Sorcerer Lodge – Day 3- Wizard Gullies – Swiss Col – Ventego Lake – Swiss Bowl – Wizard Gullies

Useful links:

Sorcerer Lodge
Attempt at Mt Iconoclast just north of Sorcerer – see Day 12
Detailed map of terrain around Sorcerer from cabin wall (LARGE FILE)
Trim data map of Sorcerer from BC government data (LARGE FILE)
Link to John Seibert’s Sorcerer Lodge ski-mountaineering trip report
Stan Wagon’s Alchemist to Sorcerer Lodge traverse trip report (north from Argentine to Iconoclast area)

Days with bad visibility remind you to appreciate days where you can see. Yesterday we got the bonus of clear skies and headed to the Nordic Glacier. Today the forecast wasn’t as bright. While some of the group headed to the Perfect Glacier and Perfect Pass area, Greg, Sharon, MB and I headed off to Swiss Col. I was still really excited about the views that we got of Iconoclast from yesterday and badly wanted to get on the Iconoclast Glacier to take a look at the approach to this 3200+ m giant of the northern Selkirks.

Preparing for the 300m downhill right outside the lodge ~photo Greg Paulhus

Sharon laying down tight tracks on Wizard Gullies – I laid the tracks to the right

Swiss Col and the “Cheap Scotch” area isn’t quite as wildly spectacular as the Nordic and Escargot glaciers but it still has some fine skiing. Half the bowl is in tree-line. The weather never really got as bad as we feared and for the better part of the morning visibility wasn’t even that bad. We dug a pit to check how faceted the snow was on wind-ward W aspects (it was pretty faceted) then tried to drop into the Lower Iconoclast Glacier but turned back as visibility went to pot almost as soon as we dropped in.

So we settled for doing some exploration of Swiss Bowl traversing around the bowl and heading over to the ridge separating Swiss Bowl and the Dark Side of the Moon bowl.

Ascent to Swiss Col ~photo Greg Paulhus

Sharon at Swiss Col

Dropping down Swiss Col

Gaining the rocky wind-swept ridge separating Swiss Bowl and Dark Side of the Moon

Dark Side of the Moon – offlimits to touring till heli-skiing is over

Snow was excellent on almost all the E and SE aspects we skied. Stability was good and everything appeared to be settling well. We closed out the day by getting a 600 m shot from the top of the ridge down to Ventego Creek screaming down through the spaced glades.