Peak Argonaut: North East Couloir (with East Summit). 01/12/2025
My friend Ruslan and I climbed Peak Argonaut on Sunday January 12 2025. Icicle Creek road was pretty icy – surprise, surprise. Snowshoe track did not continue after Colchuck Lake trail junction and we were breaking trail further on Snow Lake trail. The short winter day was the main limiting factor for us. We wanted to avoid trail finding and bushwalk at night. We decided we want to make camp as far as we can get close to the route. We also planned to descend to Porcupine Creek and return through Colchuck Lake as most people do. That means we have to do carryover. Breaking trail in deep snow slowed us down. However alder bushes were not too much of a problem, because they were well covered by snowpack.
Peak Argonaur with North East Couloir to the left
We made camp at the beginning of an alder slide with a good view of the mountain. At dinner we discussed our options again. We had concerns that we will be too slow if breaking trail in deep snow and also carrying packs. If we are slow and spend too much time looking for rappels, we might end up spending another night somehere at Porcupine Creek. That is what we want to avoid. So, we reconsidered our plan and decided to go light and descend the couloir if conditions are good. If not, then bail. Next morning we started hiking at 5:20 and was at the couloir entrance at 7:20. The snow in the couloir was about knee deep. That made climbing not fast, but secure and we soloed all the couloir.
We did not climb the 5.6 arête on the right, but climbed to the top of the couloir and gained the notch. There we roped up and climbed the gully on the left side with couple of drytooling moves.
Alternative line, mentioned in other trip reports.
At the notch
The gully that we took.
Then we followed snowfield to the summit ridge. We were confused by mountain topography and took a line to the rock buttress on the left side of the snow saddle thinking that this was the summit. There we climbed 30 m pitch on a snow-filled right leaning cracks with often pretty poor right foot on rock slabs. At the top of the buttress we saw a true summit further to the west, but we were not disappointed, because the climbing was good and our summit was only slightly lower.
View on a true summit.
Colchuck Peak and Dragontail Peak.
At the top of the buttress we saw a true summit further to the west, but we were not disappointed, because the climbing was good and our summit was only slightly lower. Luckily for us we found rappel slings which we used. We left our own webbing at the top of thy gully for the second rappel and down-climbed the couloir.
Timing (+,- 20 minutes):
Saturday:
Gear: