Banana Couloir

Banana Couloir drops off the southwest ridge of Mount Macdonald above Crossover Bowl in Glacier National Park. It sits beside Herdman Couloir and is commonly used as a ski-mountaineering descent option from the NW or SW ridge of Macdonald when the line is well filled in with snow. The feature is a tight, north-facing slot that holds winter snow late but needs a solid snowpack to cover rock steps and old rappel terrain.

From the Macdonald side of the basin, you generally gain the upper southwest ridge via the NRC Col / Ledge Basin style approaches used for Macdonald’s alpine routes, then traverse along the ridge toward the top of the couloir. Parties often access Banana from just below the SW ridge descent line, sometimes with a short rappel off a slung block to drop into the upper couloir when the entrance is rocky or undercut. When it is fully filled, strong parties may be able to step directly in without ropework, but you should not count on that.

The skiing is sustained and confined, with rock walls on both sides and a clear fall line that feeds into the broader Crossover Bowl below. Overhead hazard from the upper face and ridge is significant, and the line is exposed to sluffing and storm or wind loading from the Macdonald massif. Once you exit into Crossover Bowl you are under large alpine slopes; manage regroup spots carefully and move efficiently through runout zones.

Banana is notably more serious than Herdman: it feels steeper, is narrower, and is less forgiving if coverage is thin. It is best in a deep, stable mid-winter or early-spring snowpack when the upper rock steps are buried and cornices along the ridge are manageable. Treat it as a full ski-mountaineering objective with crampons, axe, and a light rope for the entrance, and be ready to bail to Herdman if cornices, rock, or instability make the top of the line unreasonable.