First Ski Descent of Deltaform’s North Glacier
On January 18, elite ski mountaineers Christina Lustenberger, Brette Harrington, and Guillaume Pierrel completed the first ski descent of the North Glacier of Deltaform Mountain, one of the most demanding peaks in the Canadian Rockies.
Their route followed a 700-meter line averaging 50 degrees, cutting down the rarely visited north side of 3,424m Deltaform Mountain, deep in the Valley of the Ten Peaks above Moraine Lake in Banff National Park.
Ascending the North Glacier. Photo: Guillaume Pierrel
The expedition began early on January 17, when the trio left the Moraine Lake trailhead at 7 a.m. Temperatures were already harsh, with the truck thermometer reading -18°C. Hauling their equipment in toboggans, they covered a 17-kilometer uphill approach to reach the base of the mountain. In summer, the Valley of the Ten Peaks is among the most visited locations in the park; in winter, it is silent, remote, and unforgiving. The team established a winter camp beneath the peak.
The following morning, the climbers ascended a series of exposed ramps leading into a couloir to the right of their intended ski line. Near the top, they constructed an anchor and rappelled onto the hanging glacier, allowing them to continue up the steep and complex upper section.
The first ski descent line of Deltaform Mountain’s North Glacier. Photo: Instagram
A final cold night followed before a long exit on the third day brought the expedition to a close.
Deltaform Mountain is a sharp, iconic summit overlooking Moraine Lake, located on the Alberta-British Columbia border. The mountain was originally named Saknowain by American explorer Samuel E.S. Allen in 1894, but in 1897, Walter Wilcox renamed it Deltaform due to the triangular shape of its north face, resembling the Greek letter delta.
It is the highest peak in the Valley of the Ten Peaks and is widely considered one of the hardest 11,000-footers in the Canadian Rockies, due to its long approaches, loose and shattered rock, and technical terrain. The first ascent was completed in 1903 by Herschel Clifford Parker and August Eggers, guided by Christian Kaufmann and Hans Kaufmann.
According to Lustenberger, the North Glacier was originally climbed in June 1968, but ongoing glacial retreat and increased hazard from serac fall have significantly altered the route. Today, it is no longer recommended and is largely absent from modern guidebooks – making this winter ski descent both a rare and highly committing undertaking.Source: Explorersweb
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