Robertson Pass

Robertson Pass – February 19, 2006

Pass height:               2,896 m (9,499 feet)
Elevation gain:           1,000 m
Ascent time to:          6:00
Descent time from:    3:00

Ski mountaineering with Mark.

I bet those world champion super-G skiers in Torino, Italy are thanking their lucky stars that Mark and I are presently in Calgary, Canada, and not at the present site of the 20th Winter Olympic Games. Had they seen us powering down the Robertson Glacier, skillfully avoiding gaping crevasses, they probably would have just handed us the Gold and Silver medals (Gold for me!), without having the race (a touch of sarcasm here).

Ski ascent number 2 (my third) and the execution of ski mountaineering does not seem to be getting any easier for Mark and me. Once again, we found the ascent to be so physically grueling that we both had nothing left for what should have been an easy descent. Which brings me to the main problem of ski mountaineering (for us): getting down would not be a problem if we didn’t have to get up first! Where’s that ski lift when you need it?

Initially, we thought about attempting the loop route of this trip which takes you up the French and Haig Glaciers and down the Robertson Glacier. That route, however, requires the ascent of a very steep slope just before Robertson Pass that we thought might be seriously avalanche prone, given the recent snow. The ascent via the Robertson Glacier avoids that slope and so that is the route we chose.

Skiing the Burstall Passs Trail was easy and scenic, with great views of Commonwealth, Pig’s Tail, Birdwood, and Snow Peak, and then Robertson and Sir Douglas, as we headed south into the ascent valley. The fresh snow on the Whistling Ridge gave it a particularly Himalayan look. The ascent to the pass was never very steep, however, it was long and fatigue began to set in about halfway up, and although the awesome vertical walls of Robertson’s west face and the northeast side of Sir Douglas were spectacular throughout, the confines of the valley were somewhat view-restricting.

Once on the glacier, we roped up and continued our slow ascent. No crevasses were visible, but better to play it safe. The sun beating directly down on us further exacerbated our fatigue. The higher we got, the slower we moved. Several times we considered giving up, as the group behind us had, but persisted, in hopes of a good view at the pass. That persistence paid off, and a spectacular view awaited us at the top. Mount Maude was particularly striking in the panorama, as well as Mount Jellicoe, Mount Joffre, and of course, the daunting east ridge of mighty Mount Sir Douglas.

We braved a fierce west wind and therefore extremely low temperatures for about 45 minutes, waiting for the clouds to clear a little. Meanwhile a group of two came up from the Haig Glacier to join – apparently that route was still fairly safe. They had made the ascent, via the French and Haig Glaciers, in a speedy 4 hours, even though they said they had taken a leisurely pace – we were very impressed and somewhat envious. We then watched them as they descended the Robertson with graceful ease, losing about 900 m of elevation in about 15 minutes.

The sky did finally clear a little and after taking a few photos we prepared for what we knew was going to be another slow and graceless descent. Though we were both very tired, Mark had definitely suffered more, having hauled a much heavier backpack than I. He found it very discouraging to be unable to use the skills he had practiced at the ski resorts over the last month. Only six days earlier, Mark had made it down a couple of double black diamond ski runs at Panorama and yet couldn’t negotiate this far less steep terrain, more indicative of a blue run. I certainly was not much better. At least we both made it down without having to take off our skis and walk! And lucky for us, the snow was in very good skiing condition and forgivingly accepted our huge snow-plow turns. Had the snow been more wind-blown and icy, things could have been much worse. Once at the valley bottom, the remainder of the trip was easier, but, in our depleted condition, it felt like that Burstall Pass Trail would never end. We were both completely wiped out upon reaching the car.

Even with the difficulties, a very good day out in superb surroundings. We’re not about to give up on ski mountaineering just yet (God knows I almost had to take out a second mortgage to buy the equipment), and hope that in time we’ll be flying down those slopes, instead of crawling.