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The South Face of Hallett Peak (12,713') is arguably one of the best ski descents in Rocky Mountain National Park.
south face Hallett peak
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Starting from the Bear Lake trailhead, a loop tour can
be done that takes one to the top of Hallett Peak and then down the
magnificent south face, through Chaos Canyon and along the creek bed to reconnect
with the trail back to Bear Lake. This is a great springtime
ski tour and under ideal conditions, an early winter tour in lower avalanche danger conditions.
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Length: Approx. 2600' vertical from
12.7K to 10.1k - (Lk. Haiyaha)
Avg.
Angle: 40
Steepest Angle: 47
Technicality: Generally 3rd
class when in skiable shape- no ropes needed.
Avg Tour Length: 6-8 hrs. car to
car
Typical
Avi Danger:
Some D1 sloughs during and after storms.
These slopes can have serious soft slab
potential in the upper layers during and after storms and in
the spring, cornice collapses adjacent to the descent are the
most common hazards.
Debris from large cornice collapses are very common at the base of the
headwall slope on this south face and caution should be paid to the
western side of these upper slopes.
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An
overview of the Chaos Canyon and South Face of Hallett Peak
with the two summit descent options on the left and a steeper, dogleg
variation off the top of the North Buttress of Hallett down
to Lake
Haiyaha (blue line on the right).
(Click on
image to enlarge)
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Dropping
into the Hallett headwall in November of 2002.
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Approaching
the South Face of Hallett is typically done
by skiing up Flattop Mountain, ideally all the way
to the top of Hallett without removing ski's. A traverse onto
the summit south face may be necessary to link-up the snow.
The ski descent typically starts directly from the summit on a dog-leg
line southeasterly to reach the canyon bottom 2,000' below.
Skinning directly up the South Face by accessing it from the
canyon bottom is a viable option and although it might require a little
bit more effort (and uphill skinning skill and likely ski
crampons),
it can be a great way to get to know the intricacies of this canyon.
The Chaos Canyon is one of the most prized destinations for serious
climbers who covet the boulders littered throughout this aptly named
gorge. Finding enough snow to navigate around these house
sized rocks can be the crux of any tour.
I generally prefer the top down approach on this descent as it
is much easier skin up Flattop and makes for a nice
loop
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(Click
on images to enlarge)
 
(LEFT)
Near the summit of Flattop Mountain with the summit of Hallett Peak
visible in the distance. (RIGHT)
Looking southwest from the summit of Hallett towards the
Winter Park ski area.
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(LEFT) The slopes guarded by
east-facing cornices - no place to linger on a warm day or when there
is a significant slab danger. (RIGHT) The lower slopes into
the upper Chaos Canyon offer a few different options depending on snow
conditions and coverage in this part of the canyon.
Typically, the far (south) side of the canyon will
want to be reached by traversing high in the canyon to hook-up with the
best snow covered runs (north-facing) down to Lake Haiyaha.
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On a Thanksgiving tour finding
good coverage on the far western side
of the lower headwall
slopes. The south ridge above will have cornices
(some of the biggest in RMNP) guarding the crest as the winter
progresses.
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Contact
ClimbingLife Guides for more information about guided ski descents and
backcountry skiing in the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park
at:
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or phone us at 970.744.4898
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ClimbingLife LLC, All Rights Reserved.
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