Skiing is dangerous, and backcountry skiing is even more dangerous. Extreme steep skiing involving alpine climbing involves consequences that include serious injury and death. Objective hazards (e.g. avalanche danger and rock fall) may be present, and the consequences of a fall or other subjective (e.g. decision-making) mistakes could be fatal. You are responsible for your own safety. The decision to pursue an objective like what’s discussed below cannot be taken lightly; it takes years of gaining knowledge and experience to pull it off.
On April 5, 2017 Mat Brunton, Brian Harder, Sam Inouye, and Travis Baldwin completed the first known descent of Organ Mountain in the Eagle River area Western Chugach. From South Fork Eagle River, it was ~24 miles and ~8000′ that also included an ascent of Organ’s east couloir with a descent down its west couloir (prominent features on the north ridge) and a descent of Flute Peak’s west couloir (ascended via Flute’s north couloir and a scree traverse).
The boys heading up the Flute glacier:
“The Notch” (ENE aspect) is perhaps the most striking feature in the area (a walled-in couloir skiing experience with one wall being glacier ice):
The boys above “The Notch” and hanging glacier, about the gain the east ridge:
Mat on the east ridge (before it becomes 3rd-4th class rock):
Travis, Brian, & Sam traversing a steep snowfield from the east ridge onto the east face a few hundred feet below the summit:
Travis skiing the east face, with the Girdwood area Western Chugach near Crow Pass in the background:
Mat entering “The Notch”:
Sam working through the crux of the ski descent (choke point of “The Notch”):
Organ’s prominent east couloir on the north ridge:
The boys ascending the east couloir on Organ’s north ridge:
We climbed it, but skied off the back side due to extremely variable melt-freeze conditions. The back side, a very steep west facing couloir, was several hundred feet of slide-for-life without a clean runout. We dubbed the line “Organ Donor” as a fall, even in better conditions, would be serious.
Travis in the west couloir of Organ’s north ridge (backside of the east couloir that we climbed):
Despite Organ alone being a huge day, with plenty of food and daylight remaining, Mat talked the boys into rallying up Flute Peak for a descent of its wonderful west couloir back to the Flute glacier.
Mat breaking trail to Flute’s north couloir:
Mat ascending Flute’s north couloir, which is the standard ascent route and provides access to the west couloir via a short scree traverse:
Travis entering Flute’s west couloir:
Mat back on the Flute glacier, below Staccato ridge, getting ready for some cruiser glacier turns before several miles of double poling and skating back to the trailhead:
Video of the day (originally prepared for a Mountaineering Club of Alaska presentation on “Ski Alpinism in the Western Chugach”):
Gear:
- Pieps DSP Pro avalanche beacon
- Black Diamond Deploy shovel
- Black Diamond QuickDraw Tour probe
- Black Diamond Snow Saw Pro
- Voile Objective skis
- Dynafit Superlite 2.0 bindings
- Dynafit ski crampons
- Dynafit PDG boots
- Black Diamond mohair mix skins
- Petzl Irvis Hybrid crampons
- Smartwool ski socks
- Outdoor Research Voodoo pants
- Patagonia Alpine Houdini pants
- Patagonia Capilene boxers
- Patagonia Duckbill hat
- Tech t-shirt
- Black Diamond BDV hoody
- Black Diamond Hot Forge Hybrid hoody
- Black Diamond Helio gloves
- Black Diamond Cirque 35 pack
- Black Diamond Traverse ski poles
- Black Diamond pitons
- Black Diamond Oz alpine draws
- J Snare v-thread tool
- Petzl Sum’Tec hammer ice tool
- Petzl Altitude harness
- Petzl Laser Speed Light ice screw
- Petzl RAD glacier kit (with 30m RAD line, two ropes between the group of 4)
- Petzl Reactik headlamp
- Julbo photochromatic sunglasses
- Camp Speed helmet
- 20′ 6mm cordelette
- Repair kit: Leatherman, bailing wire, Voile straps, Black Diamond binding buddy, extra batteries, pole basket, etc.
- Emergency kit: InReach, space blanket, narcotic pain killer, herbs, etc.
Thanks to Brian Harder (SkiMoLife.com) for media contributions.