The Pencil

Name: The Pencil
Rating: 5.0

5.0 ( 1 )

Trail

0.3 mile 0.5 kilometer point to point
Ski Line
Extremely Difficult

Elevation

Ascent: 0' 0 m
Descent: -1,006' -307 m
High: 11,617' 3,541 m
Low: 10,610' 3,234 m

Grade

Avg Slope: 61% (31°)
Max Slope: 67% (34°)

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Trail shared by Chris Dickson

Avalanche risk for Jul 10, 2019: Unknown

Unknown or outdated data.

Full forecast for CAIC: Gunnison Zone — Brought to you by CO Avalanche Information Center

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“A classic pencil chute with relatively easy access from Crested Butte.”

— Chris Dickson

GPX File

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Description

You can either climb this line before skiing it, or you can skin the ridge on Axtell and drop in from the very top. Either way, expect steep and tight couloir skiing! There are a few chokes (one near the top and one near the bottom) that may require down-climbing (or straight-lining it) depending on the conditions.

Regardless, one hell of a classic Colorado couloir.