[TR] Dragontail - Triple Couloirs 3/31/2007

[TrogdortheBurninator]

Trip: Dragontail - Triple Couloirs

 

Date: 3/31/2007

 

Trip Report:

On Friday evening Aaron, Mike, Justin and I left Bridge Creek, arriving at camp on the south end Colchuck Lake around 11:30. Saturday morning was a bit windy, but after a little extra sleep, things calmed down so we decided to check things out.

 

 

We started up just behind a party of two. For some odd reason most of us entered the first couloir by climbing a short neve ramp up to some sloping sketchy rock. Justin, climbed the right side snow and found great conditions (recommended). After sketchy while scrambling rock, we finally made the first couloir and made reasonable time up to the runnels where the party ahead of us was just racking up. Things looked pretty good, but apparently conditions were thinner than they appeared. After waiting an hour or so, and knowing the 2nd pitch was supposed to be the crux, we decided to leave the other party at the runnel and take the 2nd option in selected climbs. As stated in the description, option 2 takes a left hand couloir almost exaclty one rope length past the start of the runnels. this is a faily narrow couloir, and it had phenomenal conditions.

 

 

We simuled up to the highest left trending snow ramp (Aaron and Justin used the lower snow ramp, which had a previously established rappel point). After some sketchy dry tooling, we ended up above the top of the runnels, where we decided to rappel. A short ice step with great climbing in a narrow chimney slot brought us into the 2nd couloir which again had great generally great conditions.

 

 

We continued simuling up to the base of the 2nd-3rd couloir runnel. The pitch started with a small ice step leading to some slightly runout and sketch climbing.

 

 

The last couloir seemed really long, but still afforded good protection and generally enjoyable climbing. We continued this simul lead directly to the summit where we hung out for a while and enjoyed the views before heading down.

 

 

 

Regarding the lower runnel pitches, maybe the other party will chime in. Apparently their leader took multiple falls (Aaron and Justing heard the screams and talked to them later) on the 2nd runnel pitch. They reported very thin conditions, so buyer beware. A few more parties were heading up there today, so maybe one of them will be able to report first hand on runnel conditions.

 

Gear Notes:

TCUs from blue to red

#1 and 2 link cams

Half set nuts

3 bugaboos

1 LA

5 slings

3 screamers

4 screws (only used 2 at one belay)

2 pickets

 

A few more slings would have been nice when simuling, but we got by.

 

Approach Notes:

Road snow free for 3/4 of way. Snowshoes helpful on trail, but could probably be left behind if approaching/descending after conditions harden up. Lots of different tracks leading to lake, they all probably get there eventually.

[Alex]

(Aaron and Justing heard the screams ...)

 

No, that was just me trying to get up the 11a on Trundle Dome in the drizzle...

[Weekend_Climberz]

Nice :tup:

 

Way to get after it mang

[sambataro]

Yup,

 

That was Mark and I as the party of two on the runnels. We decided to climb the TC car to car and left Icicle Creek road at 1:30am and got to Colchuck Lake around 5:30am.

 

We went directly for the runnels since we heard they were fat with "blue ice," but not so much. Here's a photo looking up the first pitch of the runnels:

 

 

Doesn't look so bad. I went up the icy center rib b/c it looked the most promising for pro and ice, but it was just plastered hard snow in the center so I went up part way, tention traversed right and set up an anchor. Mark followed up and than I got to sit back and watch him go through hell as he aided and scraped his way up 40 ft of rotten rock and snow:

 

 

Since I didn't have to lead it , its only fair I copy and paste Mark's brief account of it from an email this morning:

 

"I spent about two hours grovelling, aiding and french-freeing my way up a maybe 60ft pitch...The pro was mostly shit - half placed pins, cams in ice-filled cracks that I had to unearth and discover from under the snice, etc. I took many short falls, and one good 10 footer (?) when a cam I was aiding off of popped. The party that had been behind us got into the lower 2nd couloir above us and spindrift and ice was pouring down on Joe and I - I remember one extend period where it was relentlessly flowing and I was hanging off one lame tool placement with no feet (they'd slipped out on me) and I just thought to myself - WTF am I doing here. Finally, the b*&$# gave in and I made a crappy anchor off one half driven long bugaboo and another stubby bugaboo. I prayed that Joe wouldn't weight the anchor too much. I belayed direct off my harness, trying to absorb as much weight as possible off my body. Luckily, he was able to scratch his way up without any hard falls/takes.

The third pitch of the runnels was money, as was the second couloir..."

...I had a great time.

 

 

So, yeah, the third pitch of the runnels was SWEET. Mark belayed me out till I was out of rope and then we simuled to the end of the 2nd couloir. The rest was as decribed by Trogdor.

 

So, in the end, it was awesome. The runnels were an unrecommended hick-up that cost 4+ hours and I wish the ice would have been fat--it made the rap wall seem easy! We hiked out the same "day" for a car-to-car trip of 26 hours. I beat my Becky Choinard trip length by more then a few. Sunday, we lazed around in a haze and TR'd at Alphabet Rock on some warm beautiful granite to wind down the weekend. Ahhh, so nice to skip work today.

 

Cheers,

Joe

[TrogdortheBurninator]

It was nice to meet you guys. Glad you made it up safely. I suppose we should thank you guys for giving us a reason to skip the runnels:) Mark's description is classic. FYI, the spin drift was natural and hit us too.