Assiniboine

We tried Mt. Assiniboine (3615m) in 2005, but we were'nt prepared. JD and me set off from Mt. Shark trailhead early Friday morning on September long weekend. 26km hike in to Assiniboine Lodge. We rendezvous with our climbing gear, which we had flown in via Heli, then continue around Lake Magog and the Gmoser Highway up to the Hind Hut. Set off at 2 am ahead of a few guides/clients, but are caught within a couple hours. We follow in behind. Very steep climbing in crampons over mixed rock and ice. This is some of the toughest technical climbing we've done on an Alpine climb.

By noon we are on the summit! The way down is slow. We reverse our route, sometimes downclimbing, other times rapelling where its too steep. Finally we stumble back to the Hind Hut at 6 pm....16 hour day, but very worth it. One of the best climbs we've done so far.

Andromeda

With a great weather forecast I take a weekday off work and JD and i head off for Mt. Andromeda (3450m). We sleep in the car near the snow-coach parkinglot, and are off to a midnight start over rocky moraines. The wind is up a little, and we start to lose interst, but we reach the glacier and the base of our route, the Skyladder. After roping up and crossing the bergshrund, Jr. leads up a fairly steep snowslope. The sun comes out halfway up, and the wind drops to zero - a perfect morning for climbing!We reach a plateau and traverse along the top of a ridge to the summit. Views are stunning in all directions - the Columbia Icefields, Mt. Columbia, and countelss Rockies Peaks. Not a single soul around us for miles. We work back down in a circuit, climbing to the Athabasca-Andromeda Col. A few rapels take us down stee snow slopes, and back down the the glacier below. We are back at the car by 2 pm - 14 hr day.Very good day in the Rockies.

Masseys

Slept in the back of the car in Field friday night, up early and hiked along the railroad tracks to an icefall on Mount Stephen, Masseys Curtain (Grade IV). We climbed a diagonal ice-ramp to get to mid-hieghtm, then set up a toprope to practice.After we were comfortable, JD led up to the top, one vertical pitch followed by one lower angled section.