Mt. Abel, North Couloir

Backcountry Skiing Route

Details
0.97 mi
1,600 ft
A fantastic half day and accessible ski mountaineering loop

From the either the Tasmin Saddle Hut or the Kelman Hut, it is possible to make a very nice roundtrip by traversing Mt. Abel and skiing its attractive North Couloir. This is a good half day route and a quick hit from the Kelman Hut. The North Couloir provides 300 meters vertical of 40-45 degree skiing and can either be climbed or skied onsight in a round trip. Don’t forget since it’s in the Southern Hemisphere and faces north, this line gets a lot of direct sun and can be a good option for finding transformed spring snow if timed right.

The best way to ski this line is via a loop and by skinning up the north-west side of Mt. Abel until under a very narrow 50 degree couloir. Change to crampons and climb up this couloir (two ice axes might be helpful for short and easy ice steps) and onto a beautiful ridgeline leading to the summit of Mt. Abel. While this ridgeline is not technical, it is quite exposed and it may be prudent to put on a rope briefly. Although its not a major peak in itself, this summit provides a fantastic panorama of the surrounding area. Down climb the easy ridge a short ways in a north-easterly direction until above the couloir which is more of a large ramp trending skier’s left.

After exiting the couloir it is necessary to skin back up around a 100 meters vertical to the scenic Tasmin Saddle col which separates two major glacial basins, the Tasmin and the Murchison.
Written by Thomas Grant
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