Colchuck Peak, NE Couloir, SONAR

[Lani]

The Line - John Scurlock Photo

It's the couloir that trickles off the right side of Mt Rainier in this photo. If you don't see it, click click.

Ben, Josh, and Jason took this one as far as they could in 2003. More here. I mentioned this trip to both Jason and Josh; neither showed interest.

Monika and mountain magic


I often prefer to repeat classic lines in the best possible style, rather than pursue inferior novelty. Eric, Monika, Ryan, and I found all the excitement we craved; at moments it seemed maybe more.



The cornice required some strenuous maneuvers up overhanging snow. We didn't have any pro. Some of the wiring in my brain got shorted after I gave myself two ice-cream headaches trying to knock snow off the cornice, then I surmounted it with anger alone. I had brought a 20 meter segment of 7 mm cord for antics, so I lowered it from above to offer my three companions a little more security.

Off the edge of the world...


First I rapped into the thing from one side where snow seemed to cover the slabby rock well enough by slinging a big chunk of granite. There was just enough snow for Ryan to do the same. Then it looked bleak. Monika and Eric finally entered via a rappel from a bollard.

That's as far as the magic spaghetti will get me.


The snow was a little funky moving off that thinly-coated slab.


Ryan's turn


There was some gnar where I did some downward rockclimbing on my skis. I would have switched to crampons if I hadn't put myself in a committed position unintentionally. I was happy to have survived the rocks on my skis; I advised the others to switch to crampons and axes.


for dudes making rad stix


super steep but perfect snow


We found great powder in the couloir after long-time sustained adrenal dilation. We used screams of joy off the sides of the uber-aesthetic couloir to pretrigger suspended slides off the climber's-right face in the sun, like a bat uses SONAR to find insects. On that note, we finish with an anagram from Nabokov: Insect incest nicest?

Eric getting the goods in the couloir



sorry to bore everyone with wimpy dynafit turns


Ryan ripping it


Mo-money


More powder for Ryan


Take it home, Ryan.




That'll help me feel better about my office this week. Oh yeah.

[summit]

not just yes but HELL YES!

[FrontRangeDrummer]

Killer line.

I love this shot:





Edit: SONAR=So Gnar!!!

[tone capone]

That is some serious good timing. no other way to do it. That is some ski mountaineering of the finest quality!!! Definetly respectful treatment of a classic line.

[gbarnum]

Jeebus that was steep. Good job.

[Squirrel99]

Choice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The pitch in this pic spells b-u-r-l

[KillingCokes]

Such a sick line

[Kellie]

Impressive to say the least!!! Day trip? How many hours?

[twodogs]

Nash-Tea!!

[Lani]

Impressive to say the least!!! Day trip? How many hours?

There had been some new snow and not much consolidation. Sunday was forecasted to be very nice and warm and death slurpees were a definite concern. So we started hiking the last 1.5 miles of the road (the gate's finally open!) at 12:30 am. We summited at 8:30 am. Took a long break at Colchuck Lake after the descent, then skied all the way to the car, drinking cold beers in the warm sun by 2 pm or so.

[stuckathuntermtn]

w o w
......................

[powdherb]

Really, the first thing that comes to mind is this:

[Chainsaw_Willie]

Uhhhhh... hmmm... Yeaahhh!

[Meathelmet]

Where´s the Sickbird when you need him??!!

[Kya]

Dat be an outragous ski line!

[lemon boy]

that was okay, I guess....if you like that sort of thing.

[alto]

Lani wearing helmet = me not coming along.

[adimmen]

It doesn't get any better than that.

[Joey Joe Joe Junior Shabadoo]

I'm a fan.

[Power_Sauce]

Burly. Way to get after it!

[Cheesestoff]

ohh my.... that is a sick line

[Greydon Clark]

You so crazy.

[Hugh Jass]

You people are silly.

[smitchell333]

Jesus - this is over the top. I like steep, but

DONT WANT:

[PNWbrit]

Damn.......