LIABILITY WAIVER This mountain conditions advisory is provided as a public service by Aspiring Guides Ltd. It is intended as an advisory only. Those endeavouring to travel into any of the areas mentioned do so at their own risk. Backcountry travellers should be well informed about current weather, snowpack and avalanche hazards and should not travel alone. All members of your party should wear a transceiver (457khz) and know how to use it. In addition everyone should carry a shovel, and a probe. Travellers should advise someone where they are travelling, and when they will next make contact.

Topic: Aspiring NW ridge 7/04/10

Comment: Snow coverage this season is better than the previous couple of years (at this time) allowing straightforward access from Shipowner ridge onto Iso glacier and around to Therma.

Colin Todd hut direct access is possible. It is mostly hard blue ice, but by climbing out hard right, snow patches can be negotiated and softest in late afternoon.

Snow from the top of the ramp is a thin layer of refrozen snow on top of hard blue ice.

I descended snow slopes halfway along lower NW ridge and had no problems with the schrund... good descent on steep, soft snow.

Entered by: Gavin Lang

Comment: Good glacial access still exists to most routes. There is considerably more depth of snow on the neves than last 2 years. However, access to Colin Todd Hut by normal (upper) route is back to exposed ice on the steepest section. I used the lower route whenever conditions were firm.

Main Hazards:

1/ There are some deep glacial pools on Bonar neve and the latest HS 5cm could make for disguised frozen surfaces.

2/ The lower section of the frozen avo debris under Hector Col is VERY thin and hollow -- be extremely conservative.

3/ Bevan Col lower gorge has been re-worked by spring avalanches. The scree slope on true left is now steeper, and the lower half of the scree slope is currently too unstable for clients. This makes the route SIGNIFICANTLY more challenging for guided parties in wet conditions.

Entered by: Marty B

Comment: *Qdeck still in good shape

*Ramp looks NASTY w/ basal ice and crevasses through mid section

*SW Ridge looks way dry and horrible

*Approach to Colin Todd getting tricky with hard ice coming through- don't be afraid to fix a line or approach from base of ridge when the access gets really bad in a few more weeks

*Watch snow bridges in debris below Hector Col- still completely solid but getting more hollow all the time - scary!

Entered by: Heinrick Thurlow

Comment: NW ridge by Kangaroo, glacier in good conditions till the Kangaroo, access to Kangaroo is cut on the snow, a short step on rock and gain the frozen snow with a couple of crevasess but still good, only in the right of this part take care with the snow patch over because its falling down and doing avalanche, you can see from the hut this area.

The summit ice is good, each day less time on the snow, it's like bubble ice, not steep, cleaning good can work sometimes icescrew for belay to the client and for lower him-her in case.

Back from Quarderdeck, Bonar more broken each day, but you can see the narrow crevasses, from the pass to french ridge, still good, more crevassed, take the left side close to the edge at the beginning ;after right,after another time left and right close to the Mount French rock wall, doing like a Z during your descent.

Perfect weather and good conditions. Thanks another time Tititea

Entered by: Aritza Monasterio

Comment: Good walking conditions on neve except two sections of glacial ice exposed in descent route.

After descending the left side near the edge, take a right then a left to get around an awkward crevasse.

Entered by: stefan

Comment: Glacier acces to the ramp very good conditions,snow hard on january 26,Schrund more collapsed than 1 week ago,but this day more easy to cross it,gain the rock and the begining of the colouir now on rock,but still good to get the snow on the ramp,few days later probably schrund will be pretty much difficult to cross,....

Snow on the Ramp in very good conditions,frozen hard snow and also better for the anchors with snow pickets.

Above the shoulder each day less snow,and go walking on the loose rocks pretty much time,till the last part to the summit ridge,where the ice its in good conditions till the summit.

Go down via Kangaroo,snow there very good also at 13:00 h. afternoon,easy to little bit downclimb and cross,walk down the glacier very good conditions on the snow.

Bevan Col on good conditions too,1 rap after some downclimb on the ledges,this rap till the creek and a old snow patch,after walk down to the head of valley.

We were lucky with the weather and the conditions,perfect days trip,....Thanks Tititea,....

Entered by: Aritza

Topic: Aspiring Ascent - 21/1/2010

Comment: Approach to the ramp in good conditions the glacier. Schrund its openning now; broken and close to collapse. Ramp still good and less snow above on the ridge sumit. Last part to the top ice but good condition more or less.

Bonar glacier opening each day but good still to traverse via Quarderdeck. Quarderdeck good condition to French ridge hut.

Entered by: Aritza

Topic: Aspiring Ascent 16/1/2010

Comment: Descending Bevan col the snow still fills the gully until the meadows before entering the drainage of the creek.

In the drainage itself the scree/moraine on the true right of the creek has been bulldozed by winter conditions and has no visible tack (making for awkward walking on loose stuff)

At the base of the rappell there is a large piece of neve, which impedes easy downclimbing and complicates the lowering of a client. I used a knifeblade piton to facilitate this section (20m down from the rappel anchors).

Sounds like French ridge goes easier.

"At times following the path of water is not that of least resistance".

Entered by: Stefan

Comment: Still good, easy access on Bonar to Col Todd, Ramp, Q-Deck etc..., Schrund at the bottom of Ramp can be passed on the left with short steep start, clients need second tool. Good snow stakes up entire ramp, steep all the way without the usual flattening/short roping for the last few pitches. Summit ice cap very easy with 20 cm NS making footing easy, undoubtedly will return to usual sastrugi soon. Cramponing all the way on summit ridge with any rock showing yet

Note - with changeable weather and cold fronts the rock faces above the Ramp get very iced up. The first warming brings danger of falling ice - descend the NW ridge if you feel this is a hazard. The NW descent route is a little tricky until snow melts off it. Possibly related to warming temps was a near miss on approach to ramp where a large rock nearly hit a climber.

When the weather is hot and sticky, that's no time to test your talent, but when the frost is on the pumpkin, that's the time to go

Entered by: Whitney Messner

Comment: Friday 8 around 15 cm new snow out of the Colin Todd Hut.Traverse to French Ridge via Quarderdeck quiet good with the new snow.Quarderdeck in good conditions,cross quite to left in the pass and after mostly in the middle going down to French Ridge.Almost the same way than 10 days ago."Kiwi weather all the last week",.....

Entered by: Aritza

Comment: Good conditions on the ramp,and the last part to the top good,scale ice to end to top.

Bonar glacier in good conditions to Quarderdeck,the pass good,a schrund easy at the moment to cross down more on left side to cross this,after on the middle down on snow till the F.Ridge hut,fine at the moment this way.

Entered by: Aritza Monasterio

Comment: Access on to Kangeroo good with buttress above mostly free of snow.Ramp and SW ridge appear to hold good ice following recent rain to 3000m.Boner very good between CT Hut and Q/deck.Upper Q/deck starting to open up but easy access, at the moment, down the middle.Snow all the way down to FR hut.

Entered by: Simon Howells

Topic: Aspiring 6 Dec

Melt freeze crust starting to improve since recent rain event that caused the snowpack to become rather rotten. There was still some breakable crust on the glacier.

The ramp is straight forward and low angle at this stage.

Some ice screws were used on the summit pitches.

The quarterdeck is still nicely filled in and there is snow as far as French ridge hut.

The radio at Colin Todd has been fixed and there is now a new washing up bowl.

Stefan

Comment: 5cm crust over unconsolidated snow. Anchors on the ramp were t-slots. Good freeze needed for crust to be supportive.

Bevan Col route out still mostly snow down to valley. Gut was fast travel as still full of snow. Short roped into valley. Caution needed with contd warm temps and rain as the stream will be melting snow weakening bridges. DR

Entered by: Davie Robinson

Topic: Quarter Deck Conditions 27 Nov 2009

Comment: Most slots still completely filled in. Access easy was able to take a central line top to bottom.

Entered by: Andy Cole

Topic: Colin Todd area 22 Nov 2009

Comment: A firm ice layer exists under the surface snow layer in many places. This helped with travel on the flat, but in warm conditions on slopes made for awkward skating of crampons when the balling-up was excessive (even with rubber anti-ball plates). This underlying ice layer may also give rise to unstable surface snow conditions with continued warm conditions (nb probably already settled out after arrival of NW).

Very few crevasses evident.

Therma Gl route is cut off at final slope.

Rolling Pin traverse is all snow.

CT Hut radio has a very delicate microphone jack arrangement -- be gentle, and better still get DOC to give you a new one.

Entered by: Marty

Topic: Mt Aspiring November 6 2009 

Comment: Colin Todd Hut radio not working at present. Kea damage from hut door being left open. DOC aware of the damage. Water tanks are full of solid ice and the tap on the water tank is broken. The Ramp looks like good access but heavily laden with snow at present. Straightforward access up the Therma Glacier route. Upper third of the ridge – good ice. Used ice screw anchors for the final 2 pitches to the summit. Good access down Bevan Col, however extreme caution required if temperature rises rapidly.

Entered by: Simon Howells