By: Christopher Logan
The classic “need to nail the perfect conditions” is always something that intrigues me, but let’s just say it’s nice when everything is in good condition. That was not necessarily the case for most objectives this season in the Selkirk mountains of British Columbia. Multiple mid winter rain events to the mountain top causing persistent weak layers, and a dramatically low snowpack, were making things difficult to ride and discouraging most thoughts of any bigger objectives in the local ranges. So I packed up and went north to Alaska for a couple months. It was time for a different adventure in a different location.
When the Alaskan tides changed and the sun had set on our basecamp under University Peak, it was time to head south. ‘Home’, I think I used to call it. At the moment I was traveling with an endurance runner and aspiring ski mountaineer, Mali Noyes. She had a layover in Golden for a week before heading home to SLC and was still looking to ski. Our mutual friend Matt Ruta was looking to go ski a line in the Purcells that hadn’t been repeated since its first ski descent by the late Trevor Sexsmith. Considering this was one of those lines requiring specific conditions it seemed like the current storm was dropping exactly what we were looking for. I say we go for it!
Logan scoping the approach from camp.
It didn’t take long for us to figure things out and conjure up a plan of attack. A quick last minute look at weather models and it was decided. Go in the evening prior, eat burritos, sleep in the truck or tent, alpine start, nail the weather window, ride the line, be back at the truck for noon. Simple enough. I just needed to unpack all of my gear and do laundry after our 2 month trip to Alaska: Sleds, skis, boards, tents and loads of various camping gear… then put away/repack 75% of it, simple enough. With a bit of good help and encouragement, anything is possible. Mali assisted with pleasure and we were on the road to pick Matt up at my usual 15 minutes tardiness. We were all stoked to go see what we could get ourselves into on this adventure.
After a few hours of driving and a casual backroad burrito, we pulled over at our camping spot and set up our sleeping quarters before dark. The road was clear of snow and rock fall – right to where it needed to be, what luck! We told motivational stories of our latest adventures while eating and hydrating: stoking and fueling ourselves for an early morning rise, the roughly 1,900m/6,200ft ascent, and a wild ride down! We decided on a 3am wakeup and loose 4:20am departure, a trick I learned from the great cartographer Uncle Dougy Sproule; if you keep things easy and positive, then it’ll usually end up that way!
The night was calm and quiet and I slept great. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the same for all the party members. The excitement of the unknown that awaited kept their minds in a whirl and fair enough!
Not only does this endeavor require specific snow conditions, the NW line off the Mt Farnham summit is big in statistics too. As the tallest peak in the range, it overlooks the Purcells and sits at a proud height of 3,493m/11,460ft. To complete this objective we must climb miles of convoluted and extremely exposed terrain that would keep even the best ski mountaineers on their toes. There is no straight up and down line on this one, a large rock band at the bottom needs to be navigated around by use of snow panels. As soon as you walk out onto the panel the clock starts ticking; the unforgiving no fall zone leaves you fully exposed, making you feel more alive and dialed than your hardest hitting flavor of the week. This amazing and inspiring place can teach you more about yourself in one minute than you’ve learned in most of your cumulative years, but it's a dangerous zone and more time spent here increases the risks of things going wrong, so pucker up and move your ass up the mountain!
The next crux of the line is crossing from the protected couloir to the more exposed face. The aspect can be unpredictable depending on wind and snowpack, and we needed to stay sharp, hoping to avoid any wind slabs. Then it's up the face and through a rock choke for some low grade mixed climbing, slightly more intense but definitely manageable, then back on snow to the summit. Should be easy after that; strap the snowboard on and ride back down the way we came up… At least that’s how we imagined it all going down.
Spring access in the Purcells, not a bad spot to call home for the night.
After finishing our breakfast and coffee it’s time to put that game plan into action! Shoes on our feet and headlamps guiding the way, we started up the drainage. Travel was easy enough, just regular walking uphill, and luckily the summer climbing trail was very well marked so we were making good time. We ascended to the snow line and then moved quickly out of the trees just in time to see the sun peak over the mountain tops, turned off our headlamps and enjoyed the warming glow of the sun. Continuing the climb on frozen and supportive snow until we started to break through, we ditched our shoes for ski boots and started skinning up to the base of the couloir.
Reaching snowline and it's almost time to switch to skis.
It was a short skin and we quickly switched to boot packing the choke of the sneak, working our way across a panel to the base of the couloir. Then up we went, farting out that burrito the whole way while looking for the best snow to bootpack and trying to visualize the sweetest lines to ride down.
As we're climbing we come up on a few stiff runnels from previous warmings and avalanche activity that hadn’t been completely covered up with fresh snow. Definitely want to avoid those as there can be solid ice chunks that are easy to lose an edge on, possibly getting bucked. No bueno in a no fall zone. Noted!
Mali takes a turn breaking trail as we work our way up the steep couloir.
Plan B: making our way to the face…the second sketchiest part of the climb! Nice lead Matt.
We take our turns leading the march up the couloir…wisely leaving a fragrant distance between us. We reached the part where we have to transition from the couloir to the face. Our first plan was to take a higher sneak across but the panel was on slab and would be much riskier than taking the lower route. So we took the safer route. Here, Matt led and we were quickly climbing up the face to the rock choke for some mixed climbing. I take lead for this section and clear snow from the rock exposing our options for holds. We regroup on the snow patch above. Stoked to be through the most technical section of the climb.
We got through the final crux in no time and made it to the summit, the ascent taking us around 7 hours from creek to peak. Being fully socked in we enjoyed the lack of views and lots of “had to be there” jokes. There was no registry to be found, or sign of any other skiers being up there since Trevor’s 2016 first descent.
Mali and Logan cresting the spine separating the North Face and summit from the couloir.
Mali descends from the face to meet Logan at the entrance of the couloir.
It was now time to ski this ridiculously cool line. Riding off the summit through a couple of complex little rock chokes and traversing around to the couloir entrance was simple enough. The snow was good, we just had to watch for rocks in the whiteout conditions (there will definitely be some extra board maintenance required post descent). Now into the couloir and it’s just good old fashioned stiff snow and fun shredding. No rocks, just classic north facing spring couloir conditions! We ski down to the shoes we had stashed at the snowline, made a quick transition and we're on the trail cruising back to the truck. We celebrate our success with high fives and hugs, followed up by Cody’s canned oysters and Taylor’s ritz crackers, washing it all down with creek chilled beer. Lots to celebrate: Matt’s one beer a year, a first snowboard descent, and a second ever ski descent. 10hrs, 2000m climbed, and 13km traveled. Pretty sweet!
Mali skis down to regroup with us at the base of the couloir.
Mount Farham north couloir and summit.
Working our way through the blow down. Almost back to the truck!
We packed up the truck, put it in gear, and we’re off. Within minutes both my passengers fall asleep on the bumpy yet soothing dirt road. I amuse myself by watching their unconscious faces wide mouthed and drooling. Loud abrupt snores to indicate the depth of their retreat into sleep… I look around, eyeing up the endless possibilities of lines to be skied and mountains to be summited. Mind surfing their intricate white faces covering rock and ice… and, ahh, another journey starts.
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Author Notes
Christopher Logan
Mt Farnham NW, 1st Snowboard Descent, May 20, 2024
Gear Notes
- Strafe Nomad Jacket, Nomad Bibs and M's Aero Insulator
- Chimera Scepter Guide Series 158
- Hyperlite Crux Pack
- Spark R&D Bindings
- Petzl Gullies
- Irvis Hybrid Crampons