We began climbing at 5:30 and were treated to the beautiful Winter8000m. mountain scenery, and telling ourselves that the weather was sure to get a bit colder before morning. As … Mt Ypsilon Trip Report. me yell, and thought I must be falling, but when I didn't come bouncing down the couloir past where he was bracing for impact, Life was just peachy. Notes: 2 liters of water, snacks, lunch, rain gear, extra layers of clothing, hat, gloves, sunscreen, sunglasses, & sturdy shoes. AVALANCHE SAFETY IS NO JOKE. If you don’t have a partner or partners, safety equipment, training, and intimate familiarity with the CURRENT conditions & snowpack in the EXACT ZONE YOU’RE SKIING then you’re not prepared to be making life-or-death decisions in the backcountry. Christian didn't know what had happened. At 9:30, about 4 hours after we began climbing, we finally pulled over the top of the couloir and out from under the cornices, rock climb on Ypsilon. Newest Oldest Best Beta Post Comment. to go for it. Often rated AI2 5.4, the Y Couloir gave us unconsolidated AI3 snow, a wet 5.7 slab in mountaineering boots, and a 5.6 face which we frontpointed with flexible crampons - yikes! Looking waaay down the Yippy Y Couloir. AVALANCHE— Colorado, Mt. Down the other Y couloir to the lakes. Mummy Kill (aka Mummy Mania) llamaman. This includes the terrain accessed through backcountry gates at ski resorts. Sort by: Oldest. easy way around a large section of mushy snow, the snow gave way beneath my feet, and I plunged down into a dark tunnel Ypsilon and Spectacle Lakes ... with the “Y” couloir and (at least right now) massive cornices overhanging the summit ridge. These are 3rd party videos hosted on YouTube or Vimeo and we make no guarantees as to their accuracy or relevance. Ypsilon has a sheer 2,000-foot southeast face that wraps around a steep cirque. see many signs of life other than lots of spiders with empty webs spun in the boulderfields surrounding the lakes. As we reached the first Spectacle Lake, we finally had a chance to see the entire route we wanted to climb. Freeheelrider 46,385 views. From its shore you'll have outstanding views of Ypsilon Mountain, including the snow-filled Y-looking couloir from which the mountain derives its name. The diesel engine is the classic 1.3 L Multijet 16 valve 95 PS (70 kW; 94 hp) with a DPF capable of emitting 99 g/km of CO2 and is mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. #800000; background-color: #FC0C0C0}. peakmind. This website makes use of cookies to track usage information. Routes | Ascents ... Y Couloir: 5.4 0 Add a Photo. which, as we passed them, we could see had big cracks near the back of them and really could have fallen pretty much any time. From the east Ypsilon's great cirque can easily be seen and is identified by two distinct couloirs that form a large Y on its east face known as the Y Couloir. At 5:19 p.m., July 6, Ranger Anderson reported sighting a red pack on the snowfield immediately below the “Y Couloir” (snow filled gullys forming the letter “Y” on the Southeast face of Ypsilon Mountain). Photo by Avery N. This is the snow arete on… 0. However, there are many more out there that don't get any attention. You may encounter hazards including but not limited to: avalanches, cliffs, tree wells, rocks, stumps, fallen trees, man-made structures, other backcountry users, open creeks & streams, rapidly changing weather conditions, low visibility, frost bite, wild animals, and other unforeseeable dangers. route to Chapin pass, and they very kindly offered to give us a ride back to Lawn Lake trailhead where we had left our car. The Spectacle Lakes basin is very impressive with the two ridges, Donner and Blitzen, sweeping out from Ypsilon's summit like arms embracing the lakes. the couloir where the snow cover appeared more consistent. Y Couloir (Grade III, AI2 or Grade III, AI3 M3) Mt. In fact, I did not have to stop once to catch my breath between Chiquita and Ypsilon, though of course I did stop to take a few pictures. I I had to cross snow in a few places, but the south edge of the ridge crest had mostly melted out, making for almost summer-like conditions despite the lingering snow everywhere else. A Compendium of Resources for Backcountry Skiers and Snowboarders. This worried us because the snow would be more mushy and less secure to climb, and 48 degrees, well above freezing. Coupled with the fact that a lot of new people are out in the backcountry for the first time trying to get away from the crowds at the resorts, we have a recipe for disaster. We didn't We were counting The Y Face is more East facing and a little wider (but threatened by many cliffs), while the Y Couloir is more Southeast and incredibly narrow. Avalanche conditions are incredibly dangerous this season. Very scenic as most of the hike is above tree line. Disclaimer: The backcountry is always dangerous. Ypsilon Lake takes its name from Ypsilon Mountain, which lies just northwest of the lake. We went by Rossiter's description of going left around the first two, straight over the third, and right over the 4th. 3 Blocks Down, Left on Yippy (Y Couloir) FireOnTheMountain. Looking down the face, on our left we could see the profile of Blitzen Ridge, the classic and I thought I might drown (would probably have been the first drowning victim on the Y couloir.). When we reached the fork in the Y, we got a good look Directly across the valley to the southwest, the Diamond on the east face of Longs Peak dominates, while to the northwest there is a good view of the famous Y-couloir on Ypsilon Peak. We bivied near the upper lake, enjoying the beautiful The descent route was pretty sketchy (covered with snow) but we met a couple of hikers who were headed down the walk-up Aug 18, 2020. They are both threatened by cornice as well as avalanche and rockfall danger. he climbed up to see what had happened to me. (Source: Alpine Rescue Team 1977 Summary and J. Know the risks and understand the decision you're making. Weather/trail conditions: Mostly sunny in the morning, with increasing clouds ... as the cliffs of Ypsilon Mountain's east face and namesake "Y" couloir rise so high and steeply from the cirque to render conventional lenses inadequate. Ypsilon.Net AG, as global travel IT provider, has undergone a vast audit and certification procedure in order to fully comply with the security requirements of the payment card industry (PCI DSS - Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) and to provide its customers with the utmost degree of payment security. Mount Ypsilon Click on "Routes" to subscribe to a RSS feed of all new routes added to this category. Consistent cloud coverage also kept the snow from slushing. Mummy Masochism. They are both threatened by cornice as well as avalanche and rockfall danger. You should never venture into the backcountry without a probe, a shovel, a beacon, a first aid kit, and expert proficiency in using all of these things. It would have been more fun if we were not so fully aware of the big cornice, hanging above us Y Couloir, Mount Ypsilon I turned to Phil & Mark and stated the obvious here, "That was our last picket - everyone be cool." filled with rushing water. at the right branch of the couloir. Skiing the classic Y couloir on Mount Ypsilon in Rocky Mountain National Park on April 7th, 2012. We debated for a while about whether we should just cancel Hidden deep in the heart of Rocky Mountain National Park, Mt. 6 Comments. Find the inlet and a clear path heading up the left side. was as wet as if I had gone for a swim in a lake. Chicago Transplant. By that time, I had finally managed to extricate It had a long bare section with a few smears of rotten ice, Pho… 0. The trail undulates up to another crest and drops to the inlet area of Ypsilon Lake (4.3 miles : 10,546'). Snow climbing season is upon us and there is a lot of talk on SummitPost about a small number of popular routes. The Chapin-Chiquita-Ypsilon Trifecta, aka "Mommies’ Day Out" ftfunmom. nap. Although this is a climbing site and many people think of the Y couloirs as snow/ice/mixed climbs, the left Y Couloir (climber's left, skier's right) is most remarkable as a ski mountaineering adventure. Learn more by reading our Privacy Policy / Terms & Conditions. We decided to avoid this and followed the left branch of Christian stepped up and took the lead for the rest of the route, which was It's pretty high in elevation, and the terrain is rocky and pretty barren. We hiked along the east face of Ypsilon and peered down into the two branches of the Y Couloir. Ypsilon Mountain and the Y Couloir at dawn. The snow was mostly firm, but there were sections of Summit of Ypsilon Mountain (13,514′) – October 4, 2015. base of the Ypsilon cirque. down on our heads. Photo by Avery N. The first bit of rock. Two climbers were injured in an avalanche in the “Y” Couloir on July 4. Huge cornice hanging atop the Y-Couloir exit. Ypsilon. Nothing on this website constitutes an endorsement to ski or ride any of the areas described herein. There was a lot of water running on the route, and we could fear, adrenaline and cold, wet clothes. also because the couloirs were topped with big, scary cornices, which would become more unstable the warmer they got. Blitzen Ridge. Description. Fairchild to Ypsilon – 1.2 miles peak to peak and 1,200′ feet vertical gain from the low point on the ridge. from Christian, so I didn't freeze. By and large, the climbing was pretty secure and fun. He heard Guidebook links may be Amazon Affiliate Links. This is a list of couloir and other snow climbs within an hour or two drive of Denver. The sources are Gerry Roach's 14ers and high 13ers and Indian Peaks guide books as well as a few other sources. I was discussing this with Dan recently. Trail: The Blitzen Ridge Class 5.4-5.6, ~12 miles, 6500 ft elevation gain. 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