[TR] Thar Peak- North Face Couloir 2/27/2005

[Dru]

Climb: Thar Peak-North Face Couloir

 

Date of Climb: 2/27/2005

 

Trip Report:

Saturday was sunny and warm, climbed in the Bluffs.

 

Saturday night, got home at midnight to find my ropegun was sick and our Cheam Range trip was off.

 

Woke up Sunday morning and decided to go investigate some gullies on the north face of Thar Peak at Coquihalla Pass. I wanted some of those good alpine conditions I had been vicariously reading about online, while it was still winter.

 

I walked across frozen Falls Lake and looked at the big face with all sorts of potential snow and mixed lines. Most of them looked pretty hard so I decided to solo the main easy gully. It went down smooth, with lingering aftertaste A couple hundred meters of 35 to 40 degree windcrust and squeaky neve, a 60-70m length of 50 degree steeper stuff, and a 10m fun mixed chimney with turf, drytooling and thin ice, like 2 whole moves of each

 

at the final 50m there were two choices, left or right. I went right, it turns out the left goes straight to the summit while the right goes to a col 30m down west ridge. The left fork looked like it had steep mossy mixed to finish, good thing I didn't solo it, it will be fun to do with a rope and rack next time.

 

Photos out of order:

Nak and Yak from the summit ridge.

 

 

Frozen Falls Lake in the AM

 

Summit cairn with Anderson R. peaks behind

 

Looking up at face from the base. I ended up climbing the huge,mostly hidden, left angling gully. Lots more to do here.

 

Summit enlightenment.

 

 

Looking down my crampon tracks from mid way up the gully

 

 

Looking down the crux chimney.

 

 

 

I don't know if this was a first ascent or not. I have never heard of a previous ascent but wouldn't be surprised if one surfaces down the line. This is an excellent easy line, great to solo, slightly easier thasn N Face Ramp Harvey with a shorter approach, like 1 hour from the car.

Total climbing and approach time was 4 hours, descent down east ridge took ~1 hour, half an hour eating snacks and taking pictures on top. Fun fun I forgot my sunglasses though, and my eyes are a bit sore.

 

Gear Notes:

Two tools (could have got by with 1)

Crampons

Helmet

Should have brought sunglasses.

 

Approach Notes:

1 km packed snowmobile trail, 1 km packed foot trail, 1 km frozen lake.

[jordop]

Skis needed here:

And also here:

[Dru]

Whatever

[EWolfe]

 

Man, you Canadians slam each other tough!

[jordop]

okay I'll take that down, it's the beer talking

Hey E Canadians ARE nice. I only got in one fight today. Thre rock won

Edited February 28, 2005 by jordop

[Pandora]

 

Summit enlightenment.

 

Sweet, d00d. I really like these two photos! Summit enlightenment is always a good thing.

[Don_Serl]

This is an excellent easy line, great to solo, slightly easier than N Face Ramp Harvey with a shorter approach, like 1 hour from the car.

 

a worthwhile addition to the "what shall i do today" list. and certainly a place where NO ONE will EVER need a rope, eh?

 

cheers,

[Dru]

Under "normal" snow conditions you might want a Pieps instead of a rope?

[Billygoat]

nice

 

[Stemalot]

Summit enlightenment.

I don't know why, but this photo makes me laugh. Don't get me wrong, I am all for summit enlightenment!

[Dru]

it made me laugh too

 

its hard to take these poser pictures with a straight face especially when you forget your sunglasses and have to squint against the glare

[jordop]

Hey where do you think Fool's Errand is on this photo?

[Dru]

I was wondering about that myself. I believe it is well to the left, out of the photo, more on the E face of the N ridge, as that is the part that is above the campground.

[Dru]

This is the topo. Taken in 2003 with way more snow.

 

The skinny tendril on the right looked like it would be a really good M5 with a bit more ice!