Coveting Couloirs

Wikipedia defines Couloir (from the French word meaning "passage" or "corridor,") as a narrow gully with a steep gradient in mountainous terrain. A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissure, or vertical crevasse in an otherwise solid mountain mass…often hemmed-in by sheer cliff walls.

There is something really special about skiing a couloir.

It’s the general nature of these formations that seems to appeal to backcountry skiers. Like the perfect barrel is to a big wave surfer, so is the pure, aesthetic line of a couloir to the backcountry skier.

Due to their location in bigger mountains, couloirs often require travel into more remote areas, with less people, surrounded by stunning views. Then, there’s the skiing itself. Couloirs often hold more snow and are more protected from the wind and other elements thereby making them ideal options for fresh, untracked powder conditions.

Another alluring feature is the defining, towering rock walls that give structure to the couloir routes. And, like snowflakes, there are no two couloirs exactly alike. Once the skier enters within the walls, the variance in the color, rock type, and formations can be stunningly beautiful and awe-inspiring. There is the excitement of dropping into the steep varying pitches, the beauty of the arched curve or jagged definition of its angles as the rock corridor leads straight, left, or right, and the solid pump of adrenaline that keeps focus and clarity in each precision-based hop-turn.

The skier is committed to its flow and tested in its confines. And, while skiing it, the skier is alone and feels a truly immeasurable peace and solitude. It’s a soul experience, reserved solely for those who love to get deeper into the mountains and to tackle these objectives—which often come with significant risk and exposure to cliff bands, avalanches, and rock fall. Once within the hallway the skier is often bound to the line with no room for error, which results in total concentration and a silent commitment-infused energy, leaving behind clouded thoughts with each passing turn.

Living in the San Juan Mountains of Colorado, there are few better places to feed the need to explore further and deeper and into more pristine environments. Below are a few photos from some of my personal forays into the San Juan Mecca of couloir skiing.

And, lastly, mountain partners are always more important than the actual objective. So, when it comes to couloir skiing in my backyard, known to hold some of the most dangerous avalanche conditions and snowpack in the country, I prefer to go with wise, snow-educated, calm, and fun folks that have truly solid backcountry skills and finely tuned assessment capabilities. Ego gets checked at the door and it is all about being safe, making good decisions, communicating, and having fun with great friends in beautiful places which you get to on your own two feet.