montana boy - Feb 28, 2006 11:19 pm - Hasn't voted
axe for glissade
This is in response to the comment regarding the "800+ foot glissade" listed on "Essential Gear" portion of this page.
I don't want to sound like a know it all, but you really should glissade with an axe in hand, allowing you to regulate your speed, steer (sorta), and arrest if need be. That is my humble experience, and what I have been taught. Read "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills".
The page mentions some backtracking where the main ridge intersects with the Y-Couloir in order to avoid going over the gnarly block of rock that splits the Y-Couloir. This didn't really make sense based on our experience.
Based on my experience, a more clear explanation would be to, once you've obtained the northwest ridge, follow it until the Y-Couloir block. A clear climber's trail begins to descend south into a gully of loose rock, and becomes more vague as you get further down. Go no further than 40-50 yards, and make a sharp left turn up a different gully. Think of it as hugging the left side of the gully, going around the Y-Couloir block. Continue up this second gully to the top of the east side of the Y-Coulour. From there it is easy walking to the summit.
"So, at this point it is best to back track a short distance, and then drop off to the southern side of the ridge."
"MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! If you come to a ledge that drops about 6 feet or so into the Y-couloir, WALK BACK ABOUT 40-50 FEET, then drop down. This is the only piece that could be reasonably dangerous, unless you drop slightly to the south under the cliffs."
Perhaps I'm misinterpreting, but neither of these directions made much sense or were all that helpful on our ascent. Perhaps the author interpreted the Y-Couloir as being a feature on both the north and south sides of the mountain, when in reality the "Y-Couloir" only refers to the feature on the peak's north side.
montana boy - Feb 28, 2006 11:19 pm - Hasn't voted
axe for glissadeThis is in response to the comment regarding the "800+ foot glissade" listed on "Essential Gear" portion of this page.
I don't want to sound like a know it all, but you really should glissade with an axe in hand, allowing you to regulate your speed, steer (sorta), and arrest if need be. That is my humble experience, and what I have been taught. Read "Mountaineering: Freedom of the Hills".
jscottcc - Oct 30, 2016 6:42 pm - Hasn't voted
Backtracking?I hiked this route with a friend August 2016.
The page mentions some backtracking where the main ridge intersects with the Y-Couloir in order to avoid going over the gnarly block of rock that splits the Y-Couloir. This didn't really make sense based on our experience.
Based on my experience, a more clear explanation would be to, once you've obtained the northwest ridge, follow it until the Y-Couloir block. A clear climber's trail begins to descend south into a gully of loose rock, and becomes more vague as you get further down. Go no further than 40-50 yards, and make a sharp left turn up a different gully. Think of it as hugging the left side of the gully, going around the Y-Couloir block. Continue up this second gully to the top of the east side of the Y-Coulour. From there it is easy walking to the summit.
"So, at this point it is best to back track a short distance, and then drop off to the southern side of the ridge."
"MOST IMPORTANTLY!!! If you come to a ledge that drops about 6 feet or so into the Y-couloir, WALK BACK ABOUT 40-50 FEET, then drop down. This is the only piece that could be reasonably dangerous, unless you drop slightly to the south under the cliffs."
Perhaps I'm misinterpreting, but neither of these directions made much sense or were all that helpful on our ascent. Perhaps the author interpreted the Y-Couloir as being a feature on both the north and south sides of the mountain, when in reality the "Y-Couloir" only refers to the feature on the peak's north side.