What is the Couloir Project?
The Couloir Project came about as a collection of Washington descents for both myself and the community to draw inspiration from and to stoke the desire to venture beyond our usual haunts. On a personal level, I was looking for a long-term project that would pull me to new areas and provide a little more intention to my ski days. My goal is to ski as many of these lines as my ski ability and risk tolerance allow. Some of these lines have yet to see a second descent, and many likely never will. I chose to include all of these couloirs for the sake of completeness.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the couloirs in Washington. My hope is to continually add to this list through the help of the greater ski community, my ski partners, and my own exploration. The current list does include some lines that, by the definition of most, would not be considered a couloir and have made the cut due to widely accepted names.
A few things worth mentioning….
You will not find GPS tracks here. I am happy to help point you in the right direction though. The resources are out there.
I know increased crowds and “blowing up” an area is a contentious topic within the backcountry community. The hope is that this list serves to disperse users.
Take the difficulty ratings with a large grain of salt if I have not skied the line yet. I am open to feedback if you feel the current rating really misses the mark.
Snoqualmie Pass
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Alta Mountain | West Face Couloir | No | W | Extremely Difficult |
Chair Peak | West Couloir (Armchair) | No | W/SW | Difficult |
Chair Peak | Little Alien Couloir | No | W | Very Difficult |
Chair Peak Basin | Cache Couloir | Yes | NE | Moderate |
Chikamin Peak | South Couloir | Yes | S | Difficult |
Four Brothers | Glacier Lake Couloir | Yes | NE | Difficult |
Guye Peak | Northeast Couloir | Yes | E/NE | Difficult |
Hemlock/Bryant Couloir | East Couloir | Yes | E | Difficult |
Huckleberry Mountain | North Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
Kaleetan Peak | East Couloir | No | E | Difficult |
Kendall Adventure Zone | Multiple | Yes (7) | Various | Difficult-Very Difficult |
Lundin Peak | Cocaine Couloir | Yes | S | Moderate |
Lundin Peak | North Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Mcclellan Butte | North Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Melawka Pass | Cupcake Couloir | Yes | N | Moderate |
Mount Thomson | North Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Mt Si | Black Canyon Couloir | No | W | Difficult |
Overcoat Peak | North Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
Pea Soup Lake | East Couloir | No | E | Difficult |
Preacher | Preacher Couloirs | Yes | SE | Moderate |
Rampart Ridge | Toilet Bowl Couloirs | No | W/SW | Moderate |
Roosevelt Peak | Holy Diver Couloir | Yes | NW | Moderate |
Snoqualmie Mountain | Crooked Couloir | Yes | W | Difficult |
Snoqualmie Mountain | Slot Couloir | Yes | N/NW | Difficult |
Snoqualmie Mountain | Snot Couloir | Yes | NW | Difficult |
Snoqualmie Mountain | Circus Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Source Lake | Bryant Couloir | Yes | NE | Moderate |
Three Queens | South Couloir | No | S | Difficult |
Twin Lakes | Zipper Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Wright Peak | Oyster Couloir | No | SW | Difficult |
Highway 20
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Azure Lakes | Azure Lakes Couloirs | No | N/NE | Very Difficult |
Big Kangaroo | North Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Bonanza Peak | SW Peak North (Beowulf) Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Copper Peak | Maple Couloir | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Gilbert Mountain | West Couloir | Yes | W | Moderate |
Golden Horn | North Couloirs | Yes | N | Difficult |
Goode Mountain | East Couloir | No | E | Extremely Difficult |
Goode Mountain | Southwest Couloir | No | SW | Difficult |
Goode Mountain | North Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Half Moon | Bong Couloir | Yes | N | Moderate |
Mantis Peak | North (Distal Tendon) Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Mesachie Peak | Mesachie Icefall Couloir | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Mount Degenhart (Pickets) | West/Northwest Couloir | No | W/NW | Extremely Difficult |
Mount Hardy | Northeast Couloirs | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Mount Robinson | North Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
North Gardner Peak | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Difficult |
Silver Star Mountain | Southwest Couloir | Yes | SW | Difficult |
Silver Star Mountain | South Couloir | No | S | Difficult |
Snagtooth Ridge | Dog Tooth Couloir | Yes | W | Difficult |
South Early Winters Spire | Southwest Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Tower Mountain | Northeast Couloir | Yes | NE | Very Difficult |
Twin Needles (Pickets) | Thread of Ice | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Wallaby Peak | Life is Good Gully | Yes | N | Difficult |
Wallaby Peak | South Couloir | Yes | S | Difficult |
Whistler Couloir | Whistler Couloir | No | E | Difficult |
Cascade River Road
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Backbone Ridge | Ice-elation Couloir | No | NE | Moderate |
Backbone Ridge | C1 Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Edorado Peak | Southwest Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Hidden Lake | Lost Marbles Couloir | Yes | NE | Very Difficult |
Hurry-Up Peak | Plan B Couloir | Yes | S | Difficult |
Johannesburg Mountain | CJ Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Klawatti Peak | Swan Song Couloir | No | W | Very Difficult |
Magic Mountain | Northeast Couloir | Yes | NE | Difficult |
Marble Needle | Marble Needle Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Buckner | North Face Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Mount Chaval | East/Northeast Couloir | No | E/NE | Moderate |
Mount Torment | Moraine Lake Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
The Triad | Cumshot Couloir | Yes | N | Very Difficult |
Trapper Mountain | North Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Tricouni Peak | West Couloir (Carl Skoog 1991) | No | W | Difficult |
Tricouni Peak | Triceratops | No | S | Difficult |
Icicle Creek/Stuart Range
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Argonaught Peak | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Argonaught Peak | Northwest Couloir | No | NW | Difficult |
Argonaught Peak | Southwest Couloir | No | SW | Difficult |
Axis Peak | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Cannon Mountain | East/Northeast Couloir | No | E/NE | Difficult |
Cannon Mountain | Cannon Mountain Couloir | Yes | NE | Difficult |
Cashmere Peak | South Couloir | Yes | S | Difficult |
Cashmere Peak | North Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Cashmere Peak | Victoria's Secret | Yes | N | Difficult |
Colchuck | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Extremely Difficult |
Colchuck Peak | North Buttress Couloir | Yes | N | Very Difficult |
Dragontail Peak | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Dragontail Peak | Triple Couloirs | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Eightmile Mountain | North Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Jay Peak | Crescent Couloir | No | S | Very Difficult |
Little Annapurna | South Couloir | No | S | Difficult |
Mount Stuart | Cascadian Couloir | Yes | SE | Moderate |
Mount Stuart | Ulrich's Couloir | Yes | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Stuart | West Knotch Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Stuart | Sherpa Glacier Couloir | Yes | NE | Difficult |
Mount Stuart | Stuart Glacier Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Sherpa Peak | Northeast Couloirs | Yes | NE | Difficult |
Sherpa Peak | South Couloir | No | S | Difficult |
Highway 2
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Bandit Peak | Black Hole Couloir | Yes | NW | Difficult |
Big Chiwaukum | Northwest Couloir | Yes | NW | Difficult |
Bonanza Peak | SW Peak North (Beowulf) Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Copper Peak | Northwest Couloir | No | NW | Extremely Difficult |
Jim Hill | South Couloirs | Yes | S | Difficult |
Lichtenberg Mountain | North Couloir | Yes | N | Moderate |
Mount Baring | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Difficult |
Mount Index | East (Hourglass) Couloir | No | E | Very Difficult |
Mount Fernow | Infernow Couloir | No | N | Extremely Difficult |
Mount Maude | Southwest Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Maude | West Couloir | No | W | Very Difficult |
North Chiwaukum | North Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
Seven Fingered Jack | Jacked Couloir | No | NW | Extremely Difficult |
Seven Fingered Jack | South Couloir | Yes | S | Difficult |
Spark Plug Mountain | Shocker Couloir | No | NE | Moderate |
Tailgunner | West Couloir | No | W | Difficult |
Tenpeak Mountain | North Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
MRNP/Crystal BC
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Basin Lakes | Basin Lakes Couloirs | Yes (3) | N/NE | Difficult-Very Difficult |
Chinook Peak | Sheep Lake Couloir | Yes | E | Difficult |
Cowlitz Chimney | Cowlitz Couloirs | Yes | E+W | Difficult |
Crystal Peak | G-String Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Crystal Peak | Shoestring Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
Eagle Peak | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Difficult |
Foss Peak | East Couloir | No | E | Difficult |
Fryingpan Creek | Fryingpan Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Governor's Ridge | Southeast Couloir | No | SE | Difficult |
Lane Peak | Fly Couloir | Yes | N | Difficult |
Lane Peak | Lover’s Lane | No | NE | Very Difficult |
Lane Peak | Zipper Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
Mount Rainier | Fuhrer Finger | Yes | SE | Difficult |
Mount Rainier | Fuhrer Thumb | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Rainier | Success Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Rainier | Nisqually Couloir/Chute | Yes | S | Moderate |
Mount Rainier | Sunset Amphitheatre Couloir | No | SW | Extremely Difficult |
Peak 6706 | No Name Couloir | Yes | NW | Moderate |
Mountain Loop
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Big Four Mountain | Dry Creek Couloir | No | E/SE | Very Difficult |
Cadet Peak | West Couloir | No | W | Difficult |
Columbia Peak | Northeast Ridge Couloir | No | NE | Difficult |
Kyes Peak | NE Couloir | No | NE | Difficult |
Lewis Peak | West Couloir | No | W | Difficult |
Mount Pugh | North Couloir | No | N | Moderate |
Red Mountain | West (Painted) Couloir | No | W | Moderate |
Three Fingers | East Couloir | No | E/SE | Extremely Difficult |
Vesper Peak | West (Sunet) Couloir | Yes | W | Moderate |
Wilman’s Spire | North Couloir | No | N | Very Difficult |
Highway 542/Baker BC
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Barometer Peak | Sweet Sweet Death | No | E | Difficult |
Colfax Peak | South Couloir | No | S | Difficult |
Goat Mountain | Northwest Couloirs (Udders) | Yes | NW | Moderate |
Mount Blum | Cocaine (Southwest) Couloir | No | SW | Difficult |
Mount Shuksan | Northwest Couloir | No | NW | Very Difficult |
Mount Shuksan | North Butress Couloir | No | NW | Extremely Difficult |
Mount Shuksan | Southwest Face Couloir | No | SW | Very Difficult |
Mount Shuksan | North Face West Variation Couloir | No | W | Very Difficult |
Mount Shuksan | South Couloir | No | S | Extremely Difficult |
North Twin South Couloir | South Couloir | No | S | Very Difficult |
Ruth Mountain | South Couloir | Yes | S | Difficult |
Shuksan Arm | Tube of Terror | No | N | Very Difficult |
Slate Peak | Clean Slate | No | NW | Moderate |
Stoneman Couloir | Stoneman Couloir | No | E | Moderate |
The Plaides South Couloirs | South Couloirs | No | S | Very Difficult |
X Couloir Lincoln Peak | X Couloir | No | SW | Extremely Difficult |
Olympics
Location | Name | Completed | Aspect | Difficulty |
Brothers South Peak | South Couloir | No | S | Difficult |
Mount Angeles | East/Northeast (Pipeline) Couloir | No | ENE | Very Difficult |
Mount Deception | Northeast Chute | Yes | NE | Difficult |
Mount Ellinor | South Couloir | Yes | S | Moderate |
Mount Ellinor | Northeast Couloir | No | NE | Difficult |
Mount Fairchild | Southeast Couloir | No | SE | Difficult |
Mount Johnson | Northwest Couloir | No | NW | Difficult |
Rocky Peak | North (Broken Tooth) Couloir | No | N | Difficult |
Sundial Peak | South Couloirs | No | S | Difficult-Very Difficult |