[TR] Dragontail Peak - Triple Couloirs 4/26/2014

[jefetronic]

Trip: Dragontail Peak - Triple Couloirs

 

Date: 4/26/2014

 

Trip Report:

With a solid spring of classic Cascade alpine climbs under our belts and an impending move by Goran to San Francisco, we wanted to cap things off right. Our attempt on Triple Couloirs in late May of last year was thwarted by new snow, warm temperatures, and avalanche concerns. This time was different.

 

We drove out to Leavenworth after work on Friday and arrived at the gated road at about 9:30pm. We packed quickly, deciding to bring 6 pins, 5 screws, 2 pickets, a small set of nuts, and 4 cams, and were hiking up the road in our trail runners with boots on our packs at about 10:15pm. The hike was quick and without incident, save an unfortunate miss of the Colchuck Lake trail turn-off as we conversed with a couple near the trail junction. Despite close to 30 minutes of errant motion, we made it to our campsite at the edge of the lake below Dragontail in about 3 hours and 45 minutes from the gate. It was about 2am at this point, so we quickly set up camp and conked out with alarms set for just shy of 6am. We'd walked past another party camping on the lake who said they would start the route at 5am, so we figured we'd be behind them.

 

A quick 6am coffee got us going on our clear, chilly Saturday morning and we rapidly ascended the snowy moraine to the base of the first couloir. The other party was just getting to the edge of the lake at this point, so we were in for a pristine route (a.k.a. setting the boot pack). We soloed the snice entrance and first couloir to the base of the runnels. Goran took the first pitch of steep snice with really good sticks and brought us to a belay at a rocky step about 40 feet below a larger, overhanging rock outcrop.

 

From there, I did a delicate step left, plugged a cam, and gingerly climbed up thin ice and rock for a series of moves before plugging another cam and moving up and right on slightly more secure climbing to the overhanging roof where I set a belay on awesome cams. Goran quickly came up to me and then cast off to the left around the rock outcrop, then up the remainder of the runnels where he banged in a few pins in the steeper section that was mostly mixed climbing with a handful of sticks in snice.

 

I climbed up to him at the belay and went straight by him, leading out and then simul-climbing the second couloir, placing a cam and a pin on the side in case the ample snow decided to rip. The steps alternated between secure and hip-deep wallowing all the way up the couloir. We continued simul-climbing as I hit the rock section between the second and third couloirs. I remembered Goran saying a recent TR had people climbing too high on the left, so I stuck right up against the right wall, which was mixed climbing with a touch of sugary snow on mostly slabby rock. After banging in 3 pins along the way and getting low on gear with nasty rope drag, I set up a belay and brought Goran up just shy of 1pm.

 

There were no great options from the belay and the next 50 feet of climbing took a surprising amount of time. Straight up against the wall was M6 or so, slightly overhanging chimney climbing. Up and left was M4/5 with questionable feet on sugar snow. Hard left wasn't much easier. Goran decided, after trying straight up, to cut up and left, which was spicy for a move, then easier for 20 feet before getting tough again on slabby rock with marginal protection. Thankfully, he finished it up without incident, hit the third couloir, and set up a belay.

 

I'd taken the opportunity to have a snack while belaying and, by the time the rope came tight, was feeling great. I climbed through the mixed section and went past him again, taking on knee-deep snow in the third couloir from the belay to the finish. I had untied at the belay before the couloir since the remaining climbing was very secure and unprotected snow. The technique which served the best was to turn the tools sideways and punch my hands into the snow to take the weight off my feet, then kick into the depressions from my hands as I climbed up. Otherwise, I would slip through each foot placement to hip-deep snow.

 

It was sunny, calm, and beautiful at the finishing notch when we arrived there at about 4pm, so we decided to eat lunch and take a quick rest in the sun before finishing the climb. It wasn't far to the top and we dropped packs before the last 100 feet since we'd be back down the same place. With some obligatory summit shots and high fives complete, we began the descent, following footprints from two parties who had done the standard route earlier in the day.

 

The descent was super fast and involved some fun glissading down Asgard Pass almost straight to our tent. We drank hot chocolate and ate our dinners from the tent with a view of the sunset on Dragontail. I think the day had doubled the number of pins I'd placed in my life. We didn't use a single ice screw. What a phenomenal climb!

 

A bit more info and some more photos are up here:

http://www.jeffreyjhebert.com/adventures/triple-couloirs-on-dragontail-peak

 

 

A view back at the route on our hike out Sunday morning

 

Entering Hidden Couloir

 

Goran on the first pitch in the runnels

 

Goran coming up the delicate middle section of the runnels

 

Goran pulling a pin out in the mixed section below the third couloir

 

High in the third couloir

 

Obligatory summit shot with our friend Stuart

 

Gear Notes:

6 pins (used all), small set of nuts, 4 cams, 2 pickets, 5 screws (used none), 70m rope

[goran]

Another great TR, Jeff, and a fitting end to April! TC has been on the radar for a long time, and it certainly delivered.

 

A few route notes:

 

It's amazing just how much this climb changes conditions. We never saw ice remotely thick enough to take even a stubby, and during the first runnels pitch I didn't feel comfortable climbing straight up steep (80+ degree) snow to the alcove belay since the only sticks seemed to be in a thin ice crust over a bulbous snow mushroom. In other conditions, that would likely have been a straightforward 10-20 foot section of steeper ice. Instead, Jeff led out left and then back right in a small left-facing corner system in what was perhaps the technical crux of the route. That said, the traverse left from the alcove belay was casual, and the icy chimney system above was manageable but hard to protect (both are often noted as cruxes of the route). I'm still figuring some things about pitons out. For instance, does anyone have tips for the "hammering a pin in behind my back" thing?

 

In the second to third couloir transition, we stayed high and right far too early and got a pitch of extra credit drytooling on slab. That is, once we scraped away the foot of overlaying sugar snow. Half of our progress through this section was due to a sick and efficient lead by Jeff, while the second half came from perhaps the slowest 60 feet of progress I've ever inched my way through on the sharp end. Ouch. The best pro through the slabby step turned out to be hammered-in nuts, one of which remains for future TC suitors. Sorry to litter, and you're welcome!

 

Finally, a shout out to Andrej (sp?) and Abraham who were great company on the route all day and also successfully tagged the summit. We did not envy your walk out on Saturday night --- burlfest!

 

 

[asong]

Thank Jeffrey and Groan for kicking steps which made us so much easy.

 

Here are my photos as well. My camera battery died at the beginning of second couloir. So I don’t have photos between second and third couloirs. Submit photos were taken by iPhone.

 

 

[JP Peters]

Jeff and Goran,

 

Nice climbing, you guys have had a great string of inspiring climbs. I sent Marlin another text with, "Jeff and Goran Strike Again!" Ha I think that is the second one in as many weeks.

 

Congrats on some awesome climbs this season. Thanks for the TR.

 

Enjoy SanFran Goran- best get to Yosemite!

 

JP Peters

[jefetronic]

Thanks, JP! It's been an awesome run which will unfortunately come to an end with Goran's move, but I'm sure I'll be able to convince him to come back for the right objective. I'm hoping the Cauthorn Wilson or Ptarmigan Ridge fit the bill.

 

Best,

- Jeff

[goran]

Thanks for the stoke, JP, and I look forward to reading your and Marlin's next TR as well --- the last one definitely inspired us to get after it! Let me know if your paths will cross the bay, it'd be great to get out with you sometime. The word on the street is that Jeff's planning a trip or two to the Sierra for alpine ice in September/October. Stoke!

 

 

[mthorman]

Great pictures guys, and another awesome ascent. As Joe said, you guys have had quite the run this spring! Good luck down in CA Goran, the Sierras are amazing too!

[dmdebruin]

I'm curious as to what conditions are like on the Triple Couloirs approach now. A partner and I will be traveling from the east coast to climb May 17. We are hoping to do the Triple Couloirs and also the Stuart Glacier Couloir on Mount Stuart. Should we bring skis/snow shoes, or is booting up from the road a reasonable plan at this point? Just wondering as the original post mentions hiking in trail runners for a while.

Edited May 2, 2014 by dmdebruin

[jefetronic]

We went all the way from the gate to the edge of the lake, right below Triple Couloirs in trail runners. You definitely don't need skis or snowshoes at this point and, when you get here, might be able to drive the road as well. The trail is still a bit snowy, but is patchy in places and no longer worth skinning.

 

Same goes for Stuart Glacier Couloir—we did trail runners all the way to the moraine below the Sherpa Glacier.

 

If it snows a bunch between now and then, snowshoes might help, but I don't think they're worth the weight right now.

 

Hope you guys have great weather and crush it.

[Czikus]

I finally managed to sort some of my photos from that day. http://goo.gl/EuAdS0