Twin Falls to Pinner Couloir
Hyalite
WI3 ice climb, followed by steep and narrow couloir turns
Ski Touring Difficult
- Distance
- 12 km
- Ascent
- 1.1 km
- Descent
- 1.1 km
- Duration
- 5-6 hrs
- Low Point
- 2.1 km
- High Point
- 3.1 km
- Gradient
- 52˚
Epic little ice climb + ski tour link up in Hyalite Canyon, MT. High quality climbing and skiing.
- 3,700’ vertical
- WI3 ice climb up Twin Falls
- Steep & narrow turns down Pinner Couloir
- 7.5mi round trip
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Description
Start at the Hyalite Creek trailhead. Skin south, turning right after a ~mile to ascend toward Twin Falls. The switchbacks can be icy, so you might need to bootpack.
Climb Twin Falls, a WI3 route. 60m ropes should do the trick -- we used two half ropes. The right side is less steep / sustained than the middle.
Ditch gear on a tree above the falls and skin southwest to Pinner Couloir. A quick bootpack (hopefully no postholing). Hop turn and side-slip back down to the bowl, then ski back to the top of Twin Falls.
Rappel ~60m to the base and transition to ski / bushwhack / skate back to the trailhead. Tip: stick to the switchbacks if you want to avoid log hopping.
Full trip report: https://www.grizzliesandavalanches.com/hyalite-twin-falls-pinner-couloir/
Difficulty
Difficult
Serious gradient of 30-38 degrees where a real risk of slipping exists.
Best time to visit
Features
- Bowl
- Cliffs
- Couloir
- Tree Skiing
- Ski Mountaineering
Equipment required
- Rope
- Skins
- Ice axe
- Crampons