| Ref: Sean Dougherty's Selected Alpine Climbs. |
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Waterfall on the way to Aster Lake.
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| Alpine
climb: Amazing, incredible and memorable trip. Wess, Dan and I bivied at Aster Lake. Another solo
hiker camped nearby. We were awakened during the night by some
screaming and yelping. Thinking someone was being attacked by a
bear, we quickly got up, put on our helmets and armed ourselves with
our
alpine axes and flares. My heart was thumping and blood was rushing; this intense feeling was interrupted by
laughter. We found out the following day that a bunch of teens had
hiked
around the lake in the dark. These kids went through our stashed camp
stuff while we where gone and stole headlamps and
flares. Victims of theft all the way out here...
unbelievable... Anyway, the hike to the glacier felt long but the scenery is awesome. Once on the
glacier, the north face reveals itself; it looks steep. From close, the grade isn't as
impressive. Climbing under blue-sky definitely added a nice touch and a
sense of safety. At the top, the view is stunning, as you would expect
it to be from this very lofty mountain. I couldn't believe I was
standing on the summit of Mount Joffre; me, little Jo. That moment was the
highlight of the day; now, we had to return to the car. The hike
back was very long. I remember the last trudge around the lake, it was
brutal. To this day, I have never experienced such fatigue
and pain. I suffered inflammation in my knees and eventually my hips.
Joffre marked my seventh scramble in eight days (one day of approach). |
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Mount Joffre from
the gravel flats.
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The best view of
Joffre is from Mount Cordonnier. |
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An up-track is
visible on the north glacier (picture taken in 2011). |
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Stepping onto the
glacier, the north face appears very steep. |
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A closer look at the
summit plod. |
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Right on buddies,
we're there! |
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South-east view and
Mount Abruzzi, right of center. |
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Looking south-west
towards Limestone Lakes. |
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Looking down on the
approach. |
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On the way down the
steep bit. |
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