As the Sill glacier breaks up, the Cascade-Johannesburg couloir can be extremely difficult in mid- to late-season, once the snow becomes discontinuous. I descended it 7/26/14 and found a variety of problems, from near-vertical snow-steps transitioning from snow to rock, to multiple crevasses/bergschrunds requiring some creativity to pass. I don't believe these problems were visible from below. It's probably best done as an early-season climb these days.
Tom_Sjolseth - May 4, 2015 12:08 am - Hasn't voted
Huh?
These problems will almost always be recognizable from below, but not from above. Granted, the C-J is a lousy choice in late-season (up or down). In my experience, but your mileage may vary.
I have climbed C-J Couloir in September and we managed just fine (we descended Doug's Direct). I would not have wanted to blindly downclimb C-J at that time because certain problems would have been unforeseen - unlike they were on the ascent. I have also climbed the NE Buttress in mid-October and looked over to the C-J and all problems were visible from below. Just like with any other mountain, the ascent is always the easiest.
I (probably) stand corrected about the problems' visibility from below. I was working with an aged Beckey book when I did this, so I didn't expect it to be such a nuisance, and didn't look too closely from the way up.
The bottom line is that the C-J can be a mess these days rather than a continuous snow chute. Do with that what thou wilt.
seano - Jul 28, 2014 11:46 am - Hasn't voted
C-J couloir conditionAs the Sill glacier breaks up, the Cascade-Johannesburg couloir can be extremely difficult in mid- to late-season, once the snow becomes discontinuous. I descended it 7/26/14 and found a variety of problems, from near-vertical snow-steps transitioning from snow to rock, to multiple crevasses/bergschrunds requiring some creativity to pass. I don't believe these problems were visible from below. It's probably best done as an early-season climb these days.
Tom_Sjolseth - May 4, 2015 12:08 am - Hasn't voted
Huh?These problems will almost always be recognizable from below, but not from above. Granted, the C-J is a lousy choice in late-season (up or down). In my experience, but your mileage may vary.
I have climbed C-J Couloir in September and we managed just fine (we descended Doug's Direct). I would not have wanted to blindly downclimb C-J at that time because certain problems would have been unforeseen - unlike they were on the ascent. I have also climbed the NE Buttress in mid-October and looked over to the C-J and all problems were visible from below. Just like with any other mountain, the ascent is always the easiest.
seano - Nov 19, 2015 10:04 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Huh?I (probably) stand corrected about the problems' visibility from below. I was working with an aged Beckey book when I did this, so I didn't expect it to be such a nuisance, and didn't look too closely from the way up.
The bottom line is that the C-J can be a mess these days rather than a continuous snow chute. Do with that what thou wilt.