Leaderboard

I decided to create a map of Banks Lake ice climbs to help fellow climbers out. It is through Cal Topo and has all the routes marked from where you can see them on the road. With the exception of a couple that you need to hike up to see (those are marked where the climb is). All the mileposts are marked as references. You should be able to turn those off on the left hand side if they get annoying. Also I added a link to a picture of the route. So if you click on any of the routes you have to copy/paste the link and it should take you to the picture. Basically it can kind of serve as a guide to help people figure out what they are looking at. Anyway let me know what you guys think. I would be happy to try and add or change things as people see mistakes or have good ideas. https://caltopo.com/m/G61HV

Trip: Mount Sefrit - NW Route - Wall Street Couloir Trip Date: 01/22/2022 Trip Report: I've been eyeing Sefrit for years, really looking to ski the NW route and the "Wall Street" couloir. I did the peak on my first try from the NE and the Bloody Head Couloir (colorful names on this peak), but I've failed more times than I care to remember due to various snow condition excuses. This time we had an outrageous skunking the weekend before which effectively served as a scouting trip. Me, @MGraw, and @thedylan skied in on the super frozen crusty road bed knowing the ski conditions would suck but that the cramponing in the couloir would be all the better for it (this was the plan). We eventually found the log after some awful wallowing in the barely covered brush and began cramponing up the avalanche debris on the couloir fan. I have tried most different types of conditions on this route and this is the only way I can see to make it work safely except for the very rare low snow dump with great stability. One is very vulnerable in the couloir with tons of hanging slabs over your head and 1000' couloir to feed into you. We made quick work to 5000' and last year's high point at the bottom of the upper basin. From here we skinned on crust with occasional thin powder patches all the way to the summit ridge at ~7000'. We took a look into the upper couloir on the NW flank of the summit pyramid, but we had set our hopes on fast and light, so didn't bring climbing gear. It looked too sketchy to try with no rope and only one axe apiece. Sadly this means we have to come back. We ditched the skis at 7000' on the ridge in the amazing warm sun after climbing in the shade all day. At this point it was already pretty late and we were worried (not Dylan). Then we hit a dead end on a tower on the summit ridge and had to backtrack. We climbed on the south side below the crest on mostly steep snow with a couple of rocky moves thrown in. I was worried we would run out of time with so minimal daylight. We persevered however and with Dylan leading some just barely solo-able moves on snowy rock and lots of step kicking we made the summit. I spent all of 30 seconds enjoying the efforts and accumulated knowledge of like 8 failed trips, then turned tail and headed down. The views are great, but the best was toward Shuksan's north side which we had been seeing all the way up from the ridge. Getting down to the skis was surprisingly easier than the way up. The snow was already re-freezing by about 3pm. We skied down, enjoying some of it anyway, booted the couloir, cramponed across the frosty log over Ruth Creek, then back to the skis for a super fast icy ski and skate down the road. 19 miles, about 5800' in 12.5 hours. I think this is the best way to get the route since it is super hard to find powder in a couloir at 3000' and stable conditions. Typical fun getting through the woods, sorry Mike: Ruth Creek: Fun conditions in the lower couloir, easy cramponing though: Upper basin skinning: Loving the alpine: Probably time to ditch the skis. Mike skied off this for his first turns of the year; nice work: Working up the ridge: Shuksan: Let's get out before dark. 10' off the summit: So worth it for the turns... I wanted to die. It never felt so good to take skis off and walk: Gear Notes: skis, helmet, axe, crampons, Bison Grass Vodka for the skate out. Approach Notes: ski from the highway