[TR] Colchuck and Dragontail Peaks - Ascend Colchuck Glacier, Descend Asgard Pass 6/8/2008

[tguzman]

Trip: Colchuck and Dragontail Peaks - Ascend Colchuck Glacier, Descend Asgard Pass

 

Date: 6/8/2008

 

Trip Report:

Most important single note take Crampons and if you ascend Dragontail via Colchuck Glacier, take rope and pickets (the Asgard route route should not need rope).

 

Trailhead, Saturday 3pm.

Colchuck Lake by 6pm. Very busy camping around the lake circa 20 tents. By today there should be no ice left on the lake and there was very little snow except for close to the Glacier.

6.30 pm we camped under Colchuck Glacier, which is a fast ascent spot, however is exposed from wind off Glacier if it's windy. Given the number of teams, we left very early to avoid any bottlenecks and there were several.

4.50am headed straight up Colchuck Glacier (avoided moraine side to right). There were very limited boot steps and it's mainly ice so crampons a must from get go. 7am Colchuck Saddle. Relatively easy scramble/kickstep up. 8am summit.

8.45 am back down at saddle. Met a large mountaineers team just getting onto saddle and decided to make haste right past them and up the Col. Col was steep, crampons optional but recommended(thanks to boots steps from previous parties). Top of Col was the crux. A small lip, partly vertical, with little protection below and a mix of snow & ice forced a fixed line (5 pickets. note: could have used rock protection but not easily). By the time the line was setup and our team was descending 2 other teams (11 and 9) had reached. Traverse to Dragontail was mixed snow and slight ice but posed us no technical challenges. Scramble to Dragontail Peak by 11am.

Part downclimbed, but mainly Glassaded to the pass. Met 2 teams coming up. One team attempted Dragontail via Asgard on Saturday but turned back because they did not have crampons, then camped Saturday nite for another attempt sunday. We Descended Dragontail via Asgard. Mix of Moraine hoping and Glassading. There was rock slide potential so be careful if there are large teams above.

Back at camp 1.45pm. Left camp 2.30pm (base of Colchuk Glacier), back at Trailhead 5.20pm.

 

Gear Notes:

Rope, Pickets, Crampons + Essentials

 

Approach Notes:

Team of 8.

[JoshK]

Grats on the climb but climing w/ and around that many other people sounds aout as pleasent as the receiving end of prison sex.

[MtnClimbr]

Sweet. I can't believe the lake melted out so fast. I was just up there a couple weeks ago and it was completely frozen over. Too bad there were so many people up there... Those climbs have become very popular.

[belayerslayer]

did you stay on the ridge up to the summit, or descend onto the south slopes and cross over from there? a group and I were out a few weeks ago on that route and I ended up lowering 3 members from the notch onto the south slopes

[Kyle_Flick]

About 50' before you reach the Pandora's Box, what you referred to as the top of the (Dragontail) Col, you climb up left into a rock gully which turns into a ridge. You can traverse high along the ridge for about 200' without needing any rope, fixed line or belay. Makes for a much easier approach to the south slopes.

 

[MtnClimbr]

About 50' before you reach the Pandora's Box, what you referred to as the top of the (Dragontail) Col, you climb up left into a rock gully which turns into a ridge. You can traverse high along the ridge for about 200' without needing any rope, fixed line or belay. Makes for a much easier approach to the south slopes.

 

 

Thats what we did, great alternative...no pro needed. Plus, its a neat scramble.

[goatboy]

Please move this TR into the Alpine Lakes forum.

 

Thanks for the conditions report.