Here's the right and left Mendel Couloir's on July 23:

Feather Couloir from Bear Creek Spire yesterday -



Looks pretty snowy still .. maybe ice in another month or so ?

Also got a few shots of the Dana Couloir on Saturday -







Looked to be some ice starting to form on the left. No bergschrund yet that I could see.

All pics above are clickable in case you want the original hi-res images.

Anyone have beta on Gilbert? Just curious what the north couloir conditions are like.

Does anyone have any beta on the couloirs around the Palisade Glacier & environs? I'm planning on climbing the North Couloir on Thunderbolt next weekend and I'm wondering whether to expect neve or ice.

PellucidWombat wrote:Does anyone have any beta on the couloirs around the Palisade Glacier & environs? I'm planning on climbing the North Couloir on Thunderbolt next weekend and I'm wondering whether to expect neve or ice.

Two weeks or so ago it was ice on the bottom, neve on the rest. That probably has changed a bit and I'm sure others have more recent photos.

Here's an image of the interface where the avy occurred:

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/6058/nc1.jpg


And an overview (with a fogged up camera lens)

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/8580/nc2a.jpg

EDIT: changed to imageshack

Dang, the Dana Couloir is looking pretty skinny up near the top. In a few years, it looks like that portion may melt out completely.

thanks PJ! I'll be sure to contribute some up to date pics of that couloir and others in the Palisade region after this weekend

oh, and Paul, what route did you guys climb? The North Ridge linking Thunderbolt with Winchell? If so,what do you think about climbing up where you rapped down? I'm wondering how difficult that route is to downclimb as a traverse to Winchell.

Anything on Red Slate also appreciated, thanks.

Red Slate is TOTALLY IN from top to bottom and looking very good!

Was gonna head up there this weekend to do a circum lap but got side tracked with putting up routes and doing local anchor maintenance.

Excellent. Gracias Chief.

any RECENT Mendel beta? Aside from pictures from a distance...anybody get into the couloirs and take a look?

PellucidWombat wrote:oh, and Paul, what route did you guys climb? The North Ridge linking Thunderbolt with Winchell? If so,what do you think about climbing up where you rapped down? I'm wondering how difficult that route is to downclimb as a traverse to Winchell.

Yes, we went up the NW ridge. How'd you know we rapped? Anyways, it would probably be okay to climb *up* those first two pitches with pro. There also might be easier ways up than the way we went with the two raps, for example on the snow/ice until the rock is less steep. Doable as long as the schrund is still in good shape as it was then. Lots of loose rock though in general to knock down with a rope.
As for downclimbing the ridge, others might know more, but here's my take. You'd have to climb a few (2? 3?) 5th class notches, some of which might not have rap stations on the other side that you'd be coming from, though at least one of them does. So maybe leaving a few slings/rings/biners might be necessary if you want to rap past 5th class parts in the notches. Also the rock is loose in a few sections. Since there are a fair bit of exposed 4th and some 5th on the path where we went up, I definitely wouldn't want to be downclimbing that ridge, but there may be easier ways. The large amounts of loose rock made everything take forever. But probably people with more skill would have no trouble:D If I had to go back down that ridge, I'd be planning to leave a ton of cord.

Possibly next Tuesday or Weds Dingus.

Working on a wall project in Pine Creek thru Monday.

Ya wanna join me for a run up the two Couloir's on NP????

Hey Paul,

I knew you rapped because I saw the photos when I enjoyed the rest of your photo album that had the N Couloir pics

- Mark