[TR] Colchuck Peak - North Buttress Couloir, unplanned bivy 3/7/2015

[HHinkkala]

I'm convinced many climbers drastically underestimate when figuring caloric and hydration needs. 2000-2500 calories for a day of alpine climbing sounds like a starvation diet to me. I usually try for about twice that. On two Denali trips back in the eighties, we budgeted 10,000 calories per person per day. To stay optimally hydrated, I need to consume AT LEAST a gallon per day in addition to what might be consumed in food. And I've gone long days when TWO gallons seemed barely enough. So for winter climbs, the ONE item I am NEVER without is a stove with a generous amount of fuel. I hope that the purr of the stove helped mask the noise of my belching and dry-heaving on that bivvy with Kyle on Dragontail...

 

I think folks may be focusing too much on the nutrition/hydration issue. IMO Day-trips do not typically need the meticulous organization and consumption of calories that are being discussed here. And just as importantly, everyone functions differently based on their specific nutritional needs. For example, my partner and I did the N Face route on hood round trip from the stone shelter in just under 8hrs with under 2 liters and a few gels/bar each, and I would say we are mediocre in our speed/experience compared to others on CC. Traveling multiple days during an alaskan expedition certainly requires significant more planning, and stuffing of ones self of food, to carry on at a consistent pace from day to day.

 

My thoughts on this Colchuk trip would have been one or both of two issues. Firstly relating to overall pace, which may have been a bit slower perhaps due to both fitness (this sounds less of factor for you) and certainly snow conditions. And lastly transitions/gear placements can eat up loads of time if not done in an efficient manner, or if protection requires considerable excavating...

 

Improving on just fitness/transitions/placements can easily cut ascent times in half.

 

Again I'm very glad to hear everything worked out for you both in the end and that you were willing to bring up this topic for discussion.

[G-spotter]

+1 to what Henrik said. You had enough food for a day trip.

You also might have been better off just bringing water in a bottle or bladder than bringing stove, pot and fuel and spending all that time brewing up partway up the climb.

[marc_leclerc]

Interesting reading through all this. I've spent a few nights shivering, on or near summits of things, punching the air trying not to freeze until the sun comes up. But usually it was part of the plan, not that its much fun.

 

But practicing on snow then ditching the pickets and most of the gear, climbing on a single 8mm for routes like these, and brewing up completely at the bivy and ditching the stove, all would speed things up a lot. You don't want to be scared while climbing though, so extending the comfort zone is the most important aspect.

 

thanks for writing up your adventure!

[definedbypassion]

I was apart of the team mentioned that was on route the day before you guys had your adventure. I believe we talked to you all on the lake after we had descended, and were crossing back to our camp.

 

While we were up there, the majority of the couloir was a exhausting wallow-fest of slogging/post-holing up crotch deep, unbroken snow, that SIGNIFICANTLY slowed us. We were able to make far better time through the periodic mixed/ice sections, and the final ~5.4 rock pitch to the summit. As said earlier, we were camp-to-camp in about 10 hours. I dont remember which guide book states it, but a 4-8 hour climb to the summit is to be expected depending on time of year and conditions. We thought given the slowness of the snow conditions, a 10 hour round trip time, with the late start we got, was reasonable. Had the conditions that weekend been firmer, allowing anything other than a wallow-fest, Id expect the ascent time to be WAY faster.

 

We carried a single 60m rope, small rack of #0.3-2, a full set of nuts, and 4 ice screws. Also 1 nalgene of water, and 2 cliff bars total between the two of us. The rope and hardware stayed packed away as we solo'd the couloir, the NW face traverse, and the final couloir that dumped us at the base of the final ~5.4 rock pitch to the summit. We discussed roping for some of the mixed/ice bulges, but opted to continue soloing and stay staggered in order to conserve time. We climbed to the rock summit pitch in one continuous push. The rock pitch we did sans crampons/tools, placing a #2 and a #0.5, anchoring with a single nut, and a #0.3. We were on the summit at about 430pm, much later than wed wanted or planned to be. We munched the cliff bars, pounded the water, and then started our descent at about 5pm. As said earlier, we reached the lake at 7pm. We made great time on the descent with the hardening snow conditions.

 

Glad you are all safe to provide the trip report, and be able to reflect on decisions made.

After reading your report, I wish wed talked longer and gave you more detailed beta on the route conditions and what to expect.

[jakedouglas]

Thanks for the additional response. For some reason I didn't see it until now.

 

I figured it was time to post a followup.

 

I had annoying tingling in 2 toes and 1 finger that lasted for about a month after the bivy. I was surprised that I received any degree of cold injury in air temperatures that were probably above freezing, but I guess that's what wet boots will do to you.

 

The sheriffs department was supposed to mail us something detailing the costs of the search and information about how to donate if we wanted to, but I never got it.

 

ACR was hard to get in touch with and didn't respond until I posted a nasty comment on their public Facebook page, after already using the contact form on their website as well as leaving a voicemail. They sent me a new beacon for free, but have never given me any information about whether my original beacon had a problem. I'm hesitant to trust it and I'm still considering switching to Delorme. At least those units have delivery confirmation of your messages, so you will know whether you are on your own or not.

 

I guess the takeaway is that beacon owners should test them regularly in the most rigorous way possible and carry them with the knowledge that they just might not work. ACR supposedly makes the most reliable ones but that doesn't mean much to me anymore, and after all, I never saw any data to backup that notion in the first place.

 

Leaving our itinerary with a family member ended up being very important since the beacon could not locate us with any reasonable accuracy.