Ski Mountaineering Photos from Mount Rhonda South

March 27-28, 2010

Our initial goal was to ascend Mount Rhonda South on the day in then ascend our primary objective Mount Collie on Sunday and then head out. The persistent weak layers in the snowpack this year were of a concern to us. But the weather ended up making our decision for us. We had a fun ski up to Bow Hut without incident. After taking a break in the hut we continued on up the glacier. I followed recent tracks left by a group heading to Peyto Hut. We reached Mount Rhonda and I noticed a windscoop that I figured might be a good place for a camp. So I consulted the other 2 and they were in agreement. I probed the scoop to make sure it wasn't a moat or a crevasse or something. It was solid snow and some rock underneath. So we set up camp. The weather was cloudy but seemed to be slowly improving. The extra time it took to set up camp allowed some of the weather on Mount Rhonda to improve. But it was still pretty cloudy when we ascended it. One slope on Mount Rhonda was a concern for us. On the way down we skied it one by one. The summit ridge of Mount Rhonda was long but nice. I didn't get a good summit panorama since the cloud obscured the surrounding peaks. On our way back down I got a decent partial panorama. It cleared up in the evening, but when we woke up the next day the weather came in as we were packing up. So we headed out. I managed to ski down the glacier above Bow Hut without falling over for the first time. The terrible snow further down in the forest got me many times though. I am a little different than other mountaineers in that if I summit a mountain in poor visibility I don't generally consider the mountain to be finished. I am interested in getting a great view and photographing it more than reaching a summit. So I hope to repeat Mount Rhonda South in better weather.

Ewan made a video of our trip with the webcam he had attached to his helmet. Here it is http://www.vimeo.com/10805693

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