Trip Report
Intermediate Alpine Climb - Colchuck Peak/North Buttress Couloir
Successful climb of Colchuck NBC
Ian Lauder
- Sat, May 8, 2021 — Sun, May 9, 2021
- Intermediate Alpine Climb - Colchuck Peak/North Buttress Couloir
- Colchuck Peak/North Buttress Couloir
- Climbing
- Successful
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- Road impassable/closed
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Snow all the way on the NBC, had to walk a bit of rock on the way across the start of the West Face. Hardpack snow and a couple very sort sections of ice.
Colchuck North Buttress Couloir route.
Overnight trip, hiked in the road at Bridge Creek at 9am, got to end of the lake around 3pm and setup camp. Our 4th and final trip into the Enchantments this year before the masses arrive and permit season starts.
3am wakup, left camp at the end of the lake at 4am. Watched a SpaceX starlink launch on the hike up to the climb seeing the string of lights across the sky.
Just starting up the fan at first light. 40m rope and a set of nuts, cams, pitons, 4 pickets and 2 screws. Used most all of the pro and did the entire NBC in one long simulpitch. Had to go without pro between us in a couple places. Ran the entire West face in another long simulpitch till the last 50ft to the summit after using up all the pro. Snow conditions were hardpack with a couple short sections of ice.
Even with a party doing it the day before their bootpath had melted out and refrozen and we only picked up their footprints for a few feet towards the top of the West Face. Front pointed and kicked in steps the entire way.