Forbidden WR couloir?

[fresh]

I'm thinking about heading up there later this week. Did anybody check it out this weekend? I heard that the couloir still went as of a week ago but had a real skinny snow bridge. Would appreciate any beta. Thanks!

[Blake]

You can climb up the rock to the left if there is no snow. There are several options, nothing harder than mid 5th class.

[jpasteris]

Climbed the WR yesterday. We had to use the rock gully off to the left. The couloir now has a really, really skinny snow bridge that we weren't willing to tip-toe across. It was maybe 6" wide...and melting out fast.

[fresh]

Thanks for the info!

[TimL]

How far to the left of the couloir is the gulley? Can you rap down the gulley or does it have to be the couloir? Do you have to have doubles or can you rap with one 60? Thanks! Tim

[Lisa_D]

We descended the couloir with a single, combining down climbing and rappelling, but doubles would probably be much nicer. I'm not sure how it would go to rap it when the snow bridge is gone.

 

The alternative descent gully to climber's left of the couloir has a reputation for snagging ropes (although I've never descended it, we saw a cut rope hanging there)

 

Next time I climb Forbidden I'm going to descend the East Ledges.

[Mark_L]

I've ascended and descended the gully left of the couloir years ago with a single 150 ft rope. It did take several rappels, but I recall that the anchors connected up. The climbing wasn't any harder than 4th class. It is definitely loose in places.

[TimL]

Sounds good. I just remember someone telling me and maybe it says in Nelson's book that you need 2 ropes to rap.