# Silverton Splitfest



## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

After reading Neni’s trip report on Heli-skiing in Alaska, I figured I would give the whole trip report thing a try. I am getting kind of bored with ski areas this time of year. Right now, I am looking forward to an upcoming backcountry trip with Killclimbz (we leave tonight) where we are going down to the SW corner of the state that is close to where I went to college and got my first taste of backcountry snowboarding all those years ago. Back then, we didn’t have the equipment we have now (splitboards, ski crampons, and ice axe headed ski poles, etc.) and access was so much harder. I had a friend who was a skier back then and we did some lines in the San Juan mountains, but they were most likely very tame compared to what will most likely be on the menu in the next coming days. This is based on some of the pictures I have seen posted from people who have attended this “splitfest” the years before. Back then, we snowshoed up and carried the boards/skis on our backs (he had to carry his clunky ski boots in a backpack). Sometimes I even experimented with wearing hiking boots on the way up and changing into snowboarding boots for the way down. Once I even changed socks in a blizzard since the boarding socks didn’t work too well with my hiking boots. So while the equipment is better, I am a bit nervous (well, maybe that isn’t the best choice of wording). One reason is that when I asked if there was anything special to bring on this trip, he told me to bring a climbing harness and a rappel device, as we might be rappelling into the head of certain couloirs.. this is something I have never done before.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Have fun you two! Give cody a good hug 
Hope, weather and snow condutions will play. Looking forward to the pictures! (BTW: With a _new_ mobile with good cam you could even spare one more gear part; leaves more room for food  (all pics - except the ones in the last post - I had posted were taken by my Samsung S5)


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## wrathfuldeity (Oct 5, 2007)

deagol said:


> I am a bit nervous (well, maybe that isn’t the best choice of wording). One reason is that when I asked if there was anything special to bring on this trip, he told me to bring a climbing harness and a rappel device, as we might be rappelling into the head of certain couloirs.. this is something I have never done before.


Don't forget the toliet paper :hairy:. You'll be fine...but prepare for a spanking. Killz, Ale and crew handed me my ass last year at Stevens...best day ever.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

OK, just got home. we did not use the rappeling gear, but I did get some involuntary practice doing an ice axe (whippet) self arrest down a couloir.
I am pretty disappointed with the pictures from my camera, though. It's probably user error, but I did use snow mode... 

1st's on this trip: coulouir climb, real life self arrest, topping out in full snow conditions on a 13er, riding off the actual summit on a 13er, topping out on a second 13er with _sketchy as hell_ conversion to snowboard mode on a pile of sharp shifting rocks.



neni said:


> Have fun you two! Give cody a good hug
> Hope, weather and snow condutions will play. Looking forward to the pictures! (BTW: With a _new_ mobile with good cam you could even spare one more gear part; leaves more room for food  (all pics - except the ones in the last post - I had posted were taken by my Samsung S5)


Hi Neni !!,

Cody was not with us on this trip... I need to get caught up on your AK thread when I have time to see the action !!





wrathfuldeity said:


> Don't forget the toliet paper :hairy:. You'll be fine...but prepare for a spanking. Killz, Ale and crew handed me my ass last year at Stevens...best day ever.


He did talk fondly of Stevens pass. We had very low snow conditions and the presentations spoke of how historically warm (hot, actually) it has been there this winter. It is unprecedented. The low snow conditions did allow us to drive very far on the jeep road to access higher terrain, though..

Killclimbz has way better photo skills and a way better camera than I do, and maybe he will contribute a bit, but in the meantime, here are some of mine:

*day 1*

starting up the couloir









higher up









out of the choke









about to drop


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

*day 2*

starting up the road (skin track)









today's objective (tops out just over 13K')









used split-ski crampons for the climb, this is maybe half way up?









view from summit ridge, 14er in the distance









gear on top of cornice, notice fully submerged avalanche probe pole









Killclimbz climbing summit ridge to summit. We were psyched to get a 13er today!


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

nice dude!


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

*day 3*
today's objective, summit is 13,086 feet in elevation









looking back at yesterday's line









changing from ski (splitboard) crampons to boot crampons here









Killclimbz (in red box on right) and rest of our crew working their way up the ridge










sketchy spot to transition to snowboard mode, there were no other options









summit view


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

a little of vicarious living, don't mind me


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

snowklinger said:


> a little of vicarious living, don't mind me


glad you found it interesting.. I have one more day to add...


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

OK, so here was my scariest moment from the trip. after my 1st couloir ascent with boot crampons, my first descent with an ice axe (Whippet) followed. Within a few seconds, I needed it. 


this occurred somewhere along the red line on the map.


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

bad place to fall for sure... sounded like crap snow too. you're lucky you were able to keep the whippet in your hand thru that. 

next time use the wrist strap and take a look at how the axe is held with two hands (one on top of the pick), close to the body during a proper self-arrest. practice it till its muscle memory - that looked like it could have got bad quick. 

good job on a bunch of firsts!

edit: also, just to add - a whippet is not a real ice axe and should not be relied on to self-arrest. it'll work, but pieces can snap or slip out of each other easily with those kinds of forces on them. in real mountaineering situations travel with a real ice-axe. if you're holding a whippet on decent because you think you might need to self-arrest that is a real indicator that you should be carrying a real ice-axe.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

I actually thought I should have used the wrist strap, but the more experienced person there told me not to and that made me think it was a bit odd (not sure what the reasoning was). After this episode, I was skeptical about that (not using the wrist strap) since I saw how the thing was almost ripped from my hand.. also being on heelside when this happened made it more difficult for sure. 

It was funny since my memory of the event is that I tried to dig it in on my right side, but after watching the vid, it was crossed over and I had a hard time getting it in the right angle. 

Some people in the group carry a real ice axe, but there is a limit to what I can carry. My pack is already heavier and overstuffed for my preference.. not sure there is a perfect solution out there...


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## ShredLife (Feb 6, 2010)

deagol said:


> I actually thought I should have used the wrist strap, but the more experienced person there told me not to and that made me think it was a bit odd (not sure what the reasoning was). After this episode, I was skeptical about that (not using the wrist strap) since I saw how the thing was almost ripped from my hand.. also being on heelside when this happened made it more difficult for sure.
> 
> It was funny since my memory of the event is that I tried to dig it in on my right side, but after watching the vid, it was crossed over and I had a hard time getting it in the right angle.
> 
> Some people in the group carry a real ice axe, but there is a limit to what I can carry. My pack is already heavier and overstuffed for my preference.. not sure there is a perfect solution out there...


what's in yer pack? maybe we can get creative and jettison some stuff...


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Actually, for these conditions, a whippet was more than up to the task. I actually climbed the couloir with crampons and ski poles. No whippet or ice axe. For the down, you did what a pick for a quick stop should you fall. It was firm and easy to lose an edge in a section there. I agree that for some objectives there is no substitute for an ice axe. This was not one of them.

The wrist strap thing can be argued to death. Some people won't recommend using it because if you lose control, you have a high chance of getting stabbed. Pointy objects and such. Others think that if you lose the axe you are fucked anyway. I think it depends on the situation. The hazards of riding with sharp pointy objects.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

I think Killclimbz was in a good position to see what happened to me (He is the black dot in the snow below me visible at around 0:35). This might even be captured on his POV cam, come to think of it? I was afraid for a second that if I kept going, I may have knocked him down as well. 

I trust these guys with my life, and imagine they put that trust in me if it comes to it, as well. The question about the wrist strap is interesting since I also used the Whippet 2 days later on a different run. I remember feeling that if I felt like I was going to fall I actually might want to toss that thing aside so as not to impale myself on it (this was on a softer, less steep run- I would not have slid far at all). 

Overall, I really love the Whippet and think I would have been in quite a bit of serious trouble without it. 

Good partners are the most important thing you can bring with you on a trip like this, though....


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

*day 4*

the day started clear, objective is on the right









our crew









climbing up









view from the ridge, getting cloudy









rock formations and cool mountains in the distance









Killclimbz (in red jacket) and some of our crew make their way up









gnarly peaks, gnarly clouds









view of peak to east of us


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## AgingPunk (Feb 18, 2014)

deagol said:


> OK, so here was my scariest moment from the trip. after my 1st couloir ascent with boot crampons, my first descent with an ice axe (Whippet) followed. Within a few seconds, I needed it.
> this occurred somewhere along the red line on the map.


whoa, that was heavy, have to imagine heel side made that even more sketchy. Congrats on the trip though, definitely something I'd love to do once I'm based in the mountains for the season.


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## neni (Dec 24, 2012)

Those peaks look very sweet! Glad you found enough snow to have fun. 

Great that you could collect experiences! Haha... I'd be very reluctant to carry an ice axe... clumsy as I am, I'd expect me to rather stab myself than break any fall :happy:.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Neni,

It definitely feels different. The guys I ride with are all pretty experienced and they only used ice axes on that one descent. When it's strapped properly to your pack, it's pretty safe. You don't want it unless you need it, but when you need it (which is rare) you definitely want it..

If that makes sense.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

*day 4 continued*

crew on summit









Killclimbz dropping in









find the little black speck









looking up at top third of our line









about half way down









Killclimbz on bottom portion of face










looking back up before riding the gully out









parting shot


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

Awesome photo and descriptions. Sounds like a hairy and quite scary situation falling there, but you stopped yourself and corrected it pretty quickly.

Did everyone in the group use split-boards or did any hike up and use a regular board?


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Jcb890 said:


> Awesome photo and descriptions. Sounds like a hairy and quite scary situation falling there, but you stopped yourself and corrected it pretty quickly.
> 
> Did everyone in the group use split-boards or did any hike up and use a regular board?


Thanks, the fall was quite scary, especially when I wasn't able to stop it right away. 

we had one AT (Alpine Touring) skier on the fourth (last) day, but aside from that, everyone was on splitboards.
The first day, we booted up a couloir with boot crampons, so you could have used a solid board that day with no difference. The other days, having a splitboard (together with ski crampons) was key. I guess you could have maybe gotten away with snowshoes the last day, but the other days, you probably would have been left behind on the flat approaches without being able to skin into the route. The climbs themselves might have worked with certain types of snowshoes that have aggressive traction around the whole perimeter (like the MSR lightning ascent) perhaps, but those work better when you go straight up a steep slope. One thing we needed the ski crampons on was the climbs when we were traversing diagonally across steep firm slopes. Seems like the snowshoes would have been too wide for that- but maybe you could choose a different line up?

There is some personal choice in this, though. I know that I used the ski crampon mode to ascend at times when Killclimbz choose to go up with boot crampons and the board on his back. 

With split boards, we did not have to descend with snowshoes on our backs, so that is a benefit. Also, climbing in the wind without a solid snowboard on your back to act as a sail is another benefit.


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## Jcb890 (Dec 12, 2014)

deagol said:


> Thanks, the fall was quite scary, especially when I wasn't able to stop it right away.
> 
> we had one AT (Alpine Touring) skier on the fourth (last) day, but aside from that, everyone was on splitboards.
> The first day, we booted up a couloir with boot crampons, so you could have used a solid board that day with no difference. The other days, having a splitboard (together with ski crampons) was key. I guess you could have maybe gotten away with snowshoes the last day, but the other days, you probably would have been left behind on the flat approaches without being able to skin into the route. The climbs themselves might have worked with certain types of snowshoes that have aggressive traction around the whole perimeter (like the MSR lightning ascent) perhaps, but those work better when you go straight up a steep slope. One thing we needed the ski crampons on was the climbs when we were traversing diagonally across steep firm slopes. Seems like the snowshoes would have been too wide for that- but maybe you could choose a different line up?
> ...


Great info, thank you for the insight. Perhaps at some point I'll look into the whole split-board setup, but I'm not there yet.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

Finally (it's only been 6 months) put together a video showing the descent from Day 2..


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## killclimbz (Aug 10, 2007)

Why no music? 

That was probably the best run I did at the splitfest. It was just a glorious day.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

killclimbz said:


> Why no music?
> 
> That was probably the best run I did at the splitfest. It was just a glorious day.


Good question, I guess I half-a$$ed it.. 

I don't have the largest music collection, but maybe will look into it. 

That was probably the best run of the trip, though...

Great day.

Edit: OK, I found some music that fits time-wise. I don't have a huge collection, so "it is what it is.."

Replaced original vid with one with some music..


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

OK, here is day # 3 (this one has no sound). The peak was also a 13er and the weather, as you can see, has deteriorated..
On an unfamiliar board (the Furburg), could take some getting used to..


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

here is the video..


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## stickz (Feb 6, 2013)

On my phone I can't see any video.


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## deagol (Mar 26, 2014)

stickz said:


> On my phone I can't see any video.


Sorry, I can't help there..

I don't even have a smartphone myself. 
It does work for me on the Vimeo site.


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