Bonney Southeast Face

Bonney’s southeast face drops off the summit into big, glaciated alpine terrain above the Clarke Glacier in Glacier National Park, BC. The line runs on a southeast aspect with open alpine slopes broken by crevasse fields and rolls that can easily hide bridges and slots. It skis best in settled winter or early spring snow with strong overnight freezes and a solid, well-bridged snowpack; anything lean turns the crevasse terrain traps into the main problem, not the steepness.

Most parties reach the face via Mount Swanzy, linking glacier travel over the Bonney and Clarke systems. From the upper ridge, manage cornices carefully when you pick your drop-in, then thread between obvious crevasses on the upper face before opening it up lower down. With good stability you can continue well down the Clarke Glacier, but expect to bob and weave around large slots and avoid sagging bridges. This is serious ski-mountaineering terrain: full glacier kit, strong route-finding, and conservative timing around solar input are mandatory.

The face sits inside Parks Canada’s Rogers Pass winter permit system, with frequent artillery control and rolling closures over the Bonney area. Before you go, you need to understand the daily permit map, current closures, and avalanche forecast, and carry the required winter permit if you plan to tour from the highway corridor. Check current access, closures, and avalanche information with Parks Canada before committing to this line. For official information see Parks Canada – Glacier National Park.