What is this blog?

Designed to be an unofficial guide to ski mountaineering in Canterbury, the idea of this blog is that anyone who has skied a peak or a couloir in the region can post photos and information here to inspire and inform others. If you have something to contribute, send photos and a description of the route to:

thecouloircollection@gmail.com

and we will post them up. We will also start a list of contributors so credit can be given where due. If everyone gets out into the backcountry and remembers to take photos, a guide of sorts will form.

To standardise the guide as much as possible we will grade any routes using the "D" system. Details of this system can be found at:

www.wildsnow.com

Routes will also be marked with a green line for the ascent and a red line for the descent.
This guide will only work if the regions skiers take time to contribute
and we are really keen to see what everyone is skiing so send us an email.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Temple Basin, Arthur's Pass National Park

Submitted by Grant Guise.

Lower Bills Basin/ Temple Tow

The following are the main couloirs that are accessed from "Temple Tow" (B & C) and from the low traverse from the top of "Down Hill Tow" (A, D, E, F, G & H) .




A- Crosscut -D6, I, R2
B- Upper Leap In- D6, I, R2
C- Lower Leap In- D5, I, R2
D, E, F Steve's Folly- D7, I, R2
G- Main Chute- D7, I, R2
H- Cassidy Chute- D6, I, R2
I have given these all a R2 rating, but of course in thin snow years and/or firm conditions this could go up.

Mt Temple
Main SW couloir D7, I, R2



Accessed from Down Hill basin, either traverse under Temple Buttress and climb directly up the SW couloir, or drop east over Temple Col and then travel north, gaining the ridge between Temple Buttress and Mt Temple near the top of the SW couloir.

Looking down off Mt Temple

The following video was taken in July of 2007 which was a very slim snow year. Thin snow cover and breakable crust was encountered.


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