South Arapaho Peak Trip Report 06/21/2024

Report Type	Full
Peak(s)	South Arapaho Peak - 13,408 feet
Date Posted	06/21/2024
Date Climbed	06/12/2024
Author	frigidridge

South Arapaho - Skywalker Couloir
South Arapaho - Skywalker Couloir and Han Solo exit. 3389' vert 6.54 miles First alpine mountain of the season never goes perfectly well, but all is well that ends well. I broke my leg in February. Since then I've done a few local hikes only without much vert, but with my summer plans incoming it was time to put my leg (and fitness) to the test. In the last couple years I've been getting into couloirs (every June anyway). I wasn't totally sure I'd be up for it, so I said I'd decide when I get there whether I'd take the walk-up route instead. I had done Jasper and Neva in the summer so I considered myself familiar with the approach route. So I start at the upper parking lot, I step on the trail and immediately step off of it (unknowingly) and like a dingus followed a social trail into the woods thinking I'd be back on the main trail soon. The area is pretty littered with social trails and I'm ashamed to say I added to it. I did come across a spooky cave. Caption Here Once I was able to see the peak of S Arapaho I could find a decent route to the mine junction and the base of the Skywalker couloir. South Arapaho couloirs Jasper and Neva I decided to go for it, hoping I hadn't lost too much time and the snow wasn't going to be too squishy up there. I stopped to equip my crampons, ice axe, sunscreen, helmet and here I was passed by another climber named Ashley in a runners outfit equipped with two ice tools and aluminum crampons strapped to his running shoes. He climbed up the couloir like a spider. Caption Here The exits appear to be a lot closer than they are. Looking back down about halfway up. As I got farther up I was keeping to the right. When I came up to the right of the rock island at the skyline in the center of the above photo I stayed right instead of heading for the Princess Leia exit and then soon on the right was some semi-flat rocky area to remove my crampons. Basically I ended up taking the Han Solo early exit as the snow was still in the shade and, quite frankly I was tired from the steepness already. View of Princess Leia exit on the right, and the standard exit on the left (pretty sure anyway). Looking down from where I exited. Ashley appeared to had gone up a bit farther on the snow, but I think that would have been a steeper climb-out. Caption Here I started climbing up the nearest ridgecrest, which merged eventually with the main trail on the summit ridge line. The whole way was class 3 Here I saw the other climber heading down the main route to the east. I figured out how to do the timer on my camera. After summitting I soon realized my phone was gone. Whoops. I was going to take the standard way down as I wasn't sure how glissading down the couloir would go, although I was thinking a glissade would be a lot easier on my leg.. Well.. now I had to take the couloir down to retrace my steps. North Arapaho Caption Here Caption Here Caption Here Caption Here Looking down at the ridgeline I had taken up out of the couloir. Going back down now Caption Here Almost to where I exited the couloir. I followed this slightly overhanging rock on the way up and down. THERE IT IS! Super relieved to find it. Now just to slide down this mountain. All pockets zipped. Here we go. Huzzah! Looking back up my slide. I practiced my self-arrest - sliding down mostly facing the mountain with my ice axe in it and stepping with my knees. I tried to keep it mostly in control. Caption Here I returned to the trailhead to find they had blocked off the way I had went with these logs and tape. If only that had been there this morning lol. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

South Arapaho - Skywalker Couloir

South Arapaho - Skywalker Couloir and Han Solo exit.

3389' vert

6.54 miles

First alpine mountain of the season never goes perfectly well, but all is well that ends well.

I broke my leg in February. Since then I've done a few local hikes only without much vert, but with my summer plans incoming it was time to put my leg (and fitness) to the test. In the last couple years I've been getting into couloirs (every June anyway). I wasn't totally sure I'd be up for it, so I said I'd decide when I get there whether I'd take the walk-up route instead. I had done Jasper and Neva in the summer so I considered myself familiar with the approach route.

So I start at the upper parking lot, I step on the trail and immediately step off of it (unknowingly) and like a dingus followed a social trail into the woods thinking I'd be back on the main trail soon. The area is pretty littered with social trails and I'm ashamed to say I added to it.

I did come across a spooky cave.

Once I was able to see the peak of S Arapaho I could find a decent route to the mine junction and the base of the Skywalker couloir.

I decided to go for it, hoping I hadn't lost too much time and the snow wasn't going to be too squishy up there. I stopped to equip my crampons, ice axe, sunscreen, helmet and here I was passed by another climber named Ashley in a runners outfit equipped with two ice tools and aluminum crampons strapped to his running shoes. He climbed up the couloir like a spider.

22544_08 — The exits appear to be a lot closer than they are.

22544_09 — Looking back down about halfway up.

22544_07 — As I got farther up I was keeping to the right. When I came up to the right of the rock island at the skyline in the center of the above photo I stayed right instead of heading for the Princess Leia exit and then soon on the right was some semi-flat rocky area to remove my crampons. Basically I ended up taking the Han Solo early exit as the snow was still in the shade and, quite frankly I was tired from the steepness already.

22544_10 — View of Princess Leia exit on the right, and the standard exit on the left (pretty sure anyway).

22544_11 — Looking down from where I exited. Ashley appeared to had gone up a bit farther on the snow, but I think that would have been a steeper climb-out.

I started climbing up the nearest ridgecrest, which merged eventually with the main trail on the summit ridge line. The whole way was class 3

22544_13 — Here I saw the other climber heading down the main route to the east.

22544_15 — I figured out how to do the timer on my camera.

After summitting I soon realized my phone was gone. Whoops. I was going to take the standard way down as I wasn't sure how glissading down the couloir would go, although I was thinking a glissade would be a lot easier on my leg.. Well.. now I had to take the couloir down to retrace my steps.

22544_20 — Looking down at the ridgeline I had taken up out of the couloir. Going back down now

22544_22 — Almost to where I exited the couloir. I followed this slightly overhanging rock on the way up and down.

Super relieved to find it. Now just to slide down this mountain.

22544_24 — All pockets zipped. Here we go.

22544_25 — Huzzah! Looking back up my slide.

I practiced my self-arrest - sliding down mostly facing the mountain with my ice axe in it and stepping with my knees. I tried to keep it mostly in control.

22544_27 — I returned to the trailhead to find they had blocked off the way I had went with these logs and tape. If only that had been there this morning lol.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

crowdsurf	Han Solo Exit? 7/2/2024 10:33am Very nice solo effort! Just curious, how was the snow quality near the top and was this a factor in your decision to climb on the rock island on the remaining portion to the summit?
frigidridge	Re: Han Solo Exit? 7/3/2024 4:10pm At the time I'd describe the snow as pretty consolidated and firm. By noon it was much more of a foam mattress packing snow with ice deeper underneath. It was somewhat of a factor because the Han solo exit is both less steep and in the shade significantly longer than the other two exits, and I had gotten a later start on it. I was able to exit early in the shade as opposed to climbing probably another hour on steep, already sun-baking snow.

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