Ice-scape to Brandywine Glacier: an Unofficial Glacier School (2024)

Pre-Glacier School:

I’d like to start off this report with another huge thank you to Jeff Mottershead. Thanks for teaching us the ropes literally and figuratively on glacier traversing and for babysitting 11 eager ‘kids’ for a weekend.

The first part of this trip started two weeks before the actual trip with online lectures on glacier terrain, glacier formation, rescue skills, knots and more. Since not everyone was able to make it to the first one, Jeff ran the lecture twice. It was super helpful in getting some basics down before reaching ice and snow.

The second part was dry-school at Trimble park a week before the trip. Jeff generously donated some accessory cord so everyone could have at least 2 prusiks. We then took turns in partners prusiking up and down the ropes that were thrown over the swingset. We also worked on various knots including the Clove Hitch, Munter, Super Munter, and Munter Mule. While we were there, some scouts came to the playground and said “cool” more than I can count. After everyone was comfortable with both the knots and prusiking, we started rescue practice. Jeff walked the first group of 3 through a demonstration and then the rest of us split into groups of 3 or 4 to practise “crevasse” rescues. In very rookie fashion, none of us brought headlamps and ended up finishing the rescue practice in the dark and rain.

Glacier School Day 1:

The morning of the trip, my car group had a bit of faff including Maya Callister getting locked out of her car with her gear, stopping at VPO in Squamish for Tim Warkentin to pick up some skis, and getting a bit lost on the Brandywine FSR. Side note, VPO Squamish is amazing and so much better than the Vancouer location! After missing a turn on the FSR we called Jeff to help us out but got back on track quickly. After all of the cars reached snow on the FSR, we parked and got ready to skin up. Some spots were a little more rocky than snowy so we carried our skis or split boards a bit, but never long enough to A-frame (thank goodness).

The skin up was pretty mellow and chill. We reached a creek crossing with not a lot of snow bridges so we walked a bit until we found one strong enough to get across. Shortly after we took a mini lunch break with the most intriguing lunch being Kathleen Griffin’s baguette, brie wheel, and sausage. We then continued with Jeff breaking trail (with his 110L pack which is insane) until we got to a recent avalanche debris. Although this was glacier school, it was through the lense of ski touring so we got to practise digging out a probe from the avi debris. Let’s just say digging through an avalanche is quite a bit harder than through fresh snow so it was great practice. Then we headed up again and on a steeper part, Skye McDonald caused two mini loose wet avalanches but he slid not even a metre.

After a bit more trekking uphill we got to a great spot to practise rescues. We split into two groups of three and one group of 5. I was in the group of 5 and Jeff walked us through how to complete a rescue using a snow bollard. Although we had practisedcrevasse rescues earlier that week in the park, it was much different when we had our skis and packs on. As it was the first time we had done a rescue in a group of 5 and the first time in snow, it took us quite a bit of time, but we made it work.

The two groups of three then demonstrated how two rope groups can work together to help the person in the crevasse. Not only was it much simpler but also much faster than the other techniques we had tried. Then all of the groups split up to work on dead-man anchors. In my group Marie-Oceane Caillere went over the edge that time, and although we completed the rescue much faster, she got so cold that Jeff gave her his puffy to keep her warm. Then it was my turn to jump off the edge. This was right after I reminded Jeff of the old TV ad for Life Alert, so when Tim Warkentin came to check on me, I used the slogan “help I’ve fallen and can’t get up”. During this rescue, Jeff explained how to use pulleys in the 3:1 system.

After having practised rescues for about five hours we headed up to the glacier to make camp. We ended up doing some switchbacks and walking the ridge as it was getting dark. Then we set up camp, dug out our tent pads and created wind walls. After a late dinner that was more like a midnight snack, everyone went to bed. At night it didn’t go much below 0C, and the winds were calm. I did sleep like a baby probably from being tired from all of the digging, and not having the Brock Commons dorm construction going.

Glacier School Day 2:

Although the group’s wake up time was 8am, Skye and Callum Abraham went out for a morning ride and were riding back to camp just as everyone was waking up and as it started to snow! I never thought I’d see snow in May so I was very excited. Breakfast was then cheffed up at the campsite.

After breakfast, Jeff taught us how to use snow pickets, and ice screws to create v-threads but unfortunately the snow was too soft to hold any weight. We then got to practise some self arresting, and for the sake of practising we did so without our packs or skis. We dove down the slope sometimes feet sometimes head first and various other orientations. Unfortunately during one of Tim’s self-arrests, he tore through his jacket.

After doing that for a while, we went down to camp and split up into rope groups of 2, 3, and 6 to practise glacier travel. Jeff taught us how to switch leads in the group emphasising the need to minimise slack in the system, and how to make a blind man’s cane out of our probe with the probe bag to make sure that we don’t walk off a windlip or into a crevasse during white out conditions. Jeff then showed us some more cornices and explained how and where one should set up camp on a glacier. Being part of the group of 3 (me, Kathleen, and Marie-Oceane), we were tasked with demonstrating finding where to set up camp and probing the entire area out. Spoiler alert, it’s a lot of probing to make sure you’re not sleeping on a crevasse.

When we got back to camp, we had lunch. James Kissane unfortunately forgot his but Jeff kindly offered up a sandwich. Jeff then surprised most of us by saying that we could be G1 assistant instructors in the fall if we got on a glacier at least one more time this summer. He then showed us two ways on how to do a seated belay while the other roped up member is skiing down or climbing up a steeper section. We may have used this technique during a steeper descent that Jeff wanted to try but because of white out conditions, we all went down the more mellow line into the valley. Going down was a fun time since when is skiing not fun At one point some of us couldn’t see where the others in the group went so we had to wait a couple minutes for it to clear up a bit before continuing.

Once everyone regrouped near to the bottom of the valley, we continued our descent over some more avalanche debris and some small hills. When we reached a flatter section, we transitioned back to skinning. Not long after, Maya and I decided to not use skins since the snow was slushy and grippy enough to just climb up. This made the short downhill sections so much more fun without having to think about the added friction from our skins.

Since a VOC trip isn’t complete without me falling, on a rocky section near the cars, of course I hit a rock and fell. I wasn’t the only one who fell on this trip, but that just makes it all the more fun. Unfortunately the snow had turned to rain part way down so when we reached the cars we were soaked but everyone was still in a cheery mood. On the way down the FSR we saw a black bear chilling on the side of the road. It was the first time I saw a bear not in a zoo, which was kinda cool.

All in all, I feel as though this glacier school was a great introductory trip to glacier travel with skis/split boards and another huge thanks to Jeff for instructing and answering all of our many, many questions.