Tuzo Couloir

Tuzo Couloir is a serious ski-mountaineering line dropping from the summit area of Swanzy toward the glacier between Swanzy and Clarke. The line is a steep, enclosed couloir with large cornices guarding the entrance and a bergschrund at the base, with the run finishing on heavily crevassed glacier terrain.

From the Swanzy summit ridge you usually enter from the skier’s right (east) side of the couloir; a more committing variation has been skied by sneaking in from the west side when cornice structure allows. In lean or wind-stripped conditions it may be impossible to find a safe entrance, and parties have used a short rappel to get past the cornice and into the gut.

The line is highly condition-dependent. Massive cornices overhang the start and the couloir is prone to wind loading, with consequential exposure above the bergschrund and the broken glacier below. A deep, well-bonded snowpack is required to cover the schrund and smooth the runout. Expect complex glacier travel both on the approach and exit, with open slots and thin bridges late season.

Most parties combine the Tuzo with other big lines in the basin, commonly linking with a descent from Clarke Peak when stability, visibility, and energy all line up. Treat it as a full-value alpine objective: early start, conservative overhead hazard assessment, and a hard no-go if cornices, wind slab, or the schrund look suspect.