Cowboy Poetry

Cowboy Poetry (2,800’, IV 5.7R AI2 50˚ snow) climbs the most obvious couloir towards the lower east summit of the peak. After soloing the first 1,000’ of snow, the first crux came where the main couloir jogs left, and we found a mix of choss, thin ice, snow and thankful solid rock for a few dry tool moves. The next several pitches were some of the most scenic and classy alpine pitches on snow I’ve ever encountered. These led to a steep headwall above, but I managed to sniff out a ledge that traversed left and ended in an 80’ runout  with 5.7 climbing up a blunt arête—lots of exposure, minimal and questionable gear. Thankfully we brought rock shoes!

The rock pitch ended on a chossy ledge below the giant headwall and was disconnected from the summit couloir. Here we made a 40’ rappel to connect into the final hanging couloir. Three more pitches of steep snow led to the east summit. In total we did 8 roped pitches. We did not go to Breitenbach’s true summit, as both of us had been there before via other routes, but instead started out descent from the top of the ridge, east of the true summit.

Though I had guided the east-northeast ridge of the peak before in summer, we found the descent down this way not as straightforward as anticipated. We encountered steep snow that pinched into melting ice dribbles through cliff bands, and we opted to do two rappels rather than risk down climbing. We returned to camp 13 hours after starting.

To my knowledge, this route has been attempted but not completed. I believe the first crux and the runout rock pitch above most likely turned back previous attempts. I found a rusty piton with a tattered sling above the first crux, where a previous party most likely bailed when they encountered the upper headwall and rock pitch. The only other route on the wall, the Grand Chockstone Couloir, has only seen one known repeat, which makes our climb the likely third ascent of the face. Other potential lines do exist, but timing the conditions is difficult and essential on this remote alpine face. Of note, the winter of 2019 was a big one with a cooler, wet spring.

Small to medium cams, stubby ice screws, picket or snow pig, many knife blades & bugaboo pins.