce.

A zoomed in panorama looking ...

Skiing back to the Athabasca Glacier. Mount Andromeda on the right.

Skiing back to the Athabasca ...

Looking back to Mount Columbia.

Looking back to Mount ...

Looking South East to Mount Amery.

Looking South East to Mount ...

Looking North East to Nigel Peak from the top of the Athabasca Glacier.

Looking North East to Nigel ...

Mount Andromeda

Another group we chatted with on our descent.

Another group we chatted with ...

Mount Andromeda

Nigel Peak to the North East.

Skiing down the upper Athabasca Glacier.

Skiing down the upper ...

Skiing down the upper Athabasca Glacier.

Skiing down the upper ...

Icefall coming off of Snowdome.

Icefall coming off of ...

Icefall coming off of Snowdome.

Icefall coming off of ...

Skiing down the ramp on the upper Athabasca Glacier.

Skiing down the ramp on the ...

Skiing down the ramp on the upper Athabasca Glacier.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Mayerhofer

Skiing down the ramp on the ...

At the bottom of the ramp on the Athabasca Glacier. Two more icefalls left to get through.

At the bottom of the ramp on ...

Sheri posing at the bottom of the ramp.

Sheri posing at the bottom of ...

A panorama of the upper Athabasca Glacier.

A panorama of the upper ...

Another group walking down the ramp.

Another group walking down ...

Looking back to the ramp.

Skiing underneath more cool seracs.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Mayerhofer

Skiing underneath more cool ...

Snowplowing down around the second icefall.

Snowplowing down around the ...

Ice coming off of Mount Andromeda.

Ice coming off of Mount ...

A panorama of the upper Athabasca Glacier. Snowdome Mountain is the big mountain in the center.

A panorama of the upper ...

Skiing down below the second icefall.

Skiing down below the second ...

Skiing down below the second icefall.

Skiing down below the second ...

The second icefall.

Us skiing below the second icefall.
Photo courtesy of Reinhold Mayerhofer

Us skiing below the second ...

Skiing down around the bottom icefall.

Skiing down around the bottom ...

Mount Andromeda.

Skiing down around the bottom icefall.

Skiing down around the bottom ...

Looking back up the Athabasca Glacier. Mount Andromeda on the left.

Looking back up the Athabasca ...

Skiers heading up to the icefield for a week of peak bagging.

Skiers heading up to the ...

A panorama from below the Icefalls. The AA col is the first glacier on the left. Mount Andromeda to the right of it. Snowdome is on the right side of the Athabasca Glacier.

A panorama from below the ...

The Snowcoach Tour site.

Our group a the bottom of the Athabasca Glacier.

Our group a the bottom of the ...

Looking back to the Athabasca Glacier from the parking lot.

Looking back to the Athabasca ...

Please send me any comments, suggestions or mountain/flora identifications ecoulthard@gmail.com