Cleaver

Cleaver is a popular ski descent from Sapphire Col into the Dome Glacier basin in Glacier National Park, Rogers Pass. The line drops off the col into broad glaciated terrain with several convex rolls and broken ice below, so treat it as full-on glacier travel from the first turn.

From Sapphire Col, trend down into the obvious fall line toward the Dome basin, staying well away from the steeper, cliffy ground skiers’ left and any serac or crevasse fields that show up as sagging or blue ice. The safest option is usually the most direct, mellow-looking line through the rolls rather than hunting for extra steepness on the margins.

Common problems here are wind slab on the lee side of the col, thinly bridged crevasses around convexities, and poor visibility that makes the rolls and slots hard to read. This zone sits in the Rogers Pass winter permit area, so you must check the daily permit map and avalanche bulletin before dropping in, and carry full glacier kit plus a solid navigation plan for getting back out of the Dome basin.

Full Rogers Pass winter permit, maps, and avalanche terrain ratings: Parks Canada – Ski touring in Rogers Pass.