North Couloir/Barranow Couloir  5.6 WI4- Steep Snow

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Type:  Trad, Ice, Snow, Alpine, 20 pitches, 3500 feet, Grade V Consensus:  5.6 WI4- [details] FA:  ? Season:  September through March Submitted By:  Johnkelley on Dec 26, 2012 You & This Route  |  Other Opinions (1) Your todo list: Your stars: Your rating: -none- [change] Your ticklist: [add new tick]

BETA PHOTO: Late September from the boulder bivi

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Description 

Conditions on this climb vary greatly depending on the season and snow conditions. Later in the season it's mostly a steep snow route. Early season it's a classic mixed route with around 2,000 feet of ice climbing and 1,500 feet of rock.

It's one of the first lines in the area to come into condition. Usually by late October/early November it starts to get buried so get on it early. For the prime early season conditions it seems to be best when the bottom half of the face is free of snow. After the first "terminal dust" falls but disappears. Not the third dusting.

When the conditions are right it's one of the best lines around. The "Black Ice" of the Chugach. It consistently comes into shape, as a mixed ice route, every year from September to October.

Location 

Mount Yukla

Protection 

A small rock rack and a few ice screws.

Photos of North Couloir/Barranow Couloir Slideshow

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Photo Steve Stein	Crux pitch Photo Steve Stein	Crux pitch photo Steve Stein
photo Steve Stein	Spindrift photo Steve Stein	BETA PHOTO: Perfect early season conditions in mid September. ...
Here's the first pitch	looking down from the statr of the route in septem...	BETA PHOTO: Excellent late September conditions from the Eagle...
Steve Stein in the North Couloir. Photo John Kelle...	Steve Stein in the North Couloir with No Call No S...	Photo Josh Varney
Photo Josh Varney