Queen Elbow

This steep chute starts at the first (upper) Bear Pits gate. Access from the top of Chair 6, working the Powder Bowl ridge to the top of Bear Pits. Bear Pits is the steep section of terrain separating the Campbell side of Crystal from the rest of the mountain. Enter Bear Pits through one of the gates along either side. Once inside the gates, none of the numerous cliffs and other hazards are marked. This is experts-only terrain. Queen Elbow (aka Elbow) is one of the most challenging routes in Bear Pits. The opening is marked by the access gate and a fairly open steep face, which quickly disappears between two rocky buttresses. The chute narrows and turns, forcing you to straightline or make quick turns depending on snow level. Below this pinch point, the couloir opens to the right to Shot 3 or alternately you can work the steep trees below in a small area known as Jerry's Face, which is the difficult to access face between Elbow and Signline Right.