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I've long thought of the Various mountain regions of BC, as some of the worlds most impressive and unknown mountains. I have visited the mountains of southern BC, and was awed by the grandeur of one small corner of BC.
Where'd you go? The most impressive section appear to be very remote.
Just around Whistler. Even that was impressive enough.
Interesting someone familiar with New Zealand Alps would find those impressive. I would have assumed your mountains back home would feel bigger. They look similar by this ranking:
Interesting someone familiar with New Zealand Alps would find those impressive. I would have assumed your mountains back home would feel bigger. They look similar by this ranking:
I think it was the whole package I found impressive - mountain scenery that was quite different to the Sierras Nevada I was familiar with. Beautiful skies (when I could see them) and the feeling of being on the edge of somewhere vast.
The mountains here perhaps do feel more impressive imo, with deep glacial valleys, rockfall, avalanche paths and glaciers being standard. Peaks in the 1800m -2500m range here, tend to resemble your photos of the Cascades. Peaks above 2500m, tend to have a different look altogether, more like the high peaks of the French Alps.
The mountains around here are separate from the Southern Alps, and have a different look. Mostly limestone and granite, rather than the schist and greywacke (weetbix rocks) of the Alps. Around here the rugged country is below the bushline.
I had intended to get lots of mountain/snow photos last winter, but everything went pear shaped instead. This winter will be different.
I did say BC/Alaska in my first post, which I missed saying in my second post. I really think it is between those regions and NZ. Chile's rainfall stats don't equate to the snowfall potential.
That area has good stats. Chilean Patagonia can reach over 7000 mm of rainfall on the coast and, though the mountains are generally lower than the New Zealand Alps, they are also much colder (in New Zealand's South Island snowfall is still uncommon at 1000 m in the Mt Cook area, while in Chile it frequently snows on the coast although it doesn't last long). There also some glaciers flowing down into the sea, like the Hielo Patagonico Sur itself, which is the second largest extrapolar ice field in the world.
But if I had to pick one I would not pick Chile, probably.
That area has good stats. Chilean Patagonia can reach over 7000 mm of rainfall on the coast and, though the mountains are generally lower than the New Zealand Alps, they are also much colder (in New Zealand's South Island snowfall is still uncommon at 1000 m in the Mt Cook area, while in Chile it frequently snows on the coast although it doesn't last long). There also some glaciers flowing down into the sea, like the Hielo Patagonico Sur itself, which is the second largest extrapolar ice field in the world.
But if I had to pick one I would not pick Chile, probably.
I had considered Chile, but like you, think the combination of lower elevation and lower rainfall rule it out.
Snowfall at 1000m in the Mt Cook region is very common during winter, but doesn't generally lie for long at that altitude. Foehn winds are common at any time of year there, so a metre of snow can disappear in a very short time. Warm fronts during winter can bring torrential rain to that region as well.
that all of sweden is frigid is a common one. while the northern 2/3 of the region has real snow-winters, and a winter average temperature ranging between -5C to -17C, the southern part -where 85% of the population lives- has winters that are much more erratic with averages from 0- -5C. it can be 3-4 months of snow one winter, and 1-2 weeks of snow another.
Most people here think Sweden is a very cold place. Compared to here, all of the country is frigid in the winter, even places like Gothenburg - an average winter there would be extremely cold here, possibly record-breaking cold. Of course, they don't realise summer there is as warm or sometimes warmer than here.
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