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Couloir climbing partner
Original Post
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Chan E
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Jan 6, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Oct 2017
· Points: 0
Hi, I'm looking for a winter mountaineering partner, particularly interested an sending couloirs to train and scope for spring's ski season. I'm really hoping to fill the next months with RMNP and Indian Peaks climbs. Elevator Shaft? Notch Couloir?
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Long Ranger
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Jan 6, 2018
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Boulder, CO
· Joined Jan 2014
· Points: 108
Notch in Winter would be a gnarly climb. Hit the conditions perfectly, or it could be very dangerous, with a PITA backtrack. I guess I'm a big baby if that's someone's "training" climb! Go forth, be ready!
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Luke1 Gould
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Jan 7, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Dec 2015
· Points: 0
Yo duder! Im down to get up into the big mountains. I have don a fair amount of alpine climbing and general mountaineering and am stoked to get after it. hit me up 7202264862
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Nick Votto
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Jan 10, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Jul 2008
· Points: 320
I'm into this as well, I'll be out there in a few days. Park looks barren of snow I'm wondering what's in and how the conditions are.
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Tim Stich
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Jan 10, 2018
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Colorado Springs, Colorado
· Joined Jan 2001
· Points: 1,470
Safer in spring to hit couloirs, but if you do it in winter make extra sure you have snow pit skills to figure out if the slope is stable. Otherwise, just dry tool on a rock ridge to the summit.
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Greg Shea
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Jan 10, 2018
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Unknown Hometown
· Joined Oct 2015
· Points: 10
Interested as well 4 O one 9 tree five 3 5 ate won
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aclayden
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Jan 10, 2018
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Denver, CO
· Joined Dec 2014
· Points: 90
To the extent you're looking at those types of couloirs for ascents, they are spring and summer lines. Not winter. Every guidebook will say the same. That's because they are prime avalanche terrain that regularly slides and requires very careful assessment with the requisite skills to travel safely in the winter, and because the snow is not supportive in the winter and you will be postholing before it consolidates in the spring. Agree with the others recommending ridge routes, mixed routes and rocky convexities for winter routes - just do some research in the mountaineering community and you will quickly find that experienced alpinists steer clear of couloirs in favor of ridges whenever possible. Couloirs are gutters of the earth that regularly flush out their contents, so be cautious!
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Tim Meehan
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Jan 10, 2018
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Boulder, CO
· Joined Apr 2016
· Points: 275
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