North America, United States, Idaho, Peak 11, 308', White Line Couloir

Publication Year: 2004.

Peak 11, 308', White Line Couloir. In May, Travis Michaelis, Abe Dickerson, and I made the first complete ascent of the 1,200-foot White Line Couloir, on Peak 11,308' (2.3 miles sou:hwest of Borah Peak, in the Lost River Range). I previously climbed just the couloir in 1996 but due to avalanche conditions I descended without reaching the summit. The southwest face of 11,308' is a complex series of towers and couloirs. The White Line ascends the leftmost couloir on this face. The route starts in a chimney on the left edge of the couloir, thus avoiding a large chockstone, before entering the couloir proper. Once in the couloir, 50° snow with short sections of 60° water ice wind upward for 700'. At this point the couloir cuts left and a steep chimney in the left wall is climbed for a ropelength. This pitch is the crux (M5 WI4+). Continue up the narrow couloir for two more pitches of enjoyable mixed climbing until the top of the ridge is reached. Pass underneath the chockstone and descend 100 feet into the west face bowl. About 800 feet of snow climbing on the extreme right edge of the bowl reaches the summit. We then descended one of the many south couloirs. Travis and Abe confirmed both the difficulty and aesthetics of the route, calling it a sure classic. Ten hours round trip from Whiskey Springs.

Dean Lords