UKC

We're heading off to Canada for a 3-4 week trip in May. We're planning on spending most of our time in Jasper and Banff National parks (plus few surrounding ones). We know its early in the year for rock routes, so we're aiming for mainly walking and scrambling/ridges to bag some peaks. Will have crampons/axes with us etc. We have experience of summer and winter in Scotland and summer in the Alps.

Just wondering the best places to get a conditions updates from - regarding how much snow there is about, best places to head too, latest weather conditions, which routes are most likely to be doable early season? We know know things can change but just to get a vague idea so we can make some sort of rough plan. Was this a heavy snow year?

Thanks in advance!

My housemate will be working in Jasper as of may 1st. 

There are several facebook groups he recommends

Alpine climbs in Canadian Rockies, Banff belay monkeys, scrambelling in Canadian Rockies,  bow valley climbing crew.

No recommedation on websites, conditions to variable and they don't have a UKC equivalent.

Snow levels are the high end of average if that helps.

Hope all this is useful.

Matt (currently Golden, BC)

Thanks for that Matt