Skywalker Couloir

Name: Skywalker Couloir
Rating: 5.0

5.0 ( 4 )

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Trail

1.0 mile 1.6 kilometer point to point
Ski Line
Extremely Difficult

Elevation

Ascent: 0' 0 m
Descent: -1,892' -577 m
High: 13,039' 3,974 m
Low: 11,148' 3,398 m

Grade

Avg Slope: 37% (20°)
Max Slope: 93% (43°)

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Trail shared by Mark Griffin

Avalanche risk for May 22, 2019: Considerable

Dangerous avalanche conditions. Careful snowpack evaluation, cautious route-finding and conservative decision-making essential. Natural avalanches possible; human-triggered avalanches likely.

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

Avy tweets from @CAICfrontrange

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Weather

Getting forecast...

Current ascent conditions

Unknown See History

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“Big, steep and aesthetic.”

— Mark Griffin

GPX File

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Note that the entire drainage on the east side of the divide below S. and N. Arapahoe peaks is closed to humans.

Need to Know

The road from Eldora to Fourth of July is not plowed.

Description

This is a really cool line. Best to ski it in Spring/Summer.

If you didn't climb up the couloir, you can find it by heading west and south from the summit of South Arapahoe.

There are several exits one could ski into. The upper part of the couloir is probably around 55 degrees and a fall here would be bad. The "Princess Leia" variation at the top is steeper. The couloir begins to mellow after a couple hundred feet but it still very steep and sustained. The line is enclosed in rock walls for maybe 1500'.

Facing SW, it comes into sun a bit later. We waited on top for a while for snow to soften. Watch out for the shady spot ~ halfway down.

Skywalker will be obvious once you get to the mine area if you're approaching from Fourth of July on the Arapahoe Pass trail trail. Crampons and at least one axe would be prudent to climb the route. If you're roping up your pro would be pickets or possibly some rock gear. It takes around an hour to get from trailhead to the base of the couloir.

In early June 2014, we found firm snow conditions and a large runnel down the middle.