dragon tail peak winter info

[Khartoum Wood]

Im looking for winter info for the north face route or the NW face route for a winter a possible ascent.Im not sure about it yet just looking any info would be of help.

[Ryan Canfield]

Yo Kurt,

I'm pretty certain the north face are all rock routes. The south routes are the Class 2/3 routes. Remember when we camped at Colchuck Lake? And we looked up and could see Dragontail Peak? That's the north face/side of the peak.

 

The backside, is where the easier routes are at. We'd have to approach it the same way from Colchuck Lake but head up deeper into the Enchantments and through Asgard Pass or the Colchuck Col. to get there.

 

This picture explains it.. the dotted red lines are describing the routes on the backside of the peak:

[img:center]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/2610309601_d5c05c468a_o.jpg[/img]

 

 

 

[TrogdortheBurninator]

The N. Face and NW Face have a bunch of moderate technical alpine routes. The lack or presence of ice typically dictates enjoyment level. Typically they are done in spring, but favorable fall or winter conditions can bring things in to shape. IMO, the routes on the NW face are some of the best looking ice/alpine climbs in the state. Unfortunately, I never had a chance to do them.

 

Popular routes include:

Triple Couloirs

The 1971 N. Face Route

NE Couloir

 

The NW face routes are less popular, but look more spectacular.

 

Info in Beckey, Nelson Select and WA State Ice guides. Or search the trip reports here.

[Dane]

Let me be a tiny bit more succinct

 

The N. Face and NW Face have a bunch of technical alpine routes. The lack of ice or the presence of loose powder snow typically dictates the level of technical DIFFICULTIES you'll find

 

Alpine climbing is all about conditions.

[Alex]

The true North Face route (in winter) is a real gem, and climbs up the right side of the buttress, from the lowest point of the face on the Colchuck Lake side, through snowfields and runnels, to the "North Face Variation" bypass on Triple Couloirs, through a steep rock/mixed pitch into the Third Couloir and on to the top. Its moderate but long and offers really nice climbing with no ice required to get to the top (I did parts of it when only snow and rock).

 

The crux for most of these routes is getting in there and having the weather window.

[montypiton]

I've had the pleasure of completing the Gerber-Sink N. Face route under winter conditions, in April a few years back. We had ice to WI5 on the steepest pitches, and some fabulous classic mixed climbing as well. I can email you some pix, if you like. It's unusual to find good ice-climbing on the N. Face routes in early winter, but it can happen after a significant thaw, when things refreeze. Memorial Day is a more dependable time to find good ice. While I have not done it, I've had friends make earlier winter ascents, and they have reported snow-dusted rock-climbing, rather than truly mixed rock & ice. The fattest ice I've ever seen on the Triple Couloir route was the first week of June in about 2001. I had gone up without ice gear, intending to do one of the snow couloir routes, and have cursed myself ever since...

[Dane]

I have heard a bunch of whining more than once on how that last pitch into the Triple Couloirs was unprotected, run out, and fairly difficult. Said so myself

 

Count yourself lucky if you got an actual stick in there and found it like this.

 

 

I'm with Curt on this one. Early season and in bonie, dry conditions Dragontail can get the attention of just about anyone. Late spring conditions you can have some fabulous neve and good, soft ice. Much of what was climbing in Fall can be skied or a bum slide by spring.

 

Good TR on the Gerber/Sink here. FWIW I prefer the G/S over Triple Couloirs when both are in good nic. If for nothing else than the superb alpine ambiance out on the face. At least one other colorful description of the crux corner getting back to TC inside the thread. Either way, some great climbing to be had on Dragontail 12 months of the year!

 

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