"Got tight last night on absinthe and did knife tricks. Great success shooting the knife into the piano. The woodworms are so bad and eat hell out of all furniture that you can always claim the woodworms did it."
--Ernest Hemingway
© 2006-2021 SummitPost.org. All Rights Reserved.
chicagotransplant - Jul 4, 2006 12:03 am - Voted 9/10
Snow ClimbJust finished a climb with snow, thought I would add some insight to doing this as a snow route. The snow started for us at about 12,500 and slowly steepened up the lower section, which is wide and probably 35-40 degrees. You will definitely want take the left (south) branch, as there is no cornice. This leg starts around 12,900' and seems steeper than the base of the couloir was, I would estimate it maxed out in the upper 40s but probably averages around 43. I don't think it ever got to 50, but we had softer snow and it may have made the couloir feel more mellow. The top was melting off and there was some loose scree and dirt. The couloir tops out at 13,700' on the north ridge route. Wear a helmet, especially if you are below another party!
Andy - Jul 6, 2006 4:40 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Snow ClimbSince you've done this route for real now would you like to be the maintainer? I've given you admin privileges. If you want you can take me off (I think you can do that) and have it all to yourself. Congrats on the climb – I'll bet it was a lot better in snow than when I did it without. Also, I didn’t take the narrower branch of the main couloir that also looks really nice.
chicagotransplant - Jul 6, 2006 9:34 pm - Voted 9/10
Re: Snow ClimbThanks, I can go ahead and take over as maintainer if you are comfortable with it. If you want to keep admin priviledges that is cool too. I think you wrote a great description and there are definitely parts of the route description I will keep and give you full credit for. (particularly the approach seeing as we lost the trail...) It is definitely done more as a snow climb, if you get the opportunity you should come back and get in with snow! The top of the route was all loose dirt and scree, I hope the entire route was not that way for you!