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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
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    Vancouver - BC
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    346

    Mini TR: Fissile - Summit Chute, April 21, 2012

    Mini TR: Fissile - Summit Chute, April 21, 2012
    This was the last weekend that Whistler is open for 2012, so that means a long slog up Singing Pass or doing the Spearhead to ski lines that are accessible from Flute after the 22nd. The original objective for Wiggles, Crazyhorse and I was to ski the N face of Fitzsimmons. Crazyhorse's ankle was acting up by the time we were approaching Russet lake, so we decided to scale things back. Convenient that Fissile is along the way and I scoped out Summit Chute last weekend.

    Fissile in the distance.

    It was a busy day on Fissile, a party of 3 was just ahead of us as we reached the bootpack. Another party was skinning up towards Whirlwind and would eventually approach the summit from the other side.
    The bootpack was a bit barren, although better than it was last weekend.

    Wiggles on the ascent.

    During the climb up a lone splitboarder motored past us. He'd already grabbed a lap on Summit Chute and was going to drop into Saddle Chute.
    We chilled out at the top of Saddle Chute for a bit. A party of 3 dropped in there while we waited.

    Crazyhorse near the end of the climb up to the summit. The last time he tried to climb fissile was in the summer about ten years ago. He was pretty stoked to finally get to the top.

    The skintrack from the party that came in along the ridge via Whirlwind

    Alright time to ski!
    Conditions were pretty good. About 10cm of reasonably light snow on the upper section. At the crux it was mostly scraped clean down to an old crust. The crust was relatively soft and I could still get my edges to bite in pretty well.

    I skiied this run pretty terribly. I'm still getting used to stuff this steep. Sluff management was an issue as the most I could only link together maybe 2 turns before having to cut across the slope to avoid being run over by my own sluff.

    Me dropping into the top of Summit Chute, Photo by Crazyhorse.

    Wiggles coming down Summit Chute, Photo by Crazyhorse.

    As I mentioned, it was a busy day on Fissile. Plenty of tracks on the mountain.

    Wiggles skiing down to the morraine.


    Pretty happy with the run and the day overall. We packed it in after 1 run on account of Crazyhorse's ankle. Returned to Whistler at a very civilized hour via singing pass which is still in good shape.
    Last edited by Neuro; 04-24-2012 at 11:10 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    FYI summits crux is almost always scraped clean after just one run. It's just the nature of the run.

    edit to be helpful - if summit has tracks down it poke around the NE face or Elev Shaft. NE face if looking poor you can climb back out. Elev Shaft is just as steep as summit, has exposure at start but lets you ski back to summit chute at the point where it widens up a bit and isn't scraped clean.
    Last edited by LeeLau; 04-24-2012 at 11:21 AM.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Posts
    33,440
    That's just fukking beautiful.


  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    London Mountain
    Posts
    1,159
    Very nice!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    North Van
    Posts
    3,757
    I skied Saddle Chute that day. My action shots didn't work out so well but I got some nice scenery shots.

    Heading off Flute, a beauty of a day


    The objective


    Sun dog


    Getting closer


    Views of Black Tusk


    The bootpack/scree slope


    Looking down Saddle Chute, perfect pow, looking tasty



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  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2006
    Location
    North Van
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    3,757
    Last pow of the year

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Vancouver - BC
    Posts
    346
    Quote Originally Posted by D(C) View Post
    Last pow of the year
    Nice scenery Pics. Saddle looked like it had some pretty solid skiing that day.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    JH/AK/Los Andes
    Posts
    2,678
    Very nice
    "The idea wasnt for me, that I would be the only one that would ever do this. My idea was that everybody should be doing this. At the time nobody was, but this was something thats too much fun to pass up." -Briggs
    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    Wear your climbing harness. Attach a big anodized locker to your belay loop so its in prime position to hit your nuts. Double russian Ti icescrews on your side loops positioned for maximal anal rape when you sit down. Then everyone will know your radness
    More stoke, less shit.

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