West Nile: Grand Daddy Couloir

This is perhaps the most user- friendly, easy-to-access and fun couloir around. That’s why it’s so busy! The beautiful rock walls that form the couloir are tall and nearly vertical making it feel like you’re in the belly of the beast. The snow is often undisturbed by wind or sun butquite a bit of spindrift flushes its way  down the line; at least one party has been spit out by loose dry avalanches so it’s best to wait a few days after new snowfall. It’s a great half-day for fast parties or full-on mission for those new to steeper lines. If you are looking for your first “big line” you might as well start here, most Rockies skiers before you did.

Vertical: 800m access, 400-450m run including the fan.

Distance: 3km access, 0.5km run including the fan.

Directions: Follow the directions for West Nile. Once at treeline regroup on the moraine and plan your attack. It is usually possible to skin right up to the mouth of the couloir, though these fans are often the greatest avalanche hazard to consider. Regroup below the pillar climber’s right to switch to bootpacking. The climb starts easy enough but steepens and tightens as you go. The top section is split by a pillar, which can be passed on climber’s right. The skiing above this is tight (sometimes little more than a ski length wide) and often shallow and rotten. Many parties choose to click in below the pillar. The pillar itself can be topped and you can change over on it with a little balance. Other parties continue on through the next pinch and change over on climber’s left, directly above it. There is always a (mostly stuck/supported) cornice at the top. Don’t bother trying to tunnel through or climb around it as it does not add to the descent but does increase risk. The usual descent is to the skier’s left of the upper pillar but if you want an extra challenge, go right and be ready to come out hot! The couloir mellows and widens as you ski. The skier’s left often has the best snow. With a deeper snowpack you can cut left at the bottom and ski around the pillar where you changed over for bootpacking. Either way rolling out onto the fans is fast, fun and sometimes the best skiing of the whole run. To get back to the road retrace your setups by skiing down West Nile to link up with your access track.