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There is already a fair amount of information on the details of skywalker out there, so I'll mostly just put up some pics to show the current conditions.
We left Friday night and drove to the trailhead and set up camp so we could get an early start. By 5am we were on the move. You just take Arapaho Pass Trail all the way till you get to South Arapaho Peak. There's still a lot of snow on the trail the further you make it in, but the snow was firm so snow shoes were not necessary, even on the hike out.
Once we reached the base of the couloir we were questioning if the conditions were going to be safe. We were post-holeing well above our knees, but we decided to press on and see if the conditions would improve the higher we got and that's just what they did. About another hundred feet or so it started to harden up enough so that we were only sinking in about 4 or 5 inches. It mostly stayed that way all the way to the top. Up near the top we were both glad that the snow was a little soft since the couloir reaches a grade of 60 degrees. If it would have been hard and icy the climbing would be a little intense. We made good time and we both agreed that skywalker was one of the best couloirs that we have climbed.
Our camp near the trialhead
There's still a lot of run off this time of year
Crossing one of the snow fields on the approach
Mount Neva
S. Arapaho. Skywalker is the snow line in the center of the mountain
A closer shot of skywalker
Looking down from a little more than half way up
This gives you an idea of the steepness and this wasn't even at the top where it gets to 60 degrees
Crevasse near the top
Topping out of the couloir
Tony on the summit
More summit views
Longs Peak
Some pics from the hike out
Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):
That dot below you in the couloir is me. It was my buddies first snow climb so we moved a bit slow and I setup an anchor for the final 60 degree pitch at the top, and brought him up on belay. I was the one in the bright blue jacket with my buddy below you at the base of the couloir. We were wondering what you guys were doing up by that first rock band, you all stopped for about ten minutes. The middle part of the couloir was a little firm but still not bad. Was one of the greatest snow climbs for sure!! We ran into marmots all over btw. Glad the conditions were in I had the same worry about the snow as you all. Photos to come.
To bad we didn't stay up top for a little longer and we could have met you guys. The reason we stopped at the first rock band was because Tony was having problems with his crampons. We thought that we might of had to bail on the climb there, but he was able to fix them. Thank god cause it was one nice climb. Glad you guys got to do as well.
Taillon- Thanks and yeah I was surprised too on how much snow was up there. It wasn't in any of the pics, but up in the trees in places there were still drifts around 6' tall
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