Tszil is pretty easy. Go down Stonecrop face and on descenders left just before the last funnel dropping you down to the 3rd lake there's an obvious snow ramp dropping down further to the glacial remnant NE of Tszil glacier. To add a bit of sport go straight up Tszil's N face (~ 40 - 45 deg) and there's two ramps to gain the peak proper. The left ramp has some sporty rock choss and thin snow usually to gain the peak ridge so i bypassed and took the climbers right chute direct which is a bit narrow ( it was a ski and half length when we skied it) but also goes right to the peak.

Spetch is also pretty easy. You can go direct straight up the ENE face which makes it kind of fun or do what i did and plod straight up the N face.

If you're really interested in a long walk go down the snow field going S off Hartzell which takes you to Twin Goat. There's about 5 - 6 maybe more steepish couloirs that go SFU. I think the central couloir got its first ski last year which shows how few people go there.

Keep up the cool TRs. It's really fun to see this terrain through someone else's eyes.

You too Pebeto in particular I loved your Twisting Couloir line. Next though look up at that line direct from Joffre N face to Twisting which has been skied direct. 60 degs with exposure.

Leigh, I think this a great factual report with spectacular pictures.

I loved this trip and I really reccommend it or a similar route. You could do Howard in a long day but as Leigh says, it is pretty nice starting a second day in such spectacular surroundings with interesting routes to look forward to.

I recced the approach to the Howard/Matier col from Lillooet Lake up the Twin One Creek road two weeks prior to this trip. (I was worried about the amount of crevasses on Twin One Glacier.) On this recce I could see the line from Hartzell Glacier to the se ridge of Matier so I had a pretty good idea of how it went. For this trip I decided not to use this approach because the final 100m up to the Howard/Matier col looked very steep (it is actually not) plus it was longer and more elevation gain. This approach, though would be another way to do Howard as a day trip.

I proposed this trip but during it (of course) there was lots of evaluating, discussing, ideas, etc. -- I think that we were all pretty much on the same page though, and all revelling in the scenery and weather.

It was a good lesson to see avalanche debris covering our tracks as my evaluation had been that we were out of avalanche danger.

Outstanding all around, guys and girl...I was glued to every word. : )

Wow, what a great report and photos. I sure blew it by choosing not to do the whole trip with you guys. Thanks for all the details.

Wow! Completely out of my realm of hiking abilities. Unreal. Congratulations! Thanks for showing this desert rat such an amazing place. Great write up, too. Sea to sky? for sure.
Motivating!! thanks again.

This is one of my favorite trips i've done this year.

Hey Dean

You are showing more pics where I am carrying my skis than I am having them on my feet!
This is not representing the reality of the trip I skied too Ok, not a lot, but still!

Pebeto

Excellent TR and fantastic pictures - well done to everyone[8D]

That one spot is so incredibly steep, any steeper it will be straight up and down. Can imagine you guys very carefully kicking steps; up and down.

K

You guys are going pretty serious and often, Nice T/R and evaluation of risks and routes by all. Keep decisions realistic and safe.

Still lots of snow up there. Looks like you guys had a good one.
Great beta for Howard.

Also, Lemirod
Thanks for the tip with using my memory card from my camera for my Go Pro.
I was able to keep my Go Pro filming for Matier and Slalok that day when I
ran into you on the top of Matier.

Angle might be a little bit off in that picture, but it was around 50'. I didn't have two ice-tools with me to work out the slope angle []

You can take some liberties with precautions when descending face-in and the snow is soft enough that you aren't front pointing. You are already in the self-arrest position so any slips can be easily halted. I was above a wide bridge over the 'schrund so I wasn't worried about falling into it.

Congrats on a successful week-end . Very cool [8D]