Rogers Pass - Cheops STS Couloiur - Feb 8 2009 words
and photos by Sharon Bader and Lee Lau unless otherwise noted. |
Rogers Run Feb 6th || Swiss Peaks-Hermit Feb 7th || Cheops - STS Couloir Feb 8th || Glacier Crest Feb 9th || Avalanche Glacier Feb 10th || Grizzly Feb 12th ||Youngs Peak Traverse Feb 13th || Cheops South Feb 14th
Day 3 comes in sunny again! We'll I guess that means we're going high again! Lee has always wanted to ski the couloirs off Cheops. He tried two years ago with some American friends that came up. They were only able to get into the bowl lower down due to vis.
STS Couloir - our destination.
Wider Pano View
Cheops from the ridge
on Grizzly Peak.
A more front on view of the bowl.
view further along
Balu Pass.
Click HERE for a picture of Cheops from Ursus col on the other side of the valley.
We skin up to Balu Pass, conditions were fast and the sun was shining!
This vantage offers views of previous objectives. Including 8812 bowl - Tylers first 2500m col!
8812 Bowl and access from Cheops
A panorama from the backside of Cheops looking towards Asulkan and west.
Due to sun and wind we couldn't ski up this face so boot packing we go!
Tyler, being the 4th person and wearing snow board boots was having some issues with the facets under the crust of this snow pack.
Instead of carrying his board, putting them on his back and using the ice ax made travel much easier!
The final boot pack up to the couloir.
Lee taking in all angles of the view.
Tyler on the boot pack!
Looking back down to the other bowl that those behind us chose to ski!
Checking out the entrance of STS Couloir.
We send the one eyed asian guy first to make sure it was safe... then we head down. The entrance was easy by the rock in the middle.
Dan heading down!
Tylers turn!
Sharon's turn
Getting closer to the bottom!
Tracks from our day.