Destroyer of Worlds

Destroyer Peak, BC rockies. A pretty small peak of 2700m and change, but somehow maintains a rather large glacier. And two steep rad ice faces on the N and NE flanks.

On the drive in, we were treated to a rather spectacular sunrise to the south:

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After the truck took us up the grueling, steep access road, there was a bit of thrashing up mossy bedrock and a ravine. Once topped out, we emerged in a charming maze of meadows.

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Looking back down to the meadows on return
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This is grizz country

After the meadows we had to cross over a low ridge north of Destroyer to get into the right drainage for the line we wanted. Ascending the mucky scree on the west side was relatively easy, but on the other side was a steep descent down to the hanging valley. Not nearly enough snow to ski on, but still we chained together as many snowfields as we could. The alternative was walking down a couple inches of loose scree on ice. I guess it’s all old, buried glacier, as the ice was rock hard, but the rocks ontop were not frozen together or bonded into the ice at all.

Then we were at the toe of the gentle glacier heading up toward Destroyer. As we got higher, we got our first glimpse of the north face. Weather was a bit uncooperative for good pictures, but perfect for good shredding and stability. We had intended to climb the less steep NE face and ski either face, but there was a nasty looking spiderweb of bergshrunds at the base of the NE. So we skinned up the north face a ways then donned crampons and booted to the top.

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Looks kinda steep

 

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Looking down onto main glacier

 

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Then time to go down yeeeeew!

I was trying to get to less sketchy thin snow on the right. and it ended up just getting worse. To the point that I didn’t feel comfortable making a hop turn to go back left. I was going to plug the ice with a screw so I could make my turn on protection and get back left.Then Ryan showed how it was done, fast and smooth and I dittoed. Such a fun run, the biggest little 200m face on the biggest little 2700m peak.

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Re-ascending the ridge to the road drainage. Yayyy…
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Destroyer N face on left (tracks), and NW slab couloirs. Sooooo cool!!
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Frigate Mountain from the meadows

 

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