Mt Whymper ski tour

Gary Millard , Monday 22nd April, 2024 8:20AM

Skied up Mt Whymper on Saturday morning (April 20, 2024). The uptrack in the Chickadee Valley was icy in the morning and slushy in the afternoon, on the way out. The north face of Whymper was mostly shaded and stayed frozen and dry while we were there (off the face by 2pm). The lower steep moraine had hard crust either at the surface or just under some powder. We boot packed up that part as skis didn't penetrate enough for the skins to stick. It was still frozen when we descended it at 2pm. The upper slopes were 4-8cm of powder over a firm base - the turns were amazing! No sign of snow movement, but the cornices over the final slope were in full sun and had us moving quickly through that area.