BOU AVENUE
Mount Arethusa
Dan Millar and I scrambled up Mount Arethusa (2912 metres) on 14 July 2001.  At the start, we bushwhacked alongside the outlet creek for awhile before stumbling upon a good trail leading up to the meadows below the cirque.  Near the highway, this trail actually has a huge sign beside it, but it is camouflaged by the trees and easy to miss.  Dan flagged the trailhead on our way out.  At the cirque, we plodded up the requisite tedious scree slope and gained the col overlooking Burns Lake before continuing north along the ridge towards the summit.  Not far along the ridge, we came upon an exposed 5-metre chimney that had to be downclimbed--the crux of the ascent.  Despite dry conditions, the chimney still required some focus and attention as many of the hand/footholds are downsloping and slippery.  Other than one steep drop-off which required a short backtrack, the rest of the ridge presents few problems, and despite the seemingly endless number of false summits, we eventually made it to the true summit.  We had lunch here while watching numerous parties scrambling up nearby Mount Rae.

For our return, we foolishly chose to go down Alan Kane's optional descent route.  As we worked our way down, it became increasingly clear that this route was out of shape.  The alarmingly steep gully was choked with ice and snow with meltwater running underneath--a most dangerous situation.  Unfortunately, once we were committed to the gully, there was really no turning back.  Our ice axes proved to be invaluable as we descended long stretches of crumbling snow and ice.  On a few occasions, the snow broke under my feet, and I was only saved from a nasty slide when my backpack wedged itself between rock and snow.  There were also many spots where I was literally dangling my feet in the air.  After what seemed like an eternity, we eventually reached the safety of the scree slope at the bottom of the gully.  In retrospect, we were extremely lucky to get down unscathed.  A slip on the steep slabs or rock/icefall in the gully may have resulted in more serious or even tragic consequences.
A lot of fun.
Dan pauses after downclimbing the crux (the cleft at right).
Gonna fly now!
 Dan stands atop a false summit.  Mount Rae is at right.
Three legs are better than two!
The terrain seen here is typical of much of the ridge leading to the summit.
Where's the register?
The Summit of Mount Arethusa
Do not come here.
This is the harrowing descent gully.  Note the gaping hole in the snow at bottom right.  The photo does not do justice to the steepness of the gully.
Not a lot of fun.
 Dan carefully works his way down the smooth slabs.