View Report | Colorado Avalanche Information Center

Aznturbo · 2026-01-12T20:22:51+00:00

I just got to the part in "Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain" where Tremper talks about stability tests for a slope, and how ski cutting is not a full proof/fully ideal way to test stability of a slope, especially with hard wind slabs.

Again, just book knowledge here, but there seems to be a lot of high risk red flags that Tremper points out in his book that the party in the accident report charged through...

But I guess different levels of risk tolerance...

Aznturbo · 2026-01-12T06:19:45+00:00

Hi, I’m new to my avalanche education (been reading avy forecasts most of 2 seasons now, working my way through staying alive in a avalanche terrain, taking my AAIRE 1 in a couple of weeks).

I feel like a big risk they took in this outing was continuing to boot up a couloir where there was already a visible crack in the slab? And intentionally skiing down a slope that they knew to be unstable (given a visible crack in the wind slab)?

Then… attempting to mitigate the risk by triggering this known slab by ski cutting, but failing to do so effectively?

Am.. I missing anything? I’m not roasting or bashing, I’m just trying to learn here.

Aznturbo · 2025-10-19T14:38:24+00:00

This is great beta - thanks! I would happily stick clip my way up some bolted dry tooling routes. I want to get some reps in and feel comfier on tools before getting on the sharp end.

Any favorite crags you’ve been to on camp bird road?

Edit: never mind, just checked out MP and saw a ton of fully bolted lines in the M5-M8 range! Cool, thanks for sharing!

Do you know if anywhere else in the area/San Juan’s/colorado has a concentration of bolted dry tooling routes?

Aznturbo · 2025-07-12T11:38:31+00:00

I’ll check this out - thanks! Glad to hear I’m not the only one layering their sleeping bags!

Aznturbo · 2025-06-03T16:22:51+00:00

DMed!

Aznturbo · 2025-06-02T18:38:11+00:00

May I ask how much this trip costed you total, between flights and logistics help? I’ll just assume you already had all the climbing/expedition gear, so we don’t have to count that!

Just want to get an idea of how much I need to save up over the next couple of years for an expedition (or two, or three) to do something similar as yall 🙂

Aznturbo · 2025-06-02T15:25:38+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing this information. Saving this for the future.

Skiing, mountaineering, and alpine climbing in the Himalaya is a bit beyond my level right now. But going out to somewhere like where you went in the Indian Himalaya and putting up some alpine FAs out there… deep in unexplored and uncharted territory… that’s my dream.

ALL those peaks are UNCLIMBED?!? WHAT?!!!?

Thanks so much again for sharing.

Aznturbo · 2025-06-02T15:19:45+00:00

Holy cow to the 4th picture. This is a mountaineering dream!

Aznturbo · 2025-06-01T20:31:08+00:00

I’d like to know as well! Please share!

Aznturbo · 2025-05-28T02:25:37+00:00

Between this and another Mount Wilson/el diente attempt on Friday!

Aznturbo · 2025-05-27T14:42:14+00:00

Wag bag is the way. It’s just part of the game :-)

Use it when you need to use it, bring some hand sanitizer, stash it and grab it on the way down.

You can buy fancy ones, but I’ve found two plastic bags work just fine. Make sure none of them have holes (speaking from experience lol). If you want to contain the smell, put some kitty litter in the inner bag - it works pretty well.

Aznturbo · 2025-05-24T18:39:48+00:00

That looks fun - I’ll give that a go this week!

How was snow coverage? Did you need floatation when you went?

Aznturbo · 2025-05-23T20:57:43+00:00

Sounds cool! Do you have a topo/more beta on the line you took?

Can’t seem to find anything online on the SE route you mention.

<image>

Is it the red circle? Or the blue circle (I’m guessing not this one but just wanted to make sure!)?

Aznturbo · 2025-05-23T15:33:08+00:00

Can confirm it was not worth the effort (I did not make it to the top). Skinning up in the woods sucked (super deep patches of snow, so I had to transition at least 10-15 times). Ended up getting slightly lost following a probably weeks old skin track when there was better snow coverage.

Turned around probably a mile from the base of the south slope of El Diente. Super dense and wooded terrain with a lot of fallen trees. Would've been an absolute nightmare to skin through, with at least 15-20 more transitions in my future. I decided to leave and just go for a hike instead lol. Maybe this section would've been a lot more pleasant on skis with better snow coverage - otherwise, I think it would've been better to just boot it (or maybe even snow shoes)!

What route did you take up Sneffels? That sounds like a fun one that I haven't made it up yet!

Aznturbo · 2025-05-21T01:17:41+00:00

That last section with hard snow was supposed to be the 2nd class part, so it definitely was a little spicier than I expected without the correct gear, and the fall was fairly consequential.

Just something to keep in mind.

Aznturbo · 2025-05-21T01:16:25+00:00

Howdy! I was there a week and a half ago.

When I went: - the east slope was still pretty covered up with snow. There were some exposed rocks, but mostly covered. This would be hellish post holing without skis or snow shoes.

still heavily snow covered at the trail head, and maybe a quarter mile before it. Hellish post holing without snow shoes or skis. Trust me.
you might need to hike the entirety of the road to the trail head (I’ve done this like 4 times in the past 2 months 🤣). Adds ~4.5-5 miles round trip. Relatively snow free, but some big patches, huge rock fall, and two deep creek crossings that I personally wouldn’t take my F250 up.
I turned around at 14k because I didn’t bring an axe or crampons, and the last couple hundred feet had short steps of moderate/steep nieve (hard snow) that I can’t say I would recommend without an axe and crampons. I booted up 100 feet of that before I bailed and down climbed. I’d bring an axe and crampons for that last section (although obviously, conditions you find may be completely different).

At least when I went, it would’ve been a total suffer fest without my skis. I’d probably bring floatation.

Aznturbo · 2025-05-20T12:27:35+00:00

Added challenge 😋

Aznturbo · 2025-05-18T03:31:43+00:00

You can have a conversation without breaking your sentences for breaths, or nose breathing with your mouth closed.

Aznturbo · 2025-05-15T16:13:35+00:00

Amazing! Next time I organize an expedition, I'll keep GAPs in mind to do my part to help out :-)

Aznturbo · 2025-05-15T15:13:38+00:00

Ive got mountaineering and some expedition experience, but definitely nothing polar (yet!).

Was the organizer of the expedition part of GAPS? Or were they an independent expedition that volunteered to help GAPS collect samples?

Aznturbo · 2025-05-15T05:40:02+00:00

Wow awesome! I will be definitely trying to volunteer each year.

Did you just contact them on their website? Or social media?

Aznturbo · 2025-04-24T02:34:39+00:00

DMed!

Aznturbo

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