Sneffels - Snake Couloir
Date: 04/29/2023
Partners: Alex Neal (Junior), Justin Kuchta, Krishna Ghandi
Trailhead: CR7 below Blue Lakes TH
Distance: 13.5m
Elevation Gain: 5600ft
Duration: 9.5hrs
GPX
A day on the Snake has everything you might want for a day in the mountains. An all round mountaineering experience with skinning, booting, scrambling, rappeling and an iconic ski line. We were fortunate to have a blue bird day, no wind, great snow and a stellar crew. Won't soon forget this one and will definitely repeat it!
![Sneffels snake 01]()
13.5m - 5600ft - 9.5hrs
![Sneffels snake 02]()
Finding our way below treeline
![Sneffels snake 03]()
Sneffels' north face appears
![Sneffels snake 04]()
![Sneffels snake 05]()
![Sneffels snake 06]()
![Sneffels snake 07]()
Krishna and Justin teamed up to carry the rope
![Sneffels snake 08]()
![Sneffels snake 09]()
![Sneffels snake 10]()
![Sneffels snake 11]()
Junior setting the track to the base of Lavender Couloir
![Sneffels snake 12]()
Cirque Mountain
![Sneffels snake 13]()
Near the base of Lavender Couloir. Kismet front and center. Cirque, Teakettle, and Potosi to the left
![Sneffels snake 14]()
Junior leads the way on Lavendar
![Sneffels snake 15]()
Looking down Lavendar
![Sneffels snake 16]()
We met a group of two from Grand Junction who climbed and skied Lavender but were not feeling a summit
![Sneffels snake 17]()
Junior on the class 4 pitch before the summit ridge. I thought this was the crux of the day
![Sneffels snake 18]()
Alex tops out on the airy class four crux
![Sneffels snake 19]()
Junior 'hunks' below the summit
![Sneffels snake 20]()
Justin and Krishna on the final summit pitch
![Sneffels snake 21]()
Dallas Peak from the summit
![Sneffels snake 23]()
Justin gets started on the rap. A 70m rope was just right
![Sneffels snake 24]()
Justin
![Sneffels snake 25]()
Alex
![Sneffels snake 26]()
Alex transitions to skis
![Sneffels snake 27]()
Snake Couloir and un-tracked powder
![Sneffels snake 28]()
There aren't many safe spots to stop. We skied in two groups of two, stopping at the elbow
![Sneffels snake 29]()
Junior skis the top section
![Sneffels snake 30]()
![Sneffels snake 31]()
Junior turns the corner and enters the choke
![Sneffels snake 32]()
Looking down the choke and final section of the Snake
![Sneffels snake 33]()
Alex on the apron
![Sneffels snake 34]()
Krishna
![Sneffels snake 35]()
The damage done
![Sneffels snake 36]()
Apron party
![Sneffels snake 37]()
The crew is stoked... what a day!
![Sneffels snake 38]()
The skate back to the truck
