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: Centennial 2-8 Apr 2010
Comment: Access to hut all good from above and below.
From the air, West Hoe looks like it still goes; Chancellor access all gd; however Newton Pass looks cut off.
Plenty of good crevasses for skills and climbing on Davis and Chamberlain.
Doc still not fitted new water tank and the new one currently shades the tap causing frequent freezing!
Rain event on Sat 3/4 resulted in a 1cm ice layer which produced recrystalisation facetting above and below. On Weds this had 10cms of 1F snow from Sunday on top of it, and this layer had 10cms of + F snow from Tuesday night on top.
At 2400m, NW aspect (shady till pm), 30deg glacial slope. Produced a moderate hand shear "Sudden Planar" on the facetting above the ice layer.
Entered by: Dave Alderson
Topic: Pioneer 21/2/2010
Comment: Travel thru neves around Pioneer Hut is still straightforward; however, the cols between Explorer and Davis are becoming trickier as crevasses expand. West Ho and Halcolme/Von Bulow Pass are easiest but latter could soon become impassable.
Quality classic ascents around Pioneer are getting hard to find. Haidinger, Haast and Triad are very dry. Traverse of Grey is still ok, but rocky. Lendenfeld is in good condition once thru lower access.
Entered by: Marty B
Topic: Fox Neve/ Marcel Col 17/2/10
Comment: Good walking conditions anytime of days. Foot pen minimal even after warming due to old snow. Access to Pioneer still possible from all angles. Two options to access to Marcel Col...
1 Via slopes under Lendenfeld. Scramble up lookers left of rock debris (recent and active). The rock debris has conveniently filled some slots.
2 Via Haast corner. This involves some belays across bridges and down/ up some slopes. A bit more convoluted and not as fast as the Lendenfeld option.
Old rotten, refrozen snow on Lendenfeld and Tasman. Good for pro, but not so straightforward for downclimbing and short-roping.
Entered by: Gavin Lang
Topic: Franz Neve 17/2/2010
Comment: Access on to most peaks difficult due to very open schrunds.However, access onto North face of Aurora is currently straight forward.Access around Centennial Hut ok. Widespread areas of active rockfall all along Divide at present.Some snow slopes stripped back to blue ice(take a few ice screws).
Entered by: Simon Howells
Topic: Centennial/ Pioneer hut area 19 Jan 2010
Comment: On arrival (15th), evidence of loose snow and slab slides on all aspects. Otherwise no activity observed.
Excellent climbing and access to Minarets with sugary/ granular snow.
West Hoe direct access going out of condition.... will still be possible with a traverse on climbers right. However, Halcombe still looks mint.
Access to Chancellor also still straightforward.
Entered by: Gavin Lang
Topic: Pioneer/ Centennial : 2nd Jan '10
Comment: Access to and from both huts still fine.
On arrival (31/12/09) at Centennial a hard layer at 20cm caused easy failure of all tested upright snowstakes (T-slots and upright mid-clips very strong).... but this hard layer disappeared with the recent rain events (FL 3500m) and left a mid calf isothermal snowpack (slow going in the afternoon).
West Hoe pass is possible straight up the middle and should last well.
Grey Peak also accessible from the north.
Solar lighting at Centennial will work if you reset all the fuses.
Entered by: Gavin
Topic: Pioneer region to 28-12-09
Comment: Neves still hold extensive snow cover but rock faces and ridges are mostly now exposed. Access to upper Heemskirt Gl/Marcel Col still possible hard under Haast Ridge but may not last the next rain event. Standard route to Marcel Col via Lendenfeld toe is in good shape. Good access to most peaks, and thru West Ho and Halcolme Passes. Descent to Chancellor looks straightforward.
The Pioneer Hut access schrund is opening up -- beware when approaching from the helo landing zone.
Entered by: Marty B
Topic: Centennial 6 Dec 09
Comment: 30+ cm HN from east 2/12/09 overlies old snow. A 10cm surface crust was poorly bonded in shady, higher elevations to the underlying layers. Snow surface was supportive following freezes, but surface penetration was ankle + deep in afternoons. Some class 2+ point releases occurred immediately following the easterly snowfall, but little observed since. Cornices still existing on some Main Divide ridge areas.
Generally good crevasse cover, but bergschrunds are opening. Pluto N-S traverse is in good nick. NW Face Minarets is straightforward. Nth Face Auroroa then ridge traverse to Meteor gullies is ok for small strong team.
Entered by: Marty B
Topic: Pioneer Hut : 3 Dec 2009
Comment: Still good coverage on the glacier - e.g. no crevasses open yet on climb up to Pioneer pass. Still on snow to the loo! Crevasse below hut just starting to open.
If clear skies then we had freeze till mid-afternoon. if cloudy we had calf to knee deep snow.
Fresh snow (10cm) 2nd Dec and small wet slides observed around the neve.
Entered by: Jo Haines
Topic: Centennial Area 1st Dec 09
Comment: Great coverage and access to hut possible from all approaches.
Halcombe, Newton and West Hoe passes all look open (from the air)... Halcombe looks most straightforward. The trough also looks perfectly accessible.
Snowpack was originally supportive until late afternoon, but then rain and warmer temperatures produced a sloppy, knee to calf deep slog.
One wet slide (size2) seen off the southern slopes of Newton rocks (about 1900m) otherwise no avo activity observed.
Entered by: Gavin
Topic: Pioneer 19 Nov 2009
Comment: Easy glacier travel around Pioneer and good climbing conditions should return when it gets colder. A couple of buried crusts in the snowpack but no natural avalanches observed even with freezing level >3000m from 21st. Snow generally pretty soft (vertical stakes went in too easily.) S. faces of Mallory and Barnicoat look very dry but Douglas is looking good. From the air, travel to Chancellor appears straightforward.
The Pioneer water tank valve is now fixed but the hut lights are out of action - maybe take a couple of candles until they're fixed. The radio still works fine.
Entered by: Adrian Camm
Topic: Pioneer Nov 19th
Comment: Great conditions on the south face of Alack, and also south face of Douglas. sounds like the conditions on Lendenfeld are pretty glazed. We had 30cm of new snow while there which came in warm and locked down, then to be coated with 20- 40 cm of powder and windslab lee to the NW. Should be settling out as we speak.
Entered by: Stefan
Topic : Pioneer Region 13 Nov 2009
Comment: Extensive snow cover, firm snow/ice on steeper slopes, minimal crevasse issues, very good snow stability, and a supportive surface crust allowed for excellent climbing conditions in the Pioneer region during the past week.
West Hoe, Newton, and Halcolme Saddle are all easily passable, but Newton (already) requires a long traverse under Christie on western side.
The Pioneer Hut water tank is mostly frozen and the hut is lacking water containers. The solar lights are broken.
Entered by: Marty B
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