Day 3

The goal for day 3 was simple; find a way up and over Yagi ridge. It would be a short 5.3 km, +640 m day (from camp 1.5 to camp 2 in the route planning post) starting with a crossing of the north fork of Tadekho creek (an early morning creek crossing followed by a climb out of a valley would be a common theme as we cross the Spectrum Range). If we could make Nagha creek by the end of the day, we would consider that a success.

A cold breakfast at the start of a frosty morning.

Getting ready for another chilly boots-off stream crossing.

Looking back at Kuno peak and last night's camp location at its base.

With the creek crossing out of the way it was a gentle climb to the start of the scree slopes fronting Yagi ridge. We worked or way west to the approach we had scouted using binoculars the day before. The path looked to be mostly clear of snow all the way to the top.

Looking east up the valley along Yagi ridge. A climb over this section would put you right on top of Nagha glacier.

Kuno peak with its receding glacier.

Christoph and Alejandra hiking along the low scree mounds that front Yagi Ridge (Outcast hill in the background).

The climb up Yagi ridge started out easy enough - lots of loose rock but not too steep. That would soon change.

High on the slope of Yagi ridge looking east (Kuno peak on the right and Yeda peak up the center).

We didn't take many pictures on the climb. There were few places to safely stop and rest on the ever steepening and loose scree. We would take a step and wait for the sliding to stop before advancing our poles and taking another short step. Slow and steady was the best approach here.

The higher we climbed, the steeper it got.

At this point I was glad we were going up and not climbing down from the other direction. The route we chose looked clear all the way to the top but we reached a point where we had to traverse the slope with some vertical drops above and beneath us - the exposure was certainly more that we expected to encounter. At one point we reached a particularly steep pitch where the loose scree turned to hard rock with some loose overlay. It looked all but impassable but Christoph took the lead and guided us up the worst of it.

Not quite at the top and with one more steep pitch to go, Alejandra takes a break on a small bench above the most difficult part of the climb.

Finally at the summit and relieved to put the climb behind us.

Looking west along Yagi ridge.

Looking back at where we started from in the morning.

Looking east along Yagi ridge.

Looking north to our first view of  snow-covered Mount Edziza, far in the distance on the left.

It was hard not to linger too long on Yagi ridge - the views were incredible in all directions.

Obsidian ridge still covered in a thick blanket of snow from last week's blizzard.

The descent down the north face of Yagi ridge was a lot more manageable. Patches of snow on the upper slopes added to the picturesque scene.

On the approach to Nagha creek our search for a suitable campsite commences.

Ptarmigan were common throughout Edziza. They had little fear of us and we were able to get quite close.

When we arrived at Nagha creek it was mid-afternoon with the temperature a respectable 16 C. The creek was quite high and although it was still crosssable, we decide to save it for the next morning when the level would be lower with the colder overnight temperatures.

Looking east from our campsite with Nagha glacier and the creek flowing straight out from underneath it.

Looking south towards the east end of Yagi ridge from our camp just above Nagha creek.

Nagha creek was running high and muddy so we pulled our drinking water from a small trickle running off the slope just east of our camp.

The view to the west down the Nagha creek drainage.

Every night the stars were out in full force, with the Milky Way dominating the skyline. We were hoping for some Northern Lights but they never materialized.