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Thread: Conundrum Peak TR with Snowboard descent

  1. #1
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    Conundrum Peak TR with Snowboard descent

    My friend Scott and I drove to Aspen Early Saturday morning to scale Conundrum via the Conundrum Couloir route and board down. We hiked in 4 miles, and set up camp at 12,800 ft. Then we went boarding on the lower Montezuma snowfield. After a cold night we climbed back up the snowfield, scaled the couloir and toped out on the summit at 14,060 ft. Then boarded down all the way back to camp.

    Hiking in
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...0Conundrum.JPG

    Conundrum and Our boarding route
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ute%20down.JPG

    Boarding route down and cutting hard
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...%20cutting.JPG


    Our Campsite
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...20tent%7E0.JPG

    Sunrise Sunday morning
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...unrise%7E0.JPG

    Me climbing up the Conundrum Couloir
    http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...tid=3071&stc=1

    Scott following me up in the couloir
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...%20couloir.JPG

    Me on Conundrum's Summit at 14,060 ft with the Maroon Bells, Snowmass, Capitol and Pyramid in the background
    http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...tid=3072&stc=1

    Me about to board down the top of the couloir. The top was so steep we had to self arrest down the first 50 feet of the near vertical wall
    http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...tid=3070&stc=1

    Scott boarding down the couloir (see the huge cornice and vertical wall at the top)
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...%20couloir.JPG

    And a bunch more boarding pics
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...ow%20field.JPG
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...w%20field1.JPG
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...up%20close.JPG
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...0in%20back.JPG

    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...20ourlines.JPG
    Castle Peak from inside the couloir
    http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...tid=3073&stc=1

    So what is worth more, the gear in the jeep or the jeep
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...Our%20gear.JPG
    Last edited by Mountain Freak; 11-10-2004 at 10:37 AM.
    Living the good life.

  2. #2
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    Looks pretty sweet, but can you use the link for the larger photos?

    Like this.........
    http://www.tetongravity.com/usergall...rumCouloir.JPG

  3. #3
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    Sep 2002
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    Good trip. I haven't been up any peaks lately and am getting ansy.
    My Montana has an East Infection

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mountainman
    Good trip. I haven't been up any peaks lately and am getting ansy.

    Yeah, me too. It's been less than a weak and I've got the shakes and full on withdrawal symptoms.

    M-man: We have got to nail some shizz in the tetons this year.

  5. #5
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    Thanks, I fixed the pics... Sorry I do not have superior posting skills.
    Living the good life.

  6. #6
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    Feb 2004
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    Very nice. The snow in the couloir looked pretty decent!

  7. #7
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    Oct 2003
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    CO
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    Nice pics. Love the sunrise shot. Castle looks skiable from the summit right now. Were there many people skiing around zuma basin? How is the access road in there right now?

  8. #8
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    We were only able to go a little ways up the road. Castle is definately skiable, we saw 2 guys skin up and tele down, but they are getting pounded with snow now and for the next few days.
    Living the good life.

  9. #9
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    Oct 2002
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    Awesome. That was my playground for years, and still is for a lot of my buddies (i.e. skideeppow). We always skied Conundrum Couloir in the spring - it definitely fills in a lot more by then.

    What do you mean self arrest for the first fifty feet? Did you lie on your stomach and slide down with two ice axes? interesting.

    Thanks for sharing the TR.
    "When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible."
    Mohandas Gandhi

  10. #10
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    Yeah, I had my board on trying to bite in the snow and layed down on my axes... it was interesting to say the least.
    Living the good life.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mountain Freak
    Castle is definately skiable, we saw 2 guys skin up and tele down
    ...from the true summit, or the upper snowfield? Looks pretty boney still from the true summit.
    "When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible."
    Mohandas Gandhi

  12. #12
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    ...from the true summit, or the upper snowfield? Looks pretty boney still from the true summit.
    From the snowfield. They took the skis off when they reached the top of the ridge.
    Living the good life.

  13. #13
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    Apr 2004
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    1,833

    WTF?

    Dude, you're killing me with those stance angles.
    http://tetongravity.com/forums/attac...tid=3070&stc=1

    Have you ever tried 30* 15* ? Just say NO to toe drag on steeps.

  14. #14
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    Point taken.
    Living the good life.

  15. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mountain Freak
    Thanks, I fixed the pics... Sorry I do not have superior posting skills.

    Thanks, much better for the presbyopic eyes.

    Some sweet peaks around there. Drooling.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Jun 2004
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    Thumbs up

    Hells YEAH!

    Nice TR mountain freak!

    Very inspiring. What type of boots are you using and can you comment how their descent performance is compared to a traditional boot/binding set up? They look pretty short, any issues with the highbacks? How well does the sole of the boot sit on the baseplate? I’ve been thinking of trying a similar set-up for the added climbing benefits the boots provide. Any insight is greatly appreciated.

  17. #17
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    What type of boots are you using and can you comment how their descent performance is compared to a traditional boot/binding set up?
    The boots are Koflach Arctic Expes. I bought them last year for some of our winter climbing trips (they are rated to -70). I thought that I'd try them on a board and they actually work really well. I didn't want to carry extra boots, and the sole sits pretty well on the base plate. It isn't perfect, but it gets the job done, and I haven't noticed any sliding within the bindings.

    The benefit of being able to climb in a mountaineering boot and fitting them to the snowboard more than out weighs the unperfect fit.
    And I really need to get a splitboard. Where did you get your at (is it a Voile?).
    Living the good life.

  18. #18
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    w00t!



    678910
    thats new hampshire as fuck


    We ain't eager to be legal, so please leave me with the keys to your Jeep Eagle.

  19. #19
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    So no issues with the short cuff and the highback digging in? Do you have the same power and control as with a normal set up?

    I use a Burton split.

    I like the interface system even though it isn’t as light and durable as Voile. The board itself is great. It has a nice shape and compromise between sidecut and effective edge to be a very versatile board. From powder to hardpack.

    What size board are you looking for?

  20. #20
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    Bang!

    Nice TR!
    I have never been good with facts.

  21. #21
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    It has a nice shape and compromise between sidecut and effective edge to be a very versatile board. From powder to hardpack.
    Does it have the clip in boots or bindings? I'm not sure exactly the size yet... I still have to look around to figure that out.
    Living the good life.

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mountain Freak
    Yeah, I had my board on trying to bite in the snow and layed down on my axes... it was interesting to say the least.
    defitnely sounds interesting.. made me pucker a bit just reading it

  23. #23
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    Oct 2003
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    Nice, I did the same route a month or two ago :

    http://tetongravity.com/forums/showt...ight=conundrum

    Real quick but fun.

  24. #24
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    Your report was a big reason that we chose Conundrum. Thanks man.
    Living the good life.

  25. #25
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    Ahhhh, my old stomping grounds, except the other side of the Elks. Only question in that area is how sick do you want to get. To this day, only one person has skied the east face of Pyramid and only one has skied anything from the top of Capital. Still just hundreds of first descents left on the dozens and dozens of 13'ers in that area. I heart CO!!
    The older I get, the better I was.

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