calamityinsanity Posted February 16, 2015 Share Posted February 16, 2015 Trip: Dragon Tail - Triple Couloirs Date: 2/15/2015 Trip Report: Go Get It! Hiked in Saturday evening 630pm, road is very snowy most of the way and firm conditions are helpful. made the meadows below the lake at 930. trail is very icy, and getting icier. lots of people wearing crampons or snowshoes for traction. snow is refreezing well at night and forming a strong crust. started route at 930am on lovely firm squeaky Styrofoam neve. Bit of ice to get into the couloir, then firm snow or icy avalanche runnel up the middle. ice out of the first couloir into the second and some softer slabs encountered with good firm snow in the avi path. headed off into the runnels..... amazing fat alpine ice. We carried 4 screws and placed them more than any other gear, even got a whole 22cm into some spots. runnels finished with a vertical 15ft section of ice. Entered the third couloir via protectable ice and up to the summit. carried cams from .1-3, 2 pickets, 4 pins, and 4 screws. screws were very useful, take 6, 13cm best. pins should be all kb's, and go heavy on the small cams. pickets were very useful, and ill never make fun of an adze on a nomic again. Digging was required to get them t trenched well. one 35m, and one 70 m rap gets you off the back. good firm conditions all the way around gets you back to the lake quickly. couloirs all around are filled with snow, but the forest is very dry. Six hours on route, two hours to tag the summit rap and get to the lake. Hammered it out and back to the car for 830pm sunday. I can see why this is considered a classic route, and should be at the top of anyone's list. Based on previous reports, conditions seemed very "easy" with great protection where you needed it and very solid climbing. In short, go get it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckaroo Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Awesome, sounds like it's in best shape. You mention rock pro, how much rock did you have to climb? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourteenfour Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 Nicely done. Thanks for posting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Voytek Posted February 17, 2015 Share Posted February 17, 2015 (edited) Buckaroo: I don't thinking we placed any nuts or offsets. We had a single rack of cams c-4 and small x-4 .1"-3"used most at one point or another. EDIT:Should have had coffee before answering. No rock was climbed. Edited February 17, 2015 by Voytek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calamityinsanity Posted February 17, 2015 Author Share Posted February 17, 2015 no rock was climbed, but rock pro was used as it is the most available in the couloirs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
montypiton Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 sounds like unusually forgiving conditions. thanks for the report. here's hoping conditions maintain - this is a good indicator that mixed routes throughout the Stuart Range may be in excellent shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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