Mount Elbert Box Creek Couloirs on December 20

Hello,

My friend and I were wondering about giving Mount Elbert up the Box Creek Couloirs a shot in 2 days. While we have ran around the PNW we have not done many 14ers out here. I know most information and videos talk about doing them in March to June because of avalanche risk and the forecast has it as 2-Moderate risk with a North East Aspect. Would you guys say that's doable or is the risk too high for people that actually know it or have checked it out recently? We know someone who went up the Quandary Couloir a few days ago which is why we are wanting to do it.

We would not be skiing back down, would instead take the standard route back, and have taken a course on avalanche safety so we know what to look out for when we actually get up there. Av beacon, probe, and shovel will be brought if we go. We would also be doing it early in the morning with crampons and an ice axe. 

I have no current conditions info about your objective but most Decembers this objective will either be suicidal (avy danger) or not have any snow on it (in which case it will be filled with loose rock and also pretty dangerous). This December is a little weird, and there's a small chance this might be safe but if you do not have a deep understanding of the Colorado snowpack you should not attempt to climb the couloir. This is not the PNW. The 'Moderate' the avy forecast mentions is really 'spooky moderate', 99% of skiers/climbers here will not enter avalanche terrain in these conditions. You are very unlikely to receive any of the normal avalanche warning signs (cracking, collapsing, etc) in a Colorado persistent slab snowpack, the entire couloir will just rip out under you with no warning.

Chris Gardner wrote:

I have no current conditions info about your objective but most Decembers this objective will either be suicidal (avy danger) or not have any snow on it (in which case it will be filled with loose rock and also pretty dangerous). This December is a little weird, and there's a small chance this might be safe but if you do not have a deep understanding of the Colorado snowpack you should not attempt to climb the couloir. This is not the PNW. The 'Moderate' the avy forecast mentions is really 'spooky moderate', 99% of skiers/climbers here will not enter avalanche terrain in these conditions. You are very unlikely to receive any of the normal avalanche warning signs (cracking, collapsing, etc) in a Colorado persistent slab snowpack, the entire couloir will just rip out under you with no warning.

And this is why I ask, thank you very much for this.

Couloirs in December!? ygd!!! Generally speaking, good cramponing doesn't happen in CO until June or later on E and N aspects. Maybe you won't die but 0 people walk up couloirs in midwinter for fun more than once. Eat your Wheaties!