Climb: Three Fingers-FWA East Face Couloir

Date of Climb: 2/19/2006

Trip Report:
Three Fingers East Face Couloir
a.k.a. "The Last Hurrah"
a.k.a. "Journey to the Heart of the Spirit World"

Darin Berdinka and myself climbed the East Face Couloir on Three Fingers. We believe this to be the first winter ascent of the route, which was a fine climb in a spectacular alpine setting, positioned as it is underneath the complex east face. We chose to forego any summit bid, deciding instead to traverse steep sugar snow above a 1500' abyss and descend mysterious snow slopes on the North side of the mountain. One rappel was made on the descent from a picket set as a deadman. No spirits were met at the Heart of the Spirit World, which was a good thing from our perspective.

-Justin Thibault

oops...picture HERE

Nice job! I went for a look see at that a while back but never got back to have a go at it.

Ade

Awesome. Could you post a picture with your line on it?

I heard some folks went out to ski it a while back, but it wasn't super cooperative.(?)

sweet job!
-how was the hike?
-temps?
-What about the ice on the east face?


looking fwd to Pete and Rolf's TR on the E.F. of whitehorse, and if anyone did the EDM.

Nice work! Got any more pictures?

I think that would be the right hand line in this shot:

Congrats to the FWA party on the climb, and compliments to Scurlock on the photos. Easily the best shots of the East Face I've ever seen. Those shots of the rimed-up hut were wild.

Post deleted by mattp

Post deleted by mattp

Gear: 10 screws, 5 cams, a selection of nuts and tricams, 6 pitons, 2 8.2mm x 60m ropes, 4 quickdraws, 2 pickets, and a bunch of runners.

Seeing as the NE Face wasn't in, we only used the 2 pickets and five runners and had the pleasure of carrying the rest all day long. A third picket would have been nice...

Nice jorb and another to yous and Scurlock, the Larry Flynt smut peddler of Cascade alpine climbing photos

nice to meet you pervs. fine work.

and congrats to all who got out to enjoy the stellar weather this weekend.

I would also like to point out that we set a Home-to-TR SPEED RECORD as well in that "Choada Boy" must have posted this TR within 27 seconds of walking through his front door. Way to go Choada Boy!

It was a great trip to a beautiful mountain even if we didn't make any summits (Doesn't an FA require reaching the top?). I'll post some photos at some point in time. Big fat lines of much seriousness back there waiting to be done by better climbers than us.

Oh..someone had hauled skis up to that area earlier Saturday or maybe Friday. We followed their tracks into our bivi. Didn't see their tracks near the mountain and never saw them but their car was still in the lot when we got back. Who drives a red civic hatchback?

Well ensconsed into the Land of the Non-Spirits, I can say I am at least well spirited after a trip to our local purveyor of intemperance. Dos mas, por favor!!!

When's your next fix, oh father to be?

Way to get it done! I've sat cross-valley before in winter, watching avalanche after avalanche explode off of that east face.

I don't know what their specific objective was, but quite possibly they were simply exploring/skiing/hanging out in the basin up below Salish. I tell you: they are twisted individuals and one of them, in particular, has been up there several times with no real climbing intent even though he is a climber. Weird, huh?

(He has in recent times talked about the NE Buttress of N. Three Fingers, the face on Salish Peak, etc., though.)

Way to get it done.

Guess I've been missing out on the Scurlock porn, I need to wipe my screen off now.

Such is the way of things winter climbing in the Cascades. Lots of rad lookin' shit back there, though!!

WERD!!!

Congratulations on a fine ascent, now how about that line to the left?....