Sifton North Face

Big, glaciated north face on Mount Sifton in Glacier National Park, sitting above the Rogers Glacier in the Hermit Range. You’re in full alpine terrain here, with exposure to cliffs, seracs and rock bands in the upper half of the face and a long, low-angle runout across the glacier to get back toward Rogers Pass.

From the Hermit or Rogers-Sifton side, expect complex routefinding through broken glacial features and overhead hazard. The face itself offers sustained, serious skiing with no easy escape once you commit; many lines funnel into terrain traps or cliff bands if you drift off your intended fall line. In lean or average snow years, you’ll be picking your way between rock and ice; only in deep, well-settled snowpacks do more direct fall-line options tend to fill in.

The classic exit trends out via the Rogers Glacier toward the Rogers–Sifton col area, then back toward established routes leading to Hermit Basin or the Rogers Pass corridor. It’s a long, flat and sometimes convoluted glide that can feel like a slog in poor visibility or with tired legs, so plan your turnaround time and energy budget around the face, not the exit. Carry glacier kit, be dialed on crevasse rescue, and build your plan around current Glacier National Park winter permits, avalanche bulletins and any area closures. For official access and permit details, see Parks Canada – Glacier National Park.