Castle/Conundrum

[nesterpete]

Was hoping someone or someones might have some knowledge/advice on glissading. Specifically on the glissade off the
"Castle" / "Cunumdrum" saddle in approx. mid-June. I currently have 12 Fourteeners summited ...but all on "Bluebird" days.
Hoping to do the 2 mountains in mid June and was wondering if snow & glissade off that saddle is likely. Would I need any
equip. (ice axe, dry clothes etc.) Never glissaded before. Sincere inquiry!

[stoopdude]

Would definitely want an axe for this and probably snow pants. I'm not a big fan of glissading for both safety and comfort reasons, a good alternative is to turn this into a moderate snow climb by ascending to the saddle between the two, ascending Conundrum, then proceeding to Castle and walking down the regular Castle route.

[Scott P]

If you have never done it, make sure you have a lot of practice before trying ot from that saddle. An ice axe would be mandatory.

Even in a dry year (and so far this winter has been try), mid June will have a fair amount of snow around

[Aphelion]

I'm also not a fan of glissading. But if you're going to do it, this should not be your first one. An ice axe is not a magic talisman, it's a basic safety tool that you need to know how to use. And June will still have quite a bit of snow over most of the route, not just that saddle.

If you do want to glissade, there's plenty of lower-angle opportunities all over the place if you just hike out to them. It's not some super-technical skill that requires 10,000 hrs of practice. But you also shouldn't just yolo a 45-degree rock-studded slope as your very first time.

[tremont]

I glissaded from the saddle a few years back in early July. At that point there was an established chute that most people were using to zip down to the basin. Only one of about a dozen people that went in front of me had an ice axe - the others used the lengthy runout to slow down. Even in soft-ish snow, we were really moving fast; with any sort of ice or questionable runout conditions, I would not have done it.

I agree and disagree with the above posters on the ice axe. The one person that did use one clearly had no idea how to use it to reduce speed and almost hit himself in the head while swinging it wildly on the way down. If the conditions are icy, I would not glissade, even with an axe. It was definitely possible and safe to go down without one in the early summer conditions we had. No special pants needed - just be prepared for some dampness on the hike down the road.

The other consideration is the steep slope from the saddle to a point where the snow allows glissading. At the time I did it, the slope was incredibly loose and the conga line of hikers going down to the snow slope were knocking rocks down. I'm not certain if this slope holds snow through June - if it's icy, I would not attempt to go down to the snow line.

If you're looking for safe late spring glissade possibilities, I found the upper slopes of La Plata to have plenty of glissade-able snow with safe runouts. No practice needed for that, just sit and slide once seeing that the runout is clear and the snow is soft.

[mtree]

It should be a blast! I've done it twice. Make sure there's plenty of runout at the bottom...which there should be. I never used an axe and don't think its needed in mid June-July unless its frozen solid, at which point I wouldn't do it! Its basically a long, steep sledding hill. You don't see kids with ice axes while sledding do ya? The snow should be mighty soft and you can slow yourself with your hands or feet. I was in shorts both times, but I'm not a weenie when it comes to butt sledding. I won't go face first kamikaze crazy either. Beware any rocks jutting out! That's always a possibility and would be a nasty injury. To mitigate that concern, don't be the first to launch. Hahahaha. Enjoy!

[Scott P]

I never used an axe and don't think its needed in mid June-July unless its frozen solid, at which point I wouldn't do it! Its basically a long, steep sledding hill. You don't see kids with ice axes while sledding do ya?

In a dry year, I suspect that it might have some exposed rocks by then. An ice axe should be standard equipment.

[mtree]

We'll just have to disagree about an ice axe.

[jscully205]

It's really condition dependent. Time of day will be a big factor. It could be bullet-proof in the morning and mash potatoes by the afternoon. Either way, having something to slow your speed is not a bad idea. Ideally an axe but a trekking pole could be used.

[mtree]

We'll just have to disagree about an ice axe. While it may be useful on very steep, icy climbs, you don't need to bring it unless the route you're taking suggests its standard equipment. Most class 1 and 2 hikes in Colorado do not suggest this. Neither does Castle in mid June/July under sunny skies. And if the weather suggests its a weapon of choice, bring it! But then skip the glissade...unless you're practicing your self arrest technique.

I have an ice axe and its proudly displayed on my wall downstairs. Looks stunning! I can't remember the last time I brought it with me and I hike in winter conditions often. Except for chipping out some cornice snow, I've never used it or even had it at the ready. I found trekking poles and spikes more useful. Unless you know how to use an axe, practice using it, and have it at the ready you might just as well bring a roofing hammer.

An axe is just a showy piece of equipment to get in the way of a good butt sledding run. Don't overthink it. And have fun out there!

[Scott P]

For anyone who hasn't been there, here is the route that someone is suggesting to slide down without an ice axe:

mRCast_422.jpg (95.09 KiB) Viewed 2525 times

mRCast_207.jpg (96.51 KiB) Viewed 2520 times

mRCast_211.jpg (85.03 KiB) Viewed 2510 times

There are often more rocks poking out of the slope as well.

Look at the route and make the judgement for yourself.

[CaptainSuburbia]

I did it in July a couple years ago without using my axe as did everyone else up there. It was still completely covered in snow though after the big 2019 storm cycle and a nice chute to slide down. An axe would have just been in the way. I dont think I'd attempt it with exposed rocks and would much rather summit Castle again.