Zermatt Climbing

I just wrapped up a fun 4 days with Mark from McCook, Nebraska. He's got one of those great attitudes that just makes it fun to be with. Even if things don't go quite as planned! After missing his first flight to Geneva, Mark made it to Switzerland, but his bags didn't. After collecting them and making his way to Zermatt we took in the unique Gorner Gorge Adventure. This is a super fun course of ladders, zip-lines, and tarzan swings through the scenic Gorner river gorge. It would be perfect for the Ouray Ice Park in summer. OCRA are you listening!
The next day we took the trams up to Kleine Matterhorn, traversed the Breithorn Plateau and climbed the classic Southwest Ridge of Pollux. This is a great mixed ridge route and excellent training for the Matterhorn. As you crest the main rock difficulties you are greeted by one of the many Madonnas guarding over the Alps.The next day was our scheduled day to head to the Hornlihutte in prep for the Matterhorn. The forecast wasn't stellar, but we kept our fingers crossed and hoped it wouldn't be too bad. Unfortunately it was. Just as we stepped in the hut, the skies opened and dumped a few inches of hail and snow on the Matterhorn. Knowing that the next day's conditions would not be too good for attempting the 'horn we opted to cut our losses and head back to Zermatt.

On our last day we climbed the Breithorn, and got some good photos for Mark's local newspaper travel section.
Before heading back down the trams to Zermatt, we stepped into the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, where a frozen Buddha statue greeted us!

With a bit of daylight left we decided to have one more adventure on the Klettersteig Schweifine above Zermatt. This is a true via ferratta course with plenty of exposure and lots of fun!Berg Heil! CC

Gilpin Peak North Face Couloir

Climbed the North Face Couloir again today with a gentleman from California. Bill and I have done a lot of routes together and it was great to get to show him one of the lesser known San Juan gems.We walked up the Wright's Lake trail until below Gilpin, from there it is a quick climb up good snow and ice. Depending on which exit you choose, it can be as steep as 70 degrees with bits of water ice and mixed climbing. Last week we did the right gully finish, today we did the far left. Both were fun, left was more mixed. The center looks to have the largest cornice still hanging over it.
It should be good for another week or so, but go early. It catches the first sun of the range, and the descent was already sloppy at 0900. Overall it seems quiet in the Sneffels Range this year.Have Fun! CC

Dallas Peak South Face Couloir

Dallas Peak Climb Sunday June 22, 2008Kevin and I took four guys over to climb the South Face Couloir on Dallas Peak on Sunday.
This seldom climbed couloir offers a direct line straight up to the summit block. It involved a 2.5 hour hike, a couple thousand feet of snow, ice, and rock up to M3, and the steep final summit block. All the lads did well, and were psyched on having completed one of the more technical alpine routes of their careers.

I also guided the North Face Couloir on Gilpin, and it too is in good condition. The south facing couloirs should have another week of good snow and ice, and the north facing aspects 3 weeks or so.

Cheers, CC

Teakettle South Couloir Climb

I climbed the beautiful South Couloir on Teakettle today with some guys from the Front Range. It was in great condition and we made good time. We followed the direct line up through all the narrow sections to the small summit block. It is mainly nice neve with a bit of hard ice in spots right now.

I've also been up Dallas Peak and Gilpin Peak by their steep couloir routes, and they are equally fantastic right now. Get it while you can.

Cheers, CC

Snake Couloir and Yankee Boy conditions

Hello! I went up to climb the Snake Couloir on Sneffels this past weekend with a gentleman from New Mexico. He had done a couple good snow routes already this year, and was ready to sample one of the San Juan's finest.

Photo: North Face of Gilpin Peak May 31, 08

There is still a ton of snow up high, and climbing conditions were more like early May than June. We snowshoed in from the toilet to Lavender Col, passing a number of skiers and climbers enjoying the bluebird day. We set a comfortable camp on the snow, and took in the fantastic lenticular clouds ripping by in all directions.

Photo: Looking East to Kismet, Cirque, and Teakettle.Upper Lavender Col

We descended the north side of Lavender at 0500 and wrapped around the base of the North Face around 12,000ft. A few hundred flat foots, frontpoints, and ax plunges later we stood on the exposed snow arete poised below the summit block.

Photos: On the North Face.
Keith waited on the ledge while I led up the sweet, easy mixed finish. A quick belay and we both shared in the breezy summit solitude.
We cruised back down the normal route to camp, glissaded into Yankee Boy Basin, and snowshoed back to the truck.
Snow conditions are great for skiing or climbing right now. It has been an adequate freeze most nights. Good corn is easy to find most days, and steep couloirs offer the best access of the season to the area's coolest peaks. Sneffels, Teakettle, Potosi, Gilpin, Dallas, Mt Wilson, and El Diente all have excellent northern couloirs of different difficulties. Should be a couple more weeks of excellent skiing. Alpine climbing conditions should only improve thru June.

Onwards and Upwards! CC

Yankee Boy snow conditions

A crew of Ouray County folks went up into Yankee Boy Basin on Saturday in search of good spring corn season. We left Ouray around 0600, and drove to the end of the plowed Camp Bird Road (361). A short skin up the road and we were under Teakettle. There is a ton of snow left up there and a bunch of good size chunder piles as well, making for tricky conditions in spots. We decided to go up Kismet East as it has a number of good options depending on how the daily corn conditions form up.

From the top, the San Juans were beautifully laid out in morning light, and we could see a good set of tracks leading to the summit of Sneffels. The southern couloirs on Kismet were still pretty firm, with alternating bed surface and debris skiing. We opted to descend the way we came. The east ridge was just loosening up, and there were great patches of corn on the steeper slopes. We all mached down the shady hardpack to the truck and called it good.

Spring Skiing in the San Juans is always a bit of a scavenger hunt. Finding a beautiful line with the right snow conditions makes the endeavor almost as much fun as the reward. When it is timed right, the steepest lines in the range fall away as if they were merely the lower Plunge at T-ride. The skiing should be good into June. So get up early and enjoy what many locals agree is the best skiing of the year.

FYI, there is a good track for Sneffels climbers, but snowshoes are definitely advised for the afternoon wallow back.

Caio, CC

Mooses Tooth Climbs

I just got back from 2 weeks of guiding in the Alaska Range. We were based out of the Root Canal Glacier, under the South Face of The Mooses Tooth. The first week was very busy with many climbers coming up to the Root Canal. Unfortunately there were also enough pulses of moisture to keep us from climbing to the summit.

The second week was much better, and I headed back in with long-time client Bob O. We arrived late in the evening of the 5th. We set a quick camp and went to bed. We left camp at 0430, quickly reaching the base and the first 5.6 rock step. Nine hours later we we at the col between the Central and Main Summits. After a quick break we climbed the remaining ice steps and snow ridges up to the Main Summit. A bit of down-climbing and 19 rappels later we were back on the glacier. 14 hours camp-to-camp.
We took a couple days of rest, walked up the Incisor, and got fired up to try Shaken not Stirred. Shaken is a more ambitious effort, and the couple parties who had done it before us all commented on its more sustained and technical nature. We again left at 0430, making the short walk down glacier to the base. It opened with a sweet pitch of 5.7 leading into 3 more pitches of fantastic thin mixed climbing. We cruised up a bunch of steep snow leading to the Narrows. 500-600 feet of tight chimneys, chockstones, and slots with thin ice formed the crux of the route. We negotiated a couple WI6/M5 cruxes and were soon looking at Englishman's Col above. We gained a good anchor above the col and started the rappels. 16 raps later we were headed back to camp.

Shaken was an incredible experience, one of my favorite alpine routes I have done anywhere. It was in thin and more difficult condition than usual this year, but I think this ended up making it more fun!

I'm back in the San Juans now, it snowed again, the skiing should be great until the middle of June I think!

Go here to check out Bob's in depth report on Shutterfly. http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8QbsmjJq4bPbA&emid=sharview&linkid=link5

Cheers, CC