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[TR] Dragontail - Triple Couloirs 12/9/2011


yasso1am

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Trip: Dragontail - Triple Couloirs

 

Date: 12/9/2011

 

Trip Report:

My buddy Kirk Turner and I headed into the Enchantments to try Triple Couloirs on Dragontail. Neither of us had tried a route like this before, so we were excited with a bit of trepidation. We also weren't sure what conditions were like, so went in with open minds and found that they needed to be expanded even a bit more.

 

If anyone has questions about conditions, I took about 30 condition specific photos (NE Couloir conditions, descent conditions, etc.). I'll send you photos, or maybe post a conditions specific topic. Photo essay ensues.

 

Necessary gear...

 

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Kirk climbing into the first couloir through a short bit of mixed.

 

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Kirk in the middle of the first couloir.

 

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The runnels are not currently in. We found the variation 200 feet up from the runnels. The variation currently involves some steep loose snow over rock. I found the rap anchor (a piton and a stopper with a red sling attached) into the second couloir, but it looked like I would be rapping into a bone dry section of the couloir. I elected to climb an 80 foot pitch of mixed 5.8/5.9 to another anchor I spotted above (a 2-piton anchor with a purple sling). The anchor was slung in an American death triangle, which I recommend you not using. Due to a mind expanding incident on this pitch, I did not cut and replace the sling - I apologize for that.

 

The entrance to the variation.

 

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Kirk moving through a slot before our first mixed pitch.

 

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After lowering/rapelling into the second couloir, Kirk climbed into a little alcove that had some tat and a previous anchor. He hand pulled one of the pitons in this anchor, so we decided to remove the tat and left over pitons. We bootied two carabiners in the process, thanks for that.

 

At the top of the second couloir, into the third, is the only true exposed ice on the route we encountered. I placed a 13cm screw and we simul-climbed until a mixed section above forced us to place a belay.

 

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Kirk and his bomber 3-piece anchor after his stellar mixed lead that involved some cams and pitons.

 

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A cool reflection shot.

 

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Kirk at the top of the third couloir.

 

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Headed up the last snowfield and a bit of mixed to the summit.

 

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Obligatory summit shot

 

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Down climbing a few ice bulges on the descent down Asgard Pass.

 

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What a great trip, with beautiful weather, with an awesome friend. Hard to beat trips like this (for me) in the mountains. Overall we climbed two pitches of mixed, simul-climbed a few sections and the rest was cruiser.

 

Thanks Cascades.

 

 

Gear Notes:

Gear brought: Let's not talk about it.

 

Gear used: A picket, a 13cm screw, a rock rack including nuts, BD 0.3-2, 3 pitons, and slings.

 

 

Approach Notes:

Skinned up the logging road. Switched to climbing boots for the awesome bootpack on the approach. Camped near the end of the lake in the trees next to a small stream of running water. Not sure how much longer the stream will be running, but we didn't have to melt snow which made us happy. Thanks to previous parties for finding most holes on the posthole talus approach.

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Nice send guys! I am one of the guys that ran into you two on the approach. What kind of snow conditions did you run into? We bailed from our climb of the NBC because all we had was a thin crust that would break and leave you in knee deep powder. we figured the rest of the route would be similar and terrain in the whole area as well.

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