The Icefall

The Icefall is one of the steepest ski lines in Tuckerman Ravine on Mount Washington, sitting skier’s right of the Center Gullies and just left of The Lip. It drops through a short cliff band in the headwall, with a sustained, high‑consequence pitch that has seen serious accidents; this is expert‑only terrain with no fall zone.

From the Tuckerman Ravine Trail, skin or boot into the bowl and trend up and right toward the Center Gullies. The Icefall starts where the gully pinches into rock and ice above a rock step; most parties boot the final section with skis on packs, assessing snow stability and runout carefully before committing.

The line faces generally east to southeast, so it can firm up overnight and soften quickly in sun. It is often scoured or peppered with ice chunks from the headwall, and the rollover hides the crux from below. Overhead hazard from ice and wet‑slab activity is real; many skiers time it for cold, stable snowpacks or classic spring corn cycles with an early‑day hit before warming and traffic.

Avalanche problems here are typically wind slab and storm slab loaded from prevailing west and northwest winds, with the cliff band and gully walls acting as terrain traps. Icefall debris, exposed rock, and variable snow make self‑arrest unlikely if you blow an edge. Treat this as a full alpine objective: helmet, crampons, axe, and a conservative read of the Mount Washington Avalanche Center forecast are standard kit.

For current snowpack, closures, and avalanche information for Tuckerman Ravine and The Icefall, check the daily bulletin from the Mount Washington Avalanche Center: mountwashingtonavalanchecenter.org.