[TR] Colchuck- Northeast Buttress Couloir 5/14/200

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Climb: Colchuck-Northeast Buttress Couloir

 

Date of Climb: 5/14/2006

 

Trip Report:

After a succesful time on the Triple Couloirs the day before, myself, vw4ever, and masternate32 thought we might give the NEBC of Colchuck a shot. It wasn't as long (in terms of climbing) as the TC, and was supposed to be harder than the North Buttress Couloir, so it sounded like a fun finish to an awesome weekend.

 

The weather was supposed to get warmer so we set our alarm for 3 AM this time in hopes of getting up the route before it warmed up too much. Soft snow and the big cornice we had seen still guarding the top out loomed in our minds. The alarm went off, but everyone hid in their sleeping bags waiting for someone else to get up first. Vw finally opened the tent, sealing me and nates fate. Now we'd have to get up too. After some coffee and oatmeal we wandered out of camp at 4:19 AM.

 

The Colchuck moraine was tedius, but we made good time over that, past the folks camped there, and to the base of the north east buttress couloir. The bergschrund was open all the way across (except for a 6 inch thick bridge) so we took a few minutes deliberating how to get up. On the left there was a crappy looking snow bridge leading to a steep ramp that might go up to a short downclimb back to the couloir, on the right one could reach across the schrund by leaning over the gap, but it was about chest height and would be interesting to get up. While Chad was getting out a picket so we might belay the section, Nate walked over and sent the thing with a couple tool sticks and a funky knee mantle. I watched and decided it didn't look that hard to I did it too. Chad looked up to see us waving at him from the couloir. After a bit of encouragement he made the move as well.

 

Above that the lower part of the couloir was surpisingly fun. There were patches of water ice here and there in the steep sections, interspersed with hard snow. There was more water ice here than in the triple couloirs the day before!

 

We cruised on up until almost the point where you head left up the ramps toward the cornice when the sun came down on us full bore. It wasn't even 7, but here we were roasting, suddenly wondering if this was such a good idea. I guess we were focused elsewhere the day before and didn't notice the sun so early on that part of the face. We stripped down to t-shirts, thinking we would be at the top soon.

 

That's where it started to get steep. Steep and sugary. Like maybe 70 degree unconsolidated shite, the sort of stuff where you dig for footing, cane your tool in at chest height, and then move before your steps collapse sending you down to your death with no chance of self arrest. Ok, maybe not the whole thing, but it was getting scary.

 

I led up a ramp on the right that ended with a little snow ridge. VW passed me while I peed and moved up the very steep sugar on the other side of the snow ridge. Above us we knew there was only about 200-300 vertical feet. In the way was a narrow, near vertical constriction with little snow and a tiny bit of ice, and then an easier slope up to the cornice. Vw thought it would go like the one on triple couloirs, but he got halfway up and encountered more steep sugar on top instead of hard ice. Not wanting to downclimb, and psyched out about going up, we all realized that we needed the rope. Actually I had suggested it about 15 feet lower, but now we REALLY needed it. I was going to check out a left hand option that might avoid the constriction, but got the frantic call to get my ass up there with the rock gear.

 

Vw hung out in the middle of the difficulty on fortunately good holds, with nate right below, while I crawled up into a "thank god" alcove and built a belay with 2 pins and a nut. Nate was in better position so I put Vw on a long tether to the anchor and Nate led up the rock over and past him. He couldn't find a good belay on the easier but still very soft slope above for about 40 meters so I ended up tieing in to the middle of the rope and also climbing over vw who finally got to move from his spindrift shower after me.

 

We got up and regrouped at the belay with nate leading out again to the cornice only 80 feet above us. After a second look he figured out the move through the steep notch and was on top. Vw was crashing fast after the mental and physical stress of being stuck at the crux and showered with ice chunks in his t-shirt so we decided he should go next with support on both side. He woke up from his stupor rapidly once moving again and pulled through the cornice fine with me following shortly. We dropped our gear there and made the happy trek to the summit, thankful we were done with that one.

 

I'm sure the NEBC is a way easier route with better snow conditions, and the constriction we belayed through may be avoidable, but for that day it was far more technical then the TC had been. Also getting out the rope BEFORE we needed it would have certainly left us feeling a little more in control there too. Lessons learned, we got to the top and had fun doing most of it.

 

Olyclimber (who shared our camp the night before and had started a few minute before us to climb the Colchuck glacier) was waiting for us on the summit. I think he was there for like 3 hours waiting so we have him to thank for these neat pictures too. It was good to have company then. The route took us around 4.5 hours from camp with 1-1.5 hours spent on the last couple hundred feet.

 

The descent was quick, with an awesome glisade almost all the way from the top of the moraine to the lake in soft snow. We rested for a bit and then packed up, getting to the car around 3 with cold beers in the snow. We said goodbye to olyclimber and hit the Ducks and Drakes from some much needed food.

 

After 3 days out and two climbs, we all felt like we'd done something that weekend. Thanks to both VW and Nate for an awesome time on both routes! Thanks to Olyclimber for hanging out.

All three of us climbing in the upper part of the couloir, photo by olyclimber.

Here we're just going over the snow ridge about 50 feet below the difficult constriction.

The three of us finally on the summit with Stuart keeping watch. :-)

 

Gear Notes:

Used: pins, nuts, pickets

Needed: one short screw, more rock gear

 

Approach Notes:

Hike up, avoid the snow gators and hungry trees going up and down.

Edited May 16, 2006 by OlympicMtnBoy

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Hey, my pictures got tiny, look in the gallery for bigger ones (or tell me how to post them, I'm new to this digi photo thing), you can barely make out the climber dots in the first two.

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Nice work, sounds like an awesome weekend. To fix the photos, make sure you are linking to the full size image, and not the smaller image. That should fix things.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Thanks, images fixed. :-) More to come soon.

[olyclimber]

Awesome guys...aren't you glad I didn't bring a harness so you got out of adding me to rope. Imagine me trying to follow you guys up that last bit with a single axe. After watching you guys come up, I can't wait to use my cobras on some alpine ice...though I'm wouldn't want to start out in conditions like you faced here (at least on the last 150 feet)!

And what a place to send three hours...I just gazed longly at Stuart all morning.

 

[Chad_A]

Well, Stewart beat me to it! That's fine, you're a better writer than I any day.

 

I must say I was happy to have that nausea pass...I never thought I'd have such a nasty case of the screaming barfies in May. Funny how falling spindrift can freeze your hands and arms so quickly....

 

Here's a few group pics, and one of the bend leading to the upper couloir. Olyclimber kicks ass for taking those stellar photos of us; thanks much for that.

 

[Chad_A]

Ugghh...the "sugar snow traverse"

 

[olyclimber]

and what about the glissade? OlyMtnBoy chose the most aesthetic line down from the glacier that featured a small jump near a big boulder and deposited us right at the lake. Almost looks like the path up to Miur, eh?

 

 

 

[Jens]

My partner and I were in the mood for some skiing so we climbed the north butress couloir the same day you guys were up there on colchuck. We went up the couloir and then skied the glacier. Man it was a circus up there with so many people! We got a late start leaving seattle and found soft condtitions low but firmer up high.

[OlympicMtnBoy]

Yeah, it was pretty busy up there. We could hear people on the summit from where we were stuck for a bit, kind of funny. Here are a couple more pics. I forgot to resize, so the big ones are in my gallery.

 

VW and Nate approaching the base of the couloir, you can kinda see the 'schrund above us.

 

This one was cool so I posted the big one, VW pulling over the 'schrund.

 

VW going over the cornice.

[Chad_A]

Here's some of Nate's pics; just received them yesterday.

 

 

 

Why does this not look so bad now? It felt a helluva lot steeper than this...but maybe that's because of the runout below, and the sugar collapsing beneath my feet.

 

 

[olyclimber]

this is one of the more well photographed TRs ever!

 

ya, that looks easy from the couch here.

[tanstaafl]

My partner and I were in the mood for some skiing so we climbed the north butress couloir the same day you guys were up there on colchuck. We went up the couloir and then skied the glacier. Man it was a circus up there with so many people! We got a late start leaving seattle and found soft condtitions low but firmer up high.

 

Note that when Jens says "late," he means "after 3 am."

[OlegV]

Hey Chad! Just by looking at the pictures, I'd say the climbing technicalities approach the NF of Hunter: steep, sustained and lots of fun! Great job, guys! The pictures are incredible!!!