Despite the Australian Rules Grand Final the preceding night (which only really effected two of us!) we set out not too far past our scheduled 6am start time on the way to the Duffey Lake Road, shortly beyond Pemberton. Three or so hours and lots of coffee later we made our first stop to examine avalanche paths opposite the road. Several more stops were made for this purpose until shortly after lunch, at which point the day people headed home again and we headed off the bitumen and up to the trail head. Abandoning the vehicles the nine of us marched behind James towards Keith's Hut, stopping only to cough and wheeze. After breaking the new record for the steep, but thankfully short, final section, we spent the rest of the afternoon/evening basking beneath the magnificent scenery and preparing a smorgasbord of curries, stir fries and some beautiful salmon (courtesy of Chris). When it came time for bed, two squeezed into the overfull hut, two into our only tent and the remaining six of us were lulled to sleep under an endless blanket of stars.
Once again the morning dawned fine, and a little damp, and when the last stragglers were finally extracted from their sleeping bags we set off toward the glacier. First we climbed the moraine parallel to the glacier before walking along the knife thin moraine ridge. The trip down to the glacier proved a little intimidating over some loose moraine, but proved well worthwhile, giving us the opportunity to peer into some small crevasses, see the blue ice of the glacier, examine some snow particles, observe debris flow and inspect a selection of other features and processes the names of which I can't currently summon to memory. After a hike back over the moraine, a quick lunch at the hut and a speedy walk back down to the trailhead we were on the road home again.
My thanks (and I'm sure those of my fellow explorers) go to James and Steve for their organisation, chauffeuring, interpretation, teaching and patience. Also a thanks to Mother Nature (in whatever reincarnation) for the finest weekend of weather we could have wished for.
Enough of my drivel now, onto the photos:
 Avalanche paths, Mt. Rohr (sp?) |
Avalanche hazard above the Duffey Lake Rd. |
 Last stop for the day trippers, Duffey Lake. |
Mt. Joffre and Anniversary Glacier from near Keith's Hut. |
 Walking the moraine ridge. |
What a lecture theatre! |
| A crevasse! |
Wes checking out the snow. |
| One for the folks back home! |
Mandatory group shot. |
| I thinks it's called sediment flow. |
Lunchtime at Keith's Hut. |
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