I was wondering if anyone had any info on the striking couloir on the SW aspect of Gannett's west buttress. In any early season photo from Bonney Pass you can see the thin snow band on the right. I was thinking May. Wondered if anyone had any thoughts on snow conditions/coverage. Also rockfall danger etc.

If it's the couloir that I think you are talking about, you're right it looks very inviting. I've studied photos of it and it looks like it would be a very enjoyable climb. However, the topo map shows crevasses on the west branch of the Dinwoody Glacier below it.

I assume you are talking about the coulior on the east side of the divide, almost straight west from the Goosneck Pinnacle, rising up the south side of the Gooseneck Ridge? (Left of Gooseneck Pinnacle below.)



If I ever return to that area I'd like to climb Gannett Glacier on the north side.

Beta TR here...if you are referring to the couloir alpinist notes.

I soloed the couloir in the summer of 98 and it was steep and lots of fun. The crevasses going up the fork of the Dinwoody were not a problem then, but I don't know conditions now. There were some NOLS groups in the couloir when I was there. I glissaded back down it and had a scare when the crux section had not softened up too much. I was able to self-arrest after a too long of a time. I think I freaked out a NOLS group who was belaying off of the rocks and lowering very slowly. I continued to the bottom non-stop after my long arrest. It is a fine way to climb Gannett and I still don't know why the guidebooks don't really mention it too much as a route.

I thought that was the standard route coming over from the Dinwoody Pass side. The prominent couloir left of the summit snowfield in the photo above. Done it twice, don't remember it being more than 40 degrees, but that was 25 years ago...

bird wrote:I thought that was the standard route coming over from the Dinwoody Pass side. The prominent couloir left of the summit snowfield in the photo above.

Nope, 'standard' route is obscured from view in the photo above by the Gooseneck Ridge (it sits on the NE side) and reached via the Gooseneck Glacier.