tuckerman 101

[climbbd510]

Anyone have a shot of tuckerman ravine with the different parts labeled (right gully, sluice, etc...)?? Or can you describe what they are? Also, anyone know about how steep each of these different parts are? My first time at tuck's was last Easter, and I skied what I believe was the right gully. I'd just like to know the ravine much better for the next times I go up. Any help is appreciated!

[skicdave]

http://timefortuckerman.com/gifs/TuckermanSkiRoutes1.jpg

1 - Left Gulley
2 - Chute Variation South
3 - The Chute
4 - Chute Variation North
5 - Center Gully South
6 - Center Gully North
7 - The Icefall
8 - The Lip
9 - The Sluice (Lobster Claw)
10 - Right Gully (Lion Head Gully 1 2 & 3 further over)

Easier routes are Left Gully, Right Gully (and Hillmans over and south of the bowl) from my experience.

The cornice at the top of Left Gulley has been measured at 55 degrees.

Middle routes are steeper reaching 40-50+ degrees at their steeper sections. Most routes get steep the higher you go with the sever pitches just below the lip of the headwall.

Certainly the Icefall is the steepest and usually involves some airtime, at least in the spring.

The Lip and Sluice are very steep up higher. The Lip averages 40-45 degrees.

The Chute is very intimidating from the top in the spring since it narrows with ugly looking rock walls on either side.

Dodges Drop which is located to the left looking up at Hillmans Highway is apparently over 50 degrees. Hillmans Highway is most consistent I found and is probably in the neighbourhood of 40 degrees.

Then again it all depends on the winter, as well as what time you go. Certainly later in the springs some sections get real steep (like near vertical) as the snow recedes.

I'm sure others will have some great comments on relative pitch etc.

[<enzo>]

Steepness will depend a ton on snow depth. Early enough in the year, when (if) depths are enough to totally cover Lunch Rocks, The Lip will extend unbroken all the way from Left Gulley to Right Gulley, with the first 50 feet or so coming down from The Lip averaging 70 degrees or more. :eek:

Can you say "Bring a parachute"? ;)

[SherpaKroto]

Dave, hello again! Love the pic. One additional piece of info. I've always called the Lion Head gully by one of 3 names: "Right Right Gully", "Wrong Right Gully" or "Lobster Claw". It looks benign from the bottom, but it is VERY steep up top. You see your first 3 turns, and then it falls off. Don't know the degrees, but it is steep.

Interesting factoid: skiing Tuck's will typically give you a 1500-1600 VERTICAL feet per minute rate of descent. :eek: Think about that!

-SherpaK

[notjustanotherboarder]

Is that the speed rate when you're still upright or when you're tumbling down head over heels?? :)

BTW, I call it Right-right gully.

[targheehucker]

Dave-
Like the map, sweet graphics, but I think a couple runs are mislabeled... What you have as right right gulley is actually right gully (right right cant be seen with that shot angle) and what you have as right gully is sluice/lobster claw. sluice is actually the name for one of the variations of lobster claw... Ill send you guys that cool ass "official" airphoto of the routes of tuckerman ravine when i get a chance...

peace...

PS there is no such thing as a 70 degree snow run... snow will only hold on 60 degrees. Barring cliff hucking routes, the steepest pitch at tucks is left gully cornice at 55' and dodges drop sustained at 50'

[skicdave]

Thanks Targheehucker,

Yes at closer look I had the map miss labelled. I've re-editted it (see above).

As well both Tuckerman and Hillman's routes are now illustrated on the new Routes of Tuckerman Ravine (http://timefortuckerman.com/routes.html) page.

[<Jerm>]

Lobster Claw and Sluice are two seperate runs. Sluice comes down to skiers right of the big cliff above lunch rocks (where you have it labeled) between right gully and the Lip area. Lobster Claw is the next pair of gullys to climbers right of Right Gully (out of view) that form a sort of claw shape. Beyond that I've heard of the next few gullies called right right right or Lion Head Gullies 1,2.... I think there is a rarely filled in line over there called Connection Gully, but I've always thought of the streambed from the Bowl to the Little Headwall as "the Connection" so who knows. You need to consult Brad Ray or Brooks Dodge to really get all of them right.

Also, just fyi, you left out Empress (right of Duchess, on the edge of the pic) and Diagonal (between Dodge's and Cathedral) in the Boott Spur picture.