upslope brewing company
Hallett Peak South Face

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


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.

 


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.

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).
hallett peak ski mountaineering colorado
(Click on image to enlarge)
hallett south face ski mountaineering
 Dropping into the Hallett headwall in November of  2002.

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


backcountry skiing flattop mountain colorado

 

(Click on images to enlarge)

 backcountry skiing colorado backcountry skiing rocky mountain national park

(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.

 

 

south face of Hallett peak ski mountaineering south face of Hallett peak colorado ski mountaineering

(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.

 

 

 

hallett peak south face ski descent

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. 

   


Contact ClimbingLife Guides for more information about guided ski descents and backcountry skiing in the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park at: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or phone us at 970.744.4898

 

 ©2008  ClimbingLife  LLC,  All Rights Reserved.

Related Articles
Comments (0)add comment

Write comment
smaller | bigger

security image
Write the displayed characters


busy
 
Copyright © 2007-2009 Climbing Life. All rights reserved.
Website Design by SkiPow.com