Mt Steele Expedition, Canada, 2019
Our main objective was Mt Steele (5073m), in the Kluane National Park in the Canadian Yukon, north of Mount Logan. We travelled from Whitehorse and were flown onto the glacier by Icefield Discovery.
Despite poor weather and open crevasses, we covered the 10 miles to the foot of Steele, but were stopped by blue ice on the final 1000m face of the peak. It required proper alpine climbing gear and we had come equipped to ski.
Team: Susie Amann (organiser), Dave Griffiths, Steve Moore, Cathy O’Dowd, Howard Pollitt, Jack Waters (organiser)
The team thanks the ESC and Austrian Alpine Club for their support.
Yearbook write-up https://www.eagleskiclub.org.uk/yearbook-articles/2019/mt-steele-expedition-canada
Added 09 Jan 20 by CathyOdowd
Mount Steele in the distance, we have have to ski most of the way.
Weighing people and gear before departure.
The long wait for a weather window that would allow for take-off.
Basecamp, with the Icefield Discovery plane. It could fly two people at a time.
Acclimatising with a day trip up Mt Jedken.
Our intrepid leader nearly skiing into a crevasse.
Ready to pull loads to our Advanced Base Camp.
Dug in at advanced base camp.
Debating the route onwards.
Doing a recce up Mt SE Steele, with magnificent glacier views below us.
A brief bothy bag shelter in bad weather.
On the move over SE Steele, Mt Walsh (4507m) visible in the background.
Pulling loads over SE Steele, with Mt Logan (highest peak in Canada) visible behind.
The joys of pulling haulbags.
Digging in high camp. The wind then shifted and our walls became snow traps.
Off to investigate the final face, before deciding we didn't have the right gear to tackle it.
Looking down over vast glaciers.
Digging ourselves out during bad weather at high camp.
Humping the gear back over SE Steele.
Ready to start the ski down off SE Steele.
The long slog back to base camp.
Bad weather means no flights....
Waiting at base camp is getting tedious....
A break in the weather and the plane can come it!