Crossbow

On the lookers right side of King Ravine, just right of West Gully, is a gully that trends diagonally right, then straight down, with a prominent ice bulge in between. This was reportedly skied in 1996 with no rappel, but a rope is almost always required. This could easily be done as a top down objective, but thinly covered ice above the crux bulge makes it a good idea to climb the route from below to get a sense of where to start the rappels. Bushwack climbers right from the bottom of Great Gully to the base of a narrow runout, climb through a small WI2 bulge in a rock lined constriction, following a wider snow gully to the base of the main ice. Climb this at WI3 into the upper gully. Easy bootpacking up to the snow gully above brings you to a left trending ramp, which finishes at the top of West Gully. Drop in and ski gentle double fall line skiing down and to skiers left to the mouth of the gully, moderately steep turns lead down to a constriction above the crux. Some trees to skiers left provide an easy anchor for a short rappel or ski belay down to the edge of the ice. In the conditions I skied it in, I side slipped on rappel for 20m to an exposed stance above the bulge. Build a V-thread and rappel 25m over the ice bulge into the lower gully. Steep turns into a narrowing constriction lead to a steep commitment turn over a small, non vertical ice bulge. This could potentially be bushwhacked around to skiers right. Ski the increasingly bushy exit until it terminates in thick vegetation. A short bushwhack brings you back to the base of Great Gully.

Length

0.3 mi

Elevation gain

35 ft

Elevation loss

-1,033 ft

Average slope angle

39º

Max slope angle

56º

Aspect

NNEESESSWWNW

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