What is the Couloir Project?

Ascending the Black Hole Couloir on Bandit Peak

Ascending the Black Hole Couloir on Bandit Peak

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