[TR] Colchuck Peak- N. Buttress Couloir/Colchuck Col 4/25/2005

[Norman_Clyde]

Climb: Colchuck Peak-N. Buttress Couloir/Colchuck Col

 

Date of Climb: 4/25/2005

 

Trip Report:

As Juan posted in another thread, this may have been the first really warm spell in spring when everything melts and slides. Alex_Mineev and I engaged with these conditions on Colchuck yesterday. We left Seattle at 6:30 pm on Sunday, and after a brief dinner stop in Leavenworth arrived at the parking lot (road is essentially snow free now) at 9:30. Temps were positively balmy at 3400 feet, probably in the 50's. After sleeping in the car we headed out at 4:30 AM. I brought skis for the descent.

 

Snow remained soft and isothermal all the way to the lake. Once on the talus the postholing was miserable, though relatively brief; soon we were merely wallowing in warm, wet concrete. We traversed from the moraine, bypassing the lowest portion of the couloir. The E. facing portion of the route was already in full sun, and we (at least I) started to feel some misgivings about climbing in these conditions. I was not worried about setting off a slide, so much as being entrained in a big one from above. Though the runout was clear of obstacles, I was not confident of my ability to ride such a slide through a five-foot hourglass at high speed. A couple of bobsled-style runnels in the fall line testified to recent activity. Nothing was falling yet, but many snowpatches were warming on E. facing ledges. By the time we had traversed under some of these, continuing on did not appear more risky than retreating, as climber's right appeared to be shielded somewhat by two rock steps.

 

I was beneath the first rock step when the first big wet slide came roaring through. With my view blocked by the rock, all I could do was listen to the approaching noise and hope the slide was in the main gully. For a few seconds I hunkered down and waited for the big white wave to break over me. Fortunately, however, this slide was limited to the main bobsled run.

 

Motivated to move faster, I made ungainly business of the rock step in my AT boots, set up an anchor, and belayed Alex up. About 100 feet above us there was a second rock step to the right of the main runnel; Alex was heading toward it, keeping climber's right, when a second slide came down. We had a rock anchor in, and were still safely to the right, but this one came over the step we had hoped to climb, and would no doubt have had ugly consequences if we'd been at the step when it came. We considered ourselves licked at this point. Alex came back down, I lowered him over the rock step and then rapped off. Two more slides came through the main gully during our traverse back to the moraine. It appeared that we timed our ascent to coincide with maximum slide potential, as we saw no more slide activity after that.

After a short break, we headed up the standard route to the col. Snow here was still shaded, the first hard layer seen all day. I was more wiped out than usual and decided to take a nap at the col while Alex went on to the summit. In the meantime, the main route came into the sun, which in this case was a good thing as it made for excellent skiing. with the bonus that I didn't have to posthole in the talus.

The lake has a couple of big spider cracks in the middle but at the edge looked to be about six inches thick. I kept my skis on for the return crossing. Alex didn't fall through but did get to wallow in ankle deep ice water trapped above the ice.

 

To sum things up: it's currently way too warm for the NBC. If freezing levels stay this high, take the standard route. (NE couloir, situated between vertical walls, would be a far worse choice.) Even in cooler temps, a 4:30 start from the trailhead is probably not early enough.

 

Gear Notes:

Ice axe- used one tool each

Crampons- not needed

Rock pro- #1 and 0.5 tricams, both used

30 m rope

Boots: Alex = hikers

Me = hikers + AT boots

Skis- worth the haul

 

Approach Notes:

Road is essentiallly snow free. Watch for slippery packed ice on the trail.

Edited April 26, 2005 by Norman_Clyde

[kurthicks]

Sounds like quite the adventure. glad you made it out ok.

I have to ask...triple couloirs?

[Alex_Mineev]

TC 'looked' in shape, but given high freezing levels recently I have some doubts in the quality of snow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[cicleclimb]

Sweet pics!

[Chriznitch]

looookin' gooood

[AaronB]

Glad you guys are safe!