Mountain Project: Climbing CO Ice & Mixed > Emerald Lake / Tyndall Gorge

Tyndall Gorge is comprised of the alpine rock routes on Hallett Peak, rock and alpine routes on the south face of Flattop Mountain (The Dragon's Tail), and Emerald Lake bouldering. Easy access from Bear Lake increases its popularity (let's play Dodge the Tourist!), not to mention some stellar routes. The area has something for everyone - easy alpine cruises, long trad routes, hard ice climbing, and boulders.

[Eds. for this section, it seems reasonable to split this into Bear Lake & vicinity, Nymph Lake & vicinity 0.5mi, Emerald Lake & vicinity 1.8mi, Flattop Mt 2.5mi, and Hallett Peak, 2.5mi. You're unlikely to need GPS in this area.]

Getting There

From the Bear Lake Trailhead, follow signs to Dream Lake and Emerald Lake. A 45 minute hike up the canyon on good trails gets you to the upper-most lake - Emerald Lake. The alpine routes and rock climbs on Flattop Mtn. are accesses by rock hopping around the north side of the lake. Hallet Peak is reached by traversing the slope above the south shore. Allow an hour to the base of Dragon's Tail Couloir (in the summer) and an hour and a half or more to the base of Hallett.

The Classics

Mountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for Emerald Lake / Tyndall Gorge:

Dragon's Tooth M2 Mod. Snow Trad, Mixed, Snow, Alpine, Grade V Flattop Mountain - S side

Dragon's Tail Couloir WI2 M2 Trad, Mixed, Ice, Alpine Flattop Mountain - S side

The Slit M5-6 Trad, Mixed, Alpine, 5 pitches, 900 feet, Grade IV Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

South East Face Couloir M1-2 Steep Snow PG13 Trad, Mixed, Snow, Alpine, 5 pitches, 1500 feet, Grade III Flattop Mountain - S side

Get a File WI5- M7- Trad, Mixed, Ice, Alpine, 1 pitch, 80 feet Nymph Lake

Icecapade WI3-4 Trad, Ice, Alpine, 1 pitch, 40 feet Nymph Lake

Two Dragons M7 Trad, Mixed, Alpine, 3 pitches, 400 feet, Grade III Flattop Mountain - S side

Tyndall Gully Mod. Snow Snow, Alpine, 800 feet Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

Bullet WI3+ M6+ Trad, Mixed, Ice, Alpine, 1 pitch, 130 feet, Grade V Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

The Squid WI5-6 M6-7 Mixed, Ice, Alpine, 2 pitches, 140 feet, Grade III Emerald Lake & vicinity

Hallett Chimney, AI5 M5 M5 Trad, Mixed, Alpine, Grade IV Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

Steep is Flat M5-6 Trad, Mixed, Alpine, 4 pitches, 500 feet, Grade III Flattop Mountain - S side

Coconut Bliss M4-5 Mixed, Alpine, 3 pitches Emerald Lake & vicinity

Englishman's Route M5-6 Mixed, Alpine, 6 pitches, 900 feet, Grade IV Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

Great Dihedral to Upper Buttress M4-5 Mixed, Alpine, 5 pitches, 1000 feet, Grade III Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

East Ridge 4th Mod. Snow Snow, Alpine Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

Steeplechase 5.5 M4 Easy Snow Trad, Mixed, Snow, Alpine, 3 pitches, 600 feet, Grade II Emerald Lake & vicinity

Southeast Face 5.6 WI2+ M1 Mod. Snow Trad, Mixed, Ice, Snow, Alpine, 2 pitches, 900 feet, Grade III Flattop Mountain - S side

Enter The Dragon (aka Old Route) 5.7 M4 Steep Snow Mixed, Snow, Alpine, 6 pitches, 800 feet, Grade IV Flattop Mountain - S side

The Cleft 5.8 M4 Steep Snow R Trad, Mixed, Snow, Alpine, 5 pitches, 600 feet, Grade III Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

Featured Route For Emerald Lake / Tyndall Gorge

Beta Photo of Hallett Chimney: The route follows the thin band of snow in the chimney running up the middle of the face.

Hallett Chimney, AI5 M5 M5 CO : CO Ice & Mixed : ... : Hallett Peak - mixed/ice

This route climbs the chimney between the First and Second Buttresses on the north side of Hallett Peak. The bottom part of the route is relatively easy and can be covered quickly by simulclimbing. However once you get to the middle this is where the fun starts. From here on up to the top their are several steep sections requiring snow, ice, and mixed climbing techniques. In general, the crux moves involved climbing past the large chockstones wedged between the chimney walls. There are a couple ...[more] Browse More Classics in CO

Comments on Emerald Lake / Tyndall Gorge

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By Anonymous Coward
Apr 29, 2002

Attempted Hallet's Chimney on Sunday. Found similar conditions as people in Dragon's Tail. Very deep snow, no ice.

By Jeff St. Pierre
Feb 18, 2003

Sunday (2/16/03) we (my two friends, Sean, Sara, and myself) headed up Odessa trail, cut off to ptarmagin glacier. Climbed up the south edge of ptarmagin glacier, crossed Flattop and came down Tyndall Glacier. 5:30AM to 3:30PM car to car. High winds on summit. Had crampons, but did not need them. Wind-packed snow in places made kick-stepping difficult, but not impossible. Alpine axes a must in my book. Harnessed up, but never got the rope out. Fairly safe route, good alpine day trip.

A wind packed layer of snow on the surface of tyndall glacier broke free... about 100 meters across, about 8 - 10 inches deep. Sean was below it, having just finished his glissade. He was just on the edge and was able to brace himself as I shouted a warning. Had he been in the middle He probably would have been swept off his feet, but doubtful he would have been burried. However, High winds coming across the divide continue to move snow onto the lee slope. Another slad broke free when we attempted another glissade towards emerald lake. Plunge stepping seems to be the better technique.

By Greg Sievers
From: Estes Park, CO
Sep 29, 2003

Hallett, "Bullet" is awaiting a second ascent. WI-3, M-6 this route went up a couple winters ago by me and Brad Grohusky. It is easily found below and left of Hallet Chimney, in a small flow that exits the lower left buttress at the top of the snowfield. The ice peters out about 50' up. The following rock diheadral ends at a huge roof. exit to the left, thru the crux. Hike up onto the next ledge, and find a fixed pin on the next wall to make a 200' rappel to the ground. I will try to post the topo, too.

By Ben
Nov 3, 2003

My buddy Matt and I climbed a couloir next to the Tyndall Glacier last weekend. It was fantastic neve for about 800'+. We don't know if it has a name, though. Anyone have any idea about that or is it considered a branch of the glacier? High winds on top of the divide, 50-60 mph. The glacier has a lot of exposed grey ice. The only new snow was a light dusting that fell while we were there.

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Emerald Lake / Tyndall Gorge

Description

Getting There

The Classics