UKC

Pic Coolidge Couloir Derobe difficulty?

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 Duncan Beard 12 Jun 2016
Hi, going to La Berarde in the Ecrins next week hopefully.

My partner & I have only been up two alpine summits so far (Pic Jocelme and Roche Faurio both by ordinary routes). We have done a few Scottish Grade II gullies & a Youtube video showed the couloir as looking very similar in difficulty, albeit much longer.

"Mountaineering in the Ecrins Massif" mentions it in passing and gives it AD but "Ecrins Massif by John Bailsford gives it D-. Would it be a reasonable objective or should we leave it until we have more experience?
OP Duncan Beard 14 Jun 2016
In reply to Duncan Beard:

Nobody done it then?

Having looked at Camp to Camp it sounds a bit too tough for me and my partner at the moment. Also it's on the wrong side of the mountain.
 Martin Haworth 14 Jun 2016
In reply to Duncan Beard:
Duncan, as I think you have realised, it's on the Ailefroide side of the mountain. Keep a close eye on conditions, there is still quite a lot of snow high up, there were a couple of fatalities this week on a Couloir route on the Barre des Ecrins. There is a website that gives conditions reports for the couloirs in that area I post a link when I can find it.
 Simon4 15 Jun 2016
In reply to Duncan Beard:

Good idea, thanks, esp if things are a lot more snowy than usual.
 philipjardine 15 Jun 2016
In reply to Duncan Beard:

Hi Duncan
I havent done that route but I would treat the descriptions in that guide with care. Its a translation of an old French guide. As with everywhere in the Alps climate change is having a dramatic effect on routes and old guides need to be handled with extreme care.
 Max factor 15 Jun 2016
In reply to philipjardine:

Hi

what's the question? Has anybody done the Coolridge couloir on Pelvoux? Then yes, I have.

Not sure what 'derobe' is in this context, unless it's a variant to the normal route?
 Martin Haworth 15 Jun 2016
In reply to Max factor:

The Derobe is a couloir off the glacier noire, on the Pic Coolidge, which is a different mountain.
 Simon4 15 Jun 2016
In reply to philipjardine:

> old guides need to be handled with extreme care.

Particularly the "Brailsford book of lies".

CampToCamp however is pretty reliable, especially where there are recent accounts of ascents.
 Martin Haworth 15 Jun 2016
In reply to Duncan Beard:
What about trying an ascent of Pic Coolidge.
 Max factor 15 Jun 2016
In reply to Martin Haworth:

Thanks - that make sense as nowhere near D-!
OP Duncan Beard 18 Jun 2016
In reply to Duncan Beard:

Hi Martin, I think we were in touch before going to Ailfroide last July. When I got there I found my phone just didn't work so I couldn't contact you. Sorry about that. We are hoping to go to La Berarde first two weeks of July this year.

We will do Pic Coolidge by the ordinary route, if weather co-operates.

Thanks for the guide book warning. I noted that the easiest rock route on the Tete de le Maye was put as AD grade 4 max but c-c gives it somethng like 6a for the first pitch.

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