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[TR] British Columbia - Slesse North Face Couloir 5/19/2012


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Trip: British Columbia - Slesse North Face Couloir

 

Date: 5/19/2012

 

Trip Report:

My friend Greg and I climbed the north face couloir on Slesse this past saturday. A great route in great conditions with great weather, followed by a long and arduous descent. The bottom mixed pitch wasn't really in so we traversed left onto neve on the North Rib, where we climbed mixed ground and ice followed by a traverse back right into the couloir. Once in the couloir conditions were fantastic; solid neve with cruxes of thin ice over slabs or unconsolidated snow. The top pitch where you cross into the heart of darkness gully was quite interesting, climbed unconsolidated snow up one side of the rib and rock down the other side. The crossover descent was easy enough to find thanks to spraypainted directions on rocks on the ridge (not sure if i like that, but we did use them). Overall the route took 20 hours car to car.

 

-On the approach.

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-The route is directly above Greg, you can see where we traversed left onto the north rib, and then back right across flutings.

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-This view is what made me decide to go left.

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-Looking down after the traverse from on the north rib.

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-Looking down during the traverse back right into the couloir.

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-Looking down the route from higher up.

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-The top out, after the crux rib cross-over.

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-Slesse looking pretty right before we were benighted.

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Gear Notes:

Cams to 2", a few thin pitons, nuts, 4 screws, 2 pickets. Used it all.

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Yeah post it wherever you like. The spraypainting was to indicate the direction of the crossover descent, consisting of a couple red arrows and the word rap painted by the rap stations. I have no idea why someone felt spraypaint was necessary, but I'll confess that we went in the direction of the arrows.

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

Looking down the route from higher up.

IMG_09201.JPG

 

wow, nicely done! there can often be superb alpine ice conditions in April and May, but you have to catch then just right, and you guys judged this perfectly.

 

I'm interested in whether you found belays easily. when we climbed it, it was January, and everything was snowed up, so we found very few anchor points, and tended to run out multiple ropelengths moving together with a few pieces (VERY few... sometimes none...) between us. this photo makes it look like good anchors were readily available when you wanted them.

 

The top out, after the crux rib cross-over.

IMG_09241.JPG

 

ahhh, memories. we climbed onto the crest, along it to where it butted against the right wall, then up the top of the gully to the cornice. the snow was so steep and unconsolidated in the top of the gully that I had to make progress by cutting a groove and 'chimneying' facing sideways, and it took 2 hours to tunnel thru the cornice... then, of course, like you, you have to get off! soooo frikkin cold, for soooo long... and not much red paint around back then...

 

a favorite! good goin'!

 

 

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