Hector

Skied Mt Hector via the North glacier. Below treeline we found 10-15cm of heavy snow on top of a supportive crust. Good bootpacking coming past the waterfall on the left side, ice axes were useful gaining the steep crusty upper sections, crampons would've been nice had we put them on. Old debris up to size 2 all around the waterfall. Conditions on the glacier vary, but are generally good. We probed an average of at least 250cm, although did scrape thinly buried ice on a windward slope around 3200m, ski crampons were helpful for this short section but we didn't use them otherwise. A few sags noted around 2900m. Snow conditions changes from settled and wind effected on the lower glacier to deep powder above 3250m. Some cracking propagating less than a meter of the skis but we couldn't get anything to move stomping above the skintrack. Hand shears produced fractures with moderate force in the progressively resistant F-4F upper snowpack. There is a shiny anchor with a rappel ring and handline made of 7mm cord near the top of the crux section just lookers right of the summit block. Didn't notice much sun fading or visible damage on the rope.