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 Peak:  Mt. Elbert
 Route:  Box Creek Couloirs
 Range:  Sawatch
 Posted By:  Brushviper
 Date of Info:  6/9/2012
 Date Posted:  6/10/2012
Details

My friends and I decdided to climb the Box Creek Couloirs June 9. The snow started off pretty nice, good footholds for crampons and the axe, about halfway up the couliour the snow turned pretty much into ice and it was very difficult for us to make any major headway safely. About the last 30 ft of the couliour we climbed we hit sheet ice so hard we couldnt break it with our axes or clear a footpath. We started three avalanches as small rock broke loose and had one avalanche shoot down as a rock brock loose from the other side, all due to tons of melting snow. As three fairly experienced climbers, I think we would all agree that the Boxwood Couloirs are probably no longer safe for ascent or descent at this point in the season. I realize this is a hybrid trip/conditions report and I apologize, I just dont want anyone going up this way this season and getting caught in what we did, it was pretty dangerous.


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