Ski tour to Fryatt Hut (Sydney Vallance Hut)

A last minute sort of trip, January 11 to 13 I joined up with John L. and Colin B. for a ski trip to the cozy Fryatt Hut, or officially called, the Sydney Vallance Hut. The forecast called for very cold weather starting Sunday, highs near -30 and lows, well colder. We drove up Friday night and slept in Colin’s cool van in the Athabasca parking lot, not too cold, about -20. Drove to the Athabasca river crossing on Saturday (Jan. 11) morning, close to the Kerkeslin Campground, about 50 km south of the Jasper townsite.

Colin's cool van Saturday morning at the Athabasca parking lot. 

Plenty of room for three big guys. 

John had been to the hut several times in the summer and knew where to cross the hopefully frozen Athabasca River. Crossing on the frozen river saves about 7km off the regular summer hike.  From the river crossing, it is about 16km to the hut.  We found a well packed trail all the way to the hut.  A group of 5 was registered to be at the hut. Just before the hut, there is a steep headwall, thankfully the trail was well packed and mostly easy travel.  There is about 750 metres of elevation gain to the hut. After the river crossing, it is flat for much of the trip, then a short gradually up hill to an open valley that ends in the headwall.

John checking out the river crossing, yeah, it looks good.

View up stream, open water is visible.

John and Colin enjoying the ski in.

Snowy trees as we gain elevation.

Open valley above the first campground and first section of real elevation gain.

The headwall is at the end of the valley, took longer than we thought to reach it.

View back towards the highway from this open valley.

We arrived at the hut in 6 hours. The hut was very busy with the 5 other people, felt like we could barely fit, the other group had their stuff spread out everywhere.  Would hate to be at this hut with a full house of 12 people. Sunday morning the other group of 5 dudes left and we had the hut to ourselves.  In the afternoon, John and I did a 3 hour tour above the hut, explored the ice cave and got some turns and some exercise, then back to warm hut. 

The cute little hut. 

Hut interior pano shot.  Great for 3 people.

John just inside the ice cave.

View inside the cave, seemed to continue for a ways, but crampons were a must.

View from the cave.

John and I did a few laps in these trees, okay skiing, 

but anything else was very steep open alpine and a bit scary.

View in the alpine, not the best visibility.

South East end of the South East Ridge of Mt. Belanger.

Monday morning (Jan. 12) was cold, about -38? (couldn't really get an accurate reading on the thermometer), so we made quick time on our ski to avoid lingering in the cold, 4 hours out to the van.  Great weekend with some young guns. 

-38 ish

Great view to Mt. Brussels. 

Lets ski.

Skiing across the small lake below the headwall.

View back across to the headwall.

View south (Sunwapta Peak on the far horizon).