[TR] Colchuck- North Buttress Couloir 5/2/2006

[tytyler]

Climb: Colchuck-N Buttress Couloir

 

Date of Climb: 5/2/2006

 

Trip Report:

Took a little solo trip up into Colchuck Lake area this past Tues/Wed. I couldn't ask for better weather or better conditions. I was able to drive to just below the first trail head and only had about a miles hike to the trail head. 3 hrs from the car I end up at the lake. The boot track to the Stuart Lake/Colchuck Lake trail intersection was hard packed and the boot track to Colchuck Lake went either left or right. I headed right (left wasn't any better coming down) through the trees, and plunge steps, etc. The lake was still pretty frozen over and made the hike to the other end, short and quick. Woke up around 5 from a deep slumber. Temps at night down to about 25 with incredibly clear skies. Everything was a super hard crust, making for a quick climb up the moraine to the couloir base...and then watching as my helmet slide all the way back to camp, oopps. Made short work of the first half, following a decent boot track to the notch (Thanks all you weekend climbers). Took a breather and headed up the rest. The climb feels a little more exposted on NW face, meaders around at the top and then through a shoot to the summit block. Pretty quick climb. The decent down the Colchuck Glacier seemed to take longer....and be harder. The snow was still rock hard, and I either couldn't walk with the crampons or decented a little too fast just sliding.

Took a long relaxing lunch at camp and hiked out, taking the other wondering boot track out. All-in-all a great trip. Temps during the day were around 60 with a light breeze.

I've got a few photos

www.spaces.msn.com/tytyler37/

 

 

 

Approach Notes:

trail to trail junction was easy to follow and hard packed

Take either boot track, or make your own

Edited May 9, 2006 by tytyler

[still_climbin]

Very nice trip. Thanks for the photos.

[powdrx]

Great Climb Ty, and great pics. Did you have any company out there at all on the weekdays?? Looks pretty sweet!!

[Gary_Yngve]

North Buttress Couloir or Northeast Buttress Couloir? Your description and photos tend to indicate the North Buttress Couloir. (I know several parties who thought they were on the North Buttress Coulior but really were on some shrter NW Couloir that spit them onto the West Face lower down.

[ClimbingPanther]

North Buttress Couloir or Northeast Buttress Couloir? Your description and photos tend to indicate the North Buttress Couloir. (I know several parties who thought they were on the North Buttress Coulior but really were on some shrter NW Couloir that spit them onto the West Face lower down.

 

Agreed, Gary. Sounds like you were not on the NE couloir. It does not finish on the west face, and the west face would not feel more exposed than the NE itself. I remember thinking the same thing about the west face feeling a tad more exposed than the N. Buttress Couloir itself. NE is on my list this spring, and I believe it's considerably more challenging and probably would be super scary solo. Here's a link to a picture showing both routes relatively clearly. Regardless of what the name of the route is, well done and I'm glad you got up there. It's beautiful! http://cascadeclassics.org/CentralCascad...ir_Spring03.htm

[tytyler]

I meant the NE Buttress Couloir, sorry.

I saw a total of 3 people. Two guys coming out from Stuart area, and one solo guy just hiking around. Its a pretty nice spot to have all to yourself.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

You mean N. Buttress couloir, right? NE Buttress couloir is used synonymously with NE couloir AFAIK. See rest of thread for detail.

[DPS]

[quote

NE is on my list this spring, and I believe it's considerably more challenging and probably would be super scary solo.

 

I climbed it ropeless and it was not that bad. The NE Couloir that is, not the North Buttress Couloir.