Anyone climb the North Face Couloir On Buckner?

[goatboy]

I haven't seen or heard of many folks climbing Buckner lately.

 

I know one party attempted the NF Couloir a few weeks ago and encountered what was, for them, insurmountable challenges at the schrund.

 

 

Curious if anyone has any recent photos or experience up there that could persuade or dissuade. I have climbed the NF and am familiar with the area and the approach, etc. I have not climbed the Couloir route and am wondering if anyone else has been turned around by the schrund this season???

 

(I know, I know, "go look for yourself and use your judgment...")

 

Thanks for any info.

[BlackHawk]

I camped at the Sahale Glacier camp on Aug. 14th. Two groups of climbers turned back after checking out the NF route without getting anywhere near the NF shrund. I decided to climb Buckner via upper Horseshoe Basin from Sahale on the 15th. Looking down the NF from the top of Buckner the NF looked doable although large portions would now be on class 4 rubble with a combo of ice and snow the rest of the way - probably not what you're looking for. The magnificent Boston is very open but passable if you wanted to but the shrund at the bottom of the NF did look very impressive from what I saw of it.

[JoshK]

no schrund is impassible...

 

That said, it was even quite broken in April when we climbed most of it.

[klenke]

Here's a recent picture of north side of Buckner (from far away on the Klawatti Glacier on Aug. 20). I obviously couldn't see the state of the moat, but I can tell you the middle of the couloir had no snow whatsoever. It looked like ugly dirt/rocks. Not my idea of an enjoyable avenue.

[pms]

maybe there is some new snow to help? Anybody know about new snow?

[goatboy]

Good question, pms . . .

 

I can see how new snow would possibly blanket or contain loose rock, but wouldn't loose, unconsolidated new snow in some ways make the climb harder?

 

I'd love to hear more about the relative merits of new snow -- I guess I always think of a steep route like this being benefitted by older, consolidated snow and alpine ice . . .

 

Any thoughts???

[Alpinfox]

I always think of a steep route like this being benefitted by older, consolidated snow and alpine ice . . .

 

I agree. I don't think fresh snow in the couloir would be helpful, but pms knows a lot more about that sort of thing than I do. If it was wet snow and then froze... THEN you would have something.

 

You spelled "Mountaineering" incorrectly in your signature line.

[goatboy]

That's pretty funny, given that I used to teach English in a former life . . . .

 

Thanks, I believe I have corrected the spelling now . . .

 

Anyway, back to Buckner . . . ???