"Kat" Carson

[turbocat]

Anyone know route information (or if it is possible) to climb "Kat" Carson from the standard route of Kit Carson. Instead of heading up the gully to Kit can you keep wrapping around and get to the Kit/"kat" saddle. What is the ridge like to "Kat" from there? Thanks way ahead of time for any beta...

[kansas]

Yes, you just continue to follow the avenue all the way down to the gully that separates Kit and Columbia then climb back up to the saddle, ~75ft or so. From there you need to ascend the west face of Columbia (stiff class 3 to 4), then follow the connecting ridge to Kat. Bergsteigen and I had to do this on our return to S. Colony from Challenger and Kit. You can see more details in this TR http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=8717" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Here is a pic of the route, Is this what you were asking for?

[turbocat]

Great Beta Kansas...thanks. Was the climb up Columbia exposed? Rock pretty solid? How much Class 4 vs. Class 3? Going in from Willow Lake on Friday and will attempt on Saturday if the weather allows.

[DeTour]

Can I jump in with more questions on this route?

Kansas, I've been trying to figure out if your route was the same as described by two other recent TR's: Flying Magpie (whom you reference in your TR) and KeithK ("Class is in session," Aug. 2009). Did your Columbia route start up the "left arm of the Outward Bound Couloir" as described by KeithK? They both came from the opposite direction - South Colony Lakes - so I'm having a little trouble reconciling the beta. KeithK's description, and Flying Magpie's first TR, led me to think they followed the large fault above and to the left of your route - about halfway up the visible portion of Columbia in your photo, where sunlight rock gives way to shadowed rock above it. But Flying Magpie's second TR seems to describe a route similar to yours. Can you shed any light on that?

My family group is flying out Friday. I hope to experience the summits of Columbia and KC before the week is over, from one direction or another.

[kansas]

There is some good exposure in places (nothing extreme though) but the rock is very solid conglomerate, great holds everywhere. It may be possible to keep the whole thing class 3 if you take your time and look for it, but there is one steep area toward the top with a dihedral to the right and slabs to the left where it may be difficult to keep it class 3. I'm not sure what the dihedral is rated...but it was fun!

Glad I could help!

[kansas]

Can I jump in with more questions on this route?

Kansas, I've been trying to figure out if your route was the same as described by two other recent TR's: Flying Magpie (whom you reference in your TR) and KeithK ("Class is in session," Aug. 2009). Did your Columbia route start up the "left arm of the Outward Bound Couloir" as described by KeithK? They both came from the opposite direction - South Colony Lakes - so I'm having a little trouble reconciling the beta. KeithK's description, and Flying Magpie's first TR, led me to think they followed the large fault above and to the left of your route - about halfway up the visible portion of Columbia in your photo, where sunlight rock gives way to shadowed rock above it. But Flying Magpie's second TR seems to describe a route similar to yours. Can you shed any light on that?

My family group is flying out Friday. I hope to experience the summits of Columbia and KC before the week is over, from one direction or another.

First and foremost its bergsteigen's TR, I don't write that well...(gotta give credit where it's due )

We came from S. Colony too and to used their route descriptions for the climb, plus we talked to KeithK about it during a climb, our pics come from the return to S. Colony. Actually I think the route finding is much easier from the Kit side because much of the face is hidden as you downclimb it from the east. On our way up I did my best to find the fault so we could use it as a ramp like they describe, but the problem is that you can't see the fault from below very well. There are some cairns along the way and a few climbing options as you ascend the face. I wouldn't worry about where the line falls on our drawing too much, it is pretty obvious where you need to go when you get there. You traverse across the face from the saddle, then up the first gully to an obvious (cairned) crossover, up the next gully to a fairly obvious exit onto the fault (see above picture, there is a cairn below me), then pick your way up the ridge. How's that Roach-like description But honestly, it's not as intimidating as it looks from Kit.

As to the whole Outward Bound Couloir question... I think the easiest way to describe the start of the route is as follows: Descend the Avenue all the way down to where it ends in the nasty scree gully between Kit and Columbia, turn left and climb the gully up to the saddle, as you ascend keep a sharp eye out for a cairn on right that will lead you onto Columbia's face.
There is only one gully at the bottom of the Avenue and its the one you want.

I hope this made some sense...

[bergsteigen]

Ok, let's see if I can help...

From Kit Carson follow the avenue to the scree gully separating Kit from Kat. Go up gully until a foot or two from the saddle. On your right, there should be a cairn up on a ridge to Kat. I went up at the easiest point. I remember a black rock as my foothold on the way down from Kat. Once a little bit up on Kat, follow the cairns as they lead you down parallel to the scree gully. This should lead you to a larger gully. Follow this gully up Kat for a short distance, always looking to your right for a cairn to take you over a rib and over to another gully. This gully intersects that fault that creates the shadow. Once around this fault to the right, you go up almost all the way until you get onto the ridge and turn left to the summit. I did my best to draw the approximate route we took on the face.

We followed flyingmagpie's route description as much as possible, as talking with Keith recently, he said they just sort of descended a gully that looked like it would go. From Kat to Kit, flyingmagpie's decription of the space shuttle pointing the way is dead on. We followed that SW ridge until an obvious ramp on our right, as seen in a photo of his.

On our trip from Kat to Kit we spent a lot of time trying to find the best route with wet rocks, and that is what we came up with. Most of the cross-over rib cairns were relatively easy to spot, if you keep your eyes open for them. It basically an ascending or descending right ladder traverse from either direction.

I may add to this tomorrow, as I'm on my iPhone, and it's kinda hard to read everything at once.

[ThuChad]

I was going to attempt this last weekend via Willow Creek but my feet would barely move by the time I summited KC. It would be a very long day from either direction. It was a lot easier to climb sitting behind my computer than actually being there. When I was on the summit of KC it looked like you could descend half way down KC and then catch the catwalk on Columbia(Kat Carson) but I didn't get that close.

[mattpayne11]

This is one of the coolest routes I've been on personally. The traverse is challenging but not overwhelming. I think I may have stayed too high on the "fin" leading up to Columbia Point; however, it never got harder than class 4, very low class 5 (and only in one spot).

Here is my photo of that route:

http://www.100summits.com/gallery.html? ... ail&id=207" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[DeTour]

Thanks, guys, that's good stuff. The printout of this thread is going right in my pack along with the TRs on this route. Hope we can put this good info to work!

[turbocat]

+1 to detour's comments. Printing out now and heading down this afternoon. Thanks to all for the Beta.