Tag: keith’s hut

Joffre Central Couloir

Just over a week after the super fun descent of Twin One Couloir Jason was up north for another day on the steeps. The stability was still good and over the last week we had 1 – 2 cm per day. Just perfect I thought for an attempt on the Joffre Central Couloir. After a predawn start from Mount Currie we set up the Duffy for the Cerise Creek trailhead. As forecast the sky remained mostly cloudy for the day which is what I was hoping for. As the temperature was warm we needed the cloud cover to keep the looming cornices and mushrooms strong and cool.

The couloir was very firm in the center and it was a good idea to have the crampons for the entire climb. The descent was very tricky at the top due to the the concave shape of the upper couloir.  After the exposed rock in the upper section the snow became better for the rest of the descent (well except for the center runnel)

Skinning up the Joffre glacier morraine.
rich climbing just above the chimney
beautiful granite of the couloir
jay at the changeover
jay slipping down through the crux section near the top
getting wider and the snow betterits still pretty steep!
crazy rock of the central pillar
yup just more of the same

A Guided Descent Of Mt Matier Twin One Couloir

With a 6 am start from the community of Mt Currie, Vancouver resident Jason Lee and I headed up the Duffy Lake road to the Cerise Creek trail head. The weather for the day was as  forecast, a mix of sun and cloud and the temperatures just below freezing. With a little north breeze we skinned through the beautiful forest, bypassed the cabin and climbed through the Vantage/Matier Col. We were greeted by a spectacular view of the Twin One drainage. The Twin One couloir is on a sub-peak of Mt Matier. Facing North East the couloir is opposite and more “famous” ski descent off the 2770m summit, the NW Face. To my astonishment I witnessed a group of four in this distant valley.  I was puzzled as to where they would be going as most people in the Cerise Creek area stick to the comfort and safety of the hut tree and glades. Soon I realized they seemed to be going in same direction a Jason and I. I called over and as we set a skin track through the crevasses of lower glacier found that the four Pemberton hardcore skiers were actually heading to the same place. Unbelievably we saw another party of two heading up the Twin One glacier to the NW Face.

Rich approaching the Twin One Couloir
Jason Lee on the "stairmaster"
Jason up high with the beautiful valley cloud flowing through.
Jason at the top of the climb.
The work is over. Let the fun begin!
As high as we could go.
The snow was a perfect mix of security and enjoyment.
Jason skiing the mid-section

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70Kce1ctDxA]