In the heart, down climbing through the rock
Looking back up, trying to see the light
Skis on time to Shred! kind of.
At the top looking into the darkness, Spooky
Adam Booting up the ridge with snowbird below (More photos to come)
So today, I went out with photographer Adam Clark with the goal to shoot and ski the Wasatch classic Heart of Darkness a couloir on the bask side of Monte Cristo peak with a constant grey bird sky and a ripping west wind at our face all day, it was going make for a very cold and windy day. A short three hour skin and climb up from the Alta Lodge we arrived at the entrance to the Couloir we quickly learned that we wouldn't be able to ski off the top, I would have to do some 4 class down climbing throw snow and vertical rock to get to the point where I would be able to get my skis on.
At the point when I put my skis on, I quickly learned why this couloir is called the heart of darkness, the walls of the chute are vertical and all I could see were the clouds over head and the constant attack of blowing snow, I also found out how narrow the chute was, as my skis almost would fit in it. There would be no fast shred turns, down this it was time to go old school and hop turn my way down it.
After carefully working my way down the narrow walled couloir I quickly learned my little ski mountaineering day wasn't done, I had to re boot out of the bottom back up, this mend climbing up the rocky face I had to down climb at the top. All I have to say is the Lange Banshee pro boot with it's vibram sole is the ticket so sick on days like this, with out the vibram it would have been one hell of a experience sliding around on the rocks.
The stella's at the sitzmark and talking of the days events after getting back to the truck sure hit the spot after a long day in the mountains. The wasatch is such a cool place you can get into some pretty hairy European ski mountaineering descent only three hours from the car.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment