La Plata Peak Trip Report 02/26/2008

Peak(s):	La Plata Peak - 14,344 feet
Date Posted:	02/26/2008
Date Climbed:	02/17/2008
Author:	tundraline

Northwest Ridge -- Winter Ascent February 2008
Route Taken: variant of the standard summer route (to avoid avalanche danger) This climb was undertaken by four students of the 2008 CMC Boulder Advanced Mountaineering School (AMS) and two instructors who accompanied them. Students: Alex Harz, Ben Sorenson, Keith Anderson, and Tom Woods. Instructors: Robert O'Rourk and Jack Zuzack The trail in from the trailhead was not readily apparent or recognizable. Snowshoes and navigation skills were required. No one had broken trail in to La Plata when we arrived Saturday morning. The snow was deep and it quickly became apparent that the avalanche danger in the area was extreme. This is completely contrary to information obtained the day before from the CAIC website before departure (then rated "considerable"), but is consistent with information we obtained from local business owners in Twin Lakes on Friday (who told us the snowpack was extremely unstable). On Saturday during the hike from the trailhead in we head whumphs, saw shooting cracks, and triggered cracks with our ski poles that propagated several hundred yards through the snowpack with loud dynamite-like cracking sounds -- all on relatively flat terrain. (The next day, while preparing to head back from our campsite at 11,9000 on the NW ridge, we heard two loud avalanches releases across the valley (from an east-facing aspect). Upon descending the ridge we discovered that the two releases we had heard were on slopes right above the trail we had taken in the day before, and the debris fields of two avalanche side-by-side avalanche tracks reached within tens of feet of the trail.) (See photo of avalanche run-out zones taken on Saturday before the release.) The route we chose departed from the normal route upon drawing close to the NW ridge of La Plata (to avoid avy danger). We ascended the NW ridge through the trees. On Saturday it took us 7.5 hours to snowshoe in from the trail to the base of the rocky portion of La Plata's NW ridge at 11,900. On the ridge slope, the snow was deep, loose (virtually all depth hoar with a few weak icy layers), and unable to hold anyone weighing 200 pounds or more. We postholed almost all the away in and up. To say it was exhausting would be an understatement. The next morning we made our summit bid in questionable weather (wind, blowing snow, cold). The wind, cold, and snow only increased during the day, and by afternoon the conditions were downright terrible, with very high winds and blowing snow. To reduce avalanche danger we ascended directly up a rocky portion of the NW ridge, gained the ridge top, and basically followed the ridge line all the way to the summit. Most of the way to the summit there was relatively deep snow, and snowshoes were worn by everyone to the top and back. Very few portions were windblown and afforded quick transit. High winds, blowing snow and limited visibility hampered and delayed our descent. We reached camp at 3:30 and by 5:20 p.m. were packed up and heading out to the trailhead, arriving there at 7:30 p.m. Both days were very difficult for everyone physically. The time to the summit from our camp at 11,900' was 5 hours. The time to descend back to camp from the summit was 2.5 hours. The time to descend from our camp at 11,900' to the trailhead was another 2 hours. The trip was more difficult than expected, and took longer than expected. It was, however, a rewarding and valuable experience. Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Northwest Ridge -- Winter Ascent February 2008

Route Taken: variant of the standard summer route (to avoid avalanche danger)

This climb was undertaken by four students of the 2008 CMC Boulder Advanced Mountaineering School (AMS) and two instructors who accompanied them. Students: Alex Harz, Ben Sorenson, Keith Anderson, and Tom Woods. Instructors: Robert O'Rourk and Jack Zuzack

The trail in from the trailhead was not readily apparent or recognizable. Snowshoes and navigation skills were required. No one had broken trail in to La Plata when we arrived Saturday morning. The snow was deep and it quickly became apparent that the avalanche danger in the area was extreme. This is completely contrary to information obtained the day before from the CAIC website before departure (then rated "considerable"), but is consistent with information we obtained from local business owners in Twin Lakes on Friday (who told us the snowpack was extremely unstable). On Saturday during the hike from the trailhead in we head whumphs, saw shooting cracks, and triggered cracks with our ski poles that propagated several hundred yards through the snowpack with loud dynamite-like cracking sounds -- all on relatively flat terrain. (The next day, while preparing to head back from our campsite at 11,9000 on the NW ridge, we heard two loud avalanches releases across the valley (from an east-facing aspect). Upon descending the ridge we discovered that the two releases we had heard were on slopes right above the trail we had taken in the day before, and the debris fields of two avalanche side-by-side avalanche tracks reached within tens of feet of the trail.) (See photo of avalanche run-out zones taken on Saturday before the release.)

The route we chose departed from the normal route upon drawing close to the NW ridge of La Plata (to avoid avy danger). We ascended the NW ridge through the trees. On Saturday it took us 7.5 hours to snowshoe in from the trail to the base of the rocky portion of La Plata's NW ridge at 11,900. On the ridge slope, the snow was deep, loose (virtually all depth hoar with a few weak icy layers), and unable to hold anyone weighing 200 pounds or more. We postholed almost all the away in and up. To say it was exhausting would be an understatement.

The next morning we made our summit bid in questionable weather (wind, blowing snow, cold). The wind, cold, and snow only increased during the day, and by afternoon the conditions were downright terrible, with very high winds and blowing snow. To reduce avalanche danger we ascended directly up a rocky portion of the NW ridge, gained the ridge top, and basically followed the ridge line all the way to the summit. Most of the way to the summit there was relatively deep snow, and snowshoes were worn by everyone to the top and back. Very few portions were windblown and afforded quick transit. High winds, blowing snow and limited visibility hampered and delayed our descent. We reached camp at 3:30 and by 5:20 p.m. were packed up and heading out to the trailhead, arriving there at 7:30 p.m.

Both days were very difficult for everyone physically. The time to the summit from our camp at 11,900' was 5 hours. The time to descend back to camp from the summit was 2.5 hours. The time to descend from our camp at 11,900' to the trailhead was another 2 hours. The trip was more difficult than expected, and took longer than expected. It was, however, a rewarding and valuable experience.

Thumbnails for uploaded photos (click to open slideshow):

Comments or Questions

tundraline	Things I would have done differently 2/27/2008 4:54pm ”Just a list of ‘what I brought that I should have left behind‘ and ‘what I left behind that I should have brought‘ would reveal lots!” From an equipment standpoint, the only thing I might have done differently would have been to bring a different stove. My Jetboil did not (initially) perform well Sunday morning -- but I had forgotten to put the fuel canister in my sleeping bag overnight. Otherwise, it probably would have worked fine. I have heard quite a few complaints about Jetboil stoves not working well at altitude or at very cold temperatures. This was my first negative experience with Jetboil, no doubt brought on by my failure to keep the fuel canister warm. From a procedural or practice standpoint, I learned several things I would not repeat: (1) The night before departure for La Plata I got about 1.5 hours of sleep. This was super stupid, as on Saturday night I got almost no sleep at 11,800‘ (which is typical for my first night at altitude). (2) To add to the effects of sleep deprivation, I ate a small dinner Saturday night, ate no candy bar before going to sleep Saturday night (normally part of my winter camping ritual), and had only hot chocolate for breakfast Saturday. During the summit climb I ate a quarter of a power bar. On summit day I was literally running on fumes. All these factors added up to stupid moves that I will never repeat on a mountain. My appetite was depressed, I did not force myself to eat, and I should have gotten sleep Friday night. Now I know better.
lordhelmut	re : 2/27/2008 6:04pm I make the same mistakes on more occasion than one, the night before meal is huge, i think the new Marmot Couloir bag I jsut got may erase all my sleeping problems though. Nice job summiting nevertheless.
sgladbach	Passing grades all around? 11/30/2010 5:28pm Looks like a great experience. From time to time, people on this forum have asked about the value of CMC courses. With a winter campout, Avy evaluation, and poor visibility route-finding, it looks like this group got a taste of it all. I'm betting a good portion of the learning curve is now behind the group. Just a list of "what I brought that I should have left behind" and "what I left behind that I should have brought" would reveal lots! Good job! Steve
tundraline	La Plata Climbed Monday the 18th by Another Party 2/5/2011 12:22am As it turns out, La Plata was climbed by another party of skiers on Monday the 18th (after we had departed on the 17th). They were able to use our well-stomped trail to gain the northwest ridge. Their report may be found at: http://14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=4053&cpgm=tripmain

Caution: The information contained in this report may not be accurate and should not be the only resource used in preparation for your climb. Failure to have the necessary experience, physical conditioning, supplies or equipment can result in injury or death. 14ers.com and the author(s) of this report provide no warranties, either express or implied, that the information provided is accurate or reliable. By using the information provided, you agree to indemnify and hold harmless 14ers.com and the report author(s) with respect to any claims and demands against them, including any attorney fees and expenses. Please read the 14ers.com Safety and Disclaimer pages for more information.

Please respect private property: 14ers.com supports the rights of private landowners to determine how and by whom their land will be used. In Colorado, it is your responsibility to determine if land is private and to obtain the appropriate permission before entering the property.

14ers.com

Social

Mobile App