Hey guys!
A buddy and I are trying to get into winter mountaineering this season. We live in Boulder so we're pretty close to IPW and RMNP. What are some good snow climbs in the fall that we could do without too much danger? We both own crampons and ice axes but don't have a lot of experience. We were looking at the McHenry's Notch Couloir and thinking that might be fun (we went up Andrews Glacier to Powell a few weeks back and the couloir seemed in good shape to us).
Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
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ProfessorQuirrell
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Dave B
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Re: Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
*pucker*
Fall is not the time to "get into" snow climbing. Avalanche hazards keep most snow climb routes out of the realm of possibilities until mid-spring.
Granted there are couloir routes in RMNP that can be climbed safely in fall and early winter, they will require technical skills and knowledge of how to protect rock and ice pitches.
McHenry's notch will be alpine ice this time of year and at near 50 degrees at the exit, not a good one to learn on.
I'd highly recomend hiring a guide or taking a basic mountaineering class. Eli Helmuth with Climbing Life Guides or Markus Beck with Alpine World Ascents are both great guides. Colorado Mountain School is also a great organization.
Fall is not the time to "get into" snow climbing. Avalanche hazards keep most snow climb routes out of the realm of possibilities until mid-spring.
Granted there are couloir routes in RMNP that can be climbed safely in fall and early winter, they will require technical skills and knowledge of how to protect rock and ice pitches.
McHenry's notch will be alpine ice this time of year and at near 50 degrees at the exit, not a good one to learn on.
I'd highly recomend hiring a guide or taking a basic mountaineering class. Eli Helmuth with Climbing Life Guides or Markus Beck with Alpine World Ascents are both great guides. Colorado Mountain School is also a great organization.
Last edited by Dave B on Mon Oct 27, 2014 1:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Make wilderness less accessible.
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Brandonasmith10
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Re: Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
I would be interested in getting some info on relatively safe/moderate snow climbs. I'm moving down from the PNW in 2 weeks. I've done Rainier, Hood, Adams etc, up here. I know it's a completely different type of snow pack, but I still love to get out in winter.
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Dave B
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Re: Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
Yeah, completely different snow pack. In the PNW, avalanche hazards typically subside within a few days after a storm. Here they persist through the entire winter - arguably the most dangerous, volatile and difficult to predict snow pack in the US.Brandonasmith10 wrote:I would be interested in getting some info on relatively safe/moderate snow climbs. I'm moving down from the PNW in 2 weeks. I've done Rainier, Hood, Adams etc, up here. I know it's a completely different type of snow pack, but I still love to get out in winter.
Get a hold of Dave Cooper's CO Snow Climbs book. He did a good job of organizing routes by the time of year they should be done. However, most of the winter routes involve hugging ridge lines or require very little actual snow climbing.
In RMNP, Martha Couloir on MLW is climbed a lot in winter but goes at M2 WI2ish and requires rope, rock rack and ice screws. Flying Dutchman can be kind of safe but also requires a short pitch of WI2ish at the top.
Make wilderness less accessible.
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SchralpTheGnar
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Re: Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
This summit post page has a good list of the snow climbs in RMNP.
http://www.summitpost.org/rocky-mountai ... chapter_35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
For winter climbs in RMNP, for the ones that I've done, cables route on longs is a good choice, as is the south ridge on taylor peak, both of which are in the moderate low 5th class < 50 degree snow/ice. Alexander's chimney is another good route, but that's more of an ice climb, you could look at doing kiener's instead, that's more of a moderate snow climb < 50 degrees, with low 5th class rock. I haven't done kieners' in winter but from what i've read it's totally classic.
These routes, while technically very easy, are still really difficult in the winter time and require a full set of rock/snow/avy skllls. Most folks that want to just get out in winter tend to do the ridge/hiking thing and leave the steep snow for the spring time.
I personally don't even climb much in winter any more, I just do backcountry/resort skiing in the winter and leave all my snow mountaineering for the spring and alpine rock for the fall.
http://www.summitpost.org/rocky-mountai ... chapter_35" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
For winter climbs in RMNP, for the ones that I've done, cables route on longs is a good choice, as is the south ridge on taylor peak, both of which are in the moderate low 5th class < 50 degree snow/ice. Alexander's chimney is another good route, but that's more of an ice climb, you could look at doing kiener's instead, that's more of a moderate snow climb < 50 degrees, with low 5th class rock. I haven't done kieners' in winter but from what i've read it's totally classic.
These routes, while technically very easy, are still really difficult in the winter time and require a full set of rock/snow/avy skllls. Most folks that want to just get out in winter tend to do the ridge/hiking thing and leave the steep snow for the spring time.
I personally don't even climb much in winter any more, I just do backcountry/resort skiing in the winter and leave all my snow mountaineering for the spring and alpine rock for the fall.
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Brandonasmith10
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Re: Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
Appreciate the info! May just stick to skiing in the winter, with "climbing" only being used to reach some backcountry runs. Excited about getting down there. Winter has already come to the Cascades here. Hoping for a great, safe first winter in the Rockies.
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SkaredShtles
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Re: Good Fall Snow Climbs in RMNP
Heh - I'd bet you'd be hard pressed to find anyone that would argue otherwise...Dave B wrote:Yeah, completely different snow pack. In the PNW, avalanche hazards typically subside within a few days after a storm. Here they persist through the entire winter - arguably the most dangerous, volatile and difficult to predict snow pack in the US.Brandonasmith10 wrote:I would be interested in getting some info on relatively safe/moderate snow climbs. I'm moving down from the PNW in 2 weeks. I've done Rainier, Hood, Adams etc, up here. I know it's a completely different type of snow pack, but I still love to get out in winter.
Although there are a couple around here that just might.
