SummitPost.org

Hey Mountain Fans,

Anyone been up Split Peak and care to give some advice on if there is a plausible site to pitch a tent above or near the top of the St Jean Coulier?

We will camp at Red Lake or higher and then head up the coulier the next day - the thought is we might pitch a tent near the summit for a night. I have never been up so don't know if there is terrain that might support a tent w/o extensive work or rigging.

Thanks

I’ve been up Split by the North Slope five times and the East Couloir once. I’ve never done the St. Jean couloir. I camped at Red Lake the first time, and a bit higher once in the winter. The other four trips were dayhikes, so I was never looking for campsites above 13K. I don’t recall any decent prospects on the North Slope. It’s mostly talus up there. I would set up camp at Red Lake (or higher if there is enough snow to make a level site) and then just tag the summit and return to camp.

I have soloed the St Jean Couloir many years ago. As per bobpickering, I don't really recall any flat terrain above the Couloir on the way to the summit. Going down, the ridge is fairly steep and continuous all the way back to Red Lake. Again, Bob's advice is a good one, camp at Red Lake or a bit higher (if possible) even though the trip from there is a long day if you rope up.

Sorry for not responding earlier, I had the same problem as several other people, the system would not let me respond until I cleared all my Cookies..

Cheers, Alois.

bobpickering wrote:I’ve been up Split by the North Slope five times and the East Couloir once. I’ve never done the St. Jean couloir. I camped at Red Lake the first time, and a bit higher once in the winter. The other four trips were dayhikes, so I was never looking for campsites above 13K. I don’t recall any decent prospects on the North Slope. It’s mostly talus up there. I would set up camp at Red Lake (or higher if there is enough snow to make a level site) and then just tag the summit and return to camp.

If you'd get lucky and there's a sizable snowpack or drifting, then maybe you could dig in a tent platform. But the times I've been up there in the winter/spring it's been pretty windscoured and exposed talus for the most part.

After bushwacking your way up Red Mountain Creek a campsite at Red Lake starts looking pretty good. It's quite a dramatic spot. I must agree with bobpickering that higher up it is a vast talus slope with minimal camping potential.