Mt Howard Couloir

As some may have read in a previous post, I have thought of one of the top ways to have a great season is to ski somewhere new every week, which is exactly what we did yesterday.  Christina Lusti, Jason Kruk, Paul Cordy, Jeff Van Driel, and I all headed out, expecting a bit of sun, to Mt Howard to check out it's impressive face and couloir just beyond the Vantage Matier Col.

And rather than the typical trip report, I thought I'd try something new, with primarily just photographs from the day (many of which didn't come out since we were whited out after climbing to the top).  Enjoy!

(Photo Above:  Skinning over the Vantage Matier Col with a very broken Twin One Glacier ahead of us)

(Photo Above:  Jason Kruk transitioning beneath the looming Mt Howard)

(Photo Above:  The crew finding the way through a small wind curl to gain the Pocket Glacier guarding the summit)

(Photo Above:  The Upper Face of Mt Howard, as seen from the Pocket Glacier halfway up)

(Photo Above:  The crew on the skintrack making our way on a shelf 3/4 of the way up the face)

(Photo Above:  Skinning up the upper shelf to the base of the couloir, stoked to be somewhere new.  Photo By:  Christina Lusti)

(Photo Above:  Transitioning from skins to bootpacking at the mouth of the couloir.  Photo By:  Christina Lusti)

(Photo Above:  Jason Kruk crushing the bootpack up the Couloir.  Photo By:  Christina Lusti)

(Photo Above:  Finishing up the climb and topping out on an incredibly windy ridge)

(Photo Above:  Christina Lusti showing how it's done, even in a white out)

(Photo Above:  Alex Wigley finishing up the Couloir.  Photo By:  Christina Lusti)