Mt Duke - Couloir Obsession
It was an old fashioned backcountry rendezvous.
You don't get those as much these days since everybody is connected to the grid. My friend Dan Cudlip and his Icelandic touring partner Runar Aegisson were a day and a half ahead of us. They'd chosen to head to the Duffey Thursday morning ski around the Vantage area then camp in the adjacent valley near Caspar Creek. I couldn't make it to ski on Thursday but wanted to join up with them on Friday morning for the Mt Duke goal.
I spoke to Dan on Wednesday evening and got the details on where to meet them, Dan made it clear they wanted to set out at 8am. The access from the highway required a roughly 2 hour slog skinning on a logging road, something I was reluctant to do on my own not from fear of avalanches but just being worried about making it on time. Luckily I teamed up with Matt Francisty, his sled being able to make quick work of that arduous approach.
I sent Dan the final text on Wednesday evening.
"Head over to the meeting point at 8am Friday morning. Wait for 10 minutes then leave if here's no sign of us. You'll hear the 2-stroke coming."
And it worked! Matt and I were able to get away from Whistler on time and were at the rendezvous for 8am as planned, Dan coming up from their campsite a few minutes later to meet us. We were all in disbelief that it actually worked out, our communication of maps and directions proving useful.
Pillow fields on the approach
With the flat, boring logging road approach behind us, it was time to break out of the tree line. It was probably the best weather I'd seen in the Duffey- sunny, stable and very photogenic. We considered the summit until we saw the couloir, our goal instantly changing for the day. After gaining the ridge with some technical boot packing and scrambling we were soon at the entrance of the couloir, the remaiing climb to the summit too risky without crampons and axes.
The large cornice was intimidating, but after getting roped in we were able to take turns digging a channel through it and rapelling in one by one. The cornice excavation took almost two hours, but the reward was well worth it.
View north from the Ridge of Duke
Gnarly entrance
Matt hangin out
Runar drops in for his first turn
Dan approaches the half-way point
We didn't ski the most vert that day, but the careful approach to the cornice meant we skied it with an exciting rappell in rather than a step ladder up the chute. Nonetheless we were exhausted. Arriving back at the logging road the sled was a sight for sore eyes.