Burstall Pass II – December 26, 2006         

Pass height:                   2380 m
Elevation gain:               472 m 
Ascent time:                  2:20
Descent time:                1:50

Solo alpine touring.

On the sound advice of a couple of experienced AT skiers, I decided to “ease” myself into the alpine touring season, with the relatively short and easy trip to Burstall Pass. I thought the day might be a bust, when about ten minutes up the trail the muscles in my feet and ankles were already screaming bloody murder. That passed about one hour later and so I continued up.

I arrived at Burstall Pass perhaps about 30 minutes too early. It was relatively cloudy, but also too cold to hang around and wait for clearer skies. Slight clearing did occur, but not until I was back down in the valley.

The descent started off quite well and I managed to get in a few turns (very wide ones!). As the descent gully narrowed, however, my true skiing colours began to show and there was more than one awkward move and two face-plants. Back down at the flats, the ski back to the car was not quite as physically strenuous as when Mark and I returned from Robertson Pass, earlier this year, but it was no picnic either! A decent first trip out on skis.   

Mount Inflexible from Highway 40

The Fortress from Wedge Pond

Looking south to Mount Robertson (just left of centre) and Robertson Pass

Mount Birdwood from above the headwall

The south side of Snow Peak

Birdwood, Pig's Tail, and Commonwealth Peak

Mount Sir Douglas from Burstall Pass

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