List of ski descents in North America

This is a list of ski descents in North America which are notable as first descents or otherwise.

It includes a number of ski descents covered in Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America, a book published by Capitol Peak Publishing in 2010. The book was edited by Chris Davenport, Art Burrows, and Penn Newhard, with significant contributions from mountaineers who skied many of the listed descents. Contributors included Jimmy Chin, Pete Costain, Lou Dawson, Kristoffer Erickson, Lorne Glick, Greg Hill, Andrew McLean, Hilaree O'Neill, Eric Pehota, Glen Plake, Kevin Quinn, Chic Scott, Lowell Skoog, Ptor Spricenieks, Mark Synnott, and Jon Walsh.^[1]

The list of 50 ski descents has become a challenge for some. Two mountaineers, at least, have worked ahead towards skiing all of these, but have made a point to call it folly, if they were to ignore safety considerations merely to bag another descent on the list.^[2] The corresponding term peak bagging, about quests to ascend all mountains in a defined set, is likewise pejorative.

Canada

Eastern Canada

Polar Star Couloir, Mount Beluga, Baffin Island

Columbia Mountains/Rockies

Mount Robson/Yuh Hai Has Kun, North Face, BC
Aemmer Couloir, Mount Temple, AB
Mount Columbia, Southeast Face, AB
Skyladder, Mount Andromeda, BC
Comstock Couloir, Mount Dawson, BC
Seven Steps to Paradise, Youngs Peak, BC
Rogers/Swiss Peaks, Uber Tour, BC
Rogers Pass to Bugaboos Traverse, BC

Canada Coast Mountains

Combatant Couloir, Mount Combatant
Mount Currie, Pencil and Central Couloirs
Joffre Peak, Northwest Face
Spearhead Traverse, Whistler

United States

Eastern U.S.

Tuckerman Ravine, Mount Washington, NH
Huntington Ravine, Mount Washington, NH

Colorado

Landry Line, Pyramid Peak
North Maroon Peak, North Face
Cross Couloir, Mount of the Holy Cross
Wilson Peak, Northeast Face
Silver Couloir, Buffalo Mountain

Utah

Mount Superior, South Face
Hypodermic Needle, Thunder Peak
Cold Fusion, Mount Timpanogos
Mount Tukuhnikivatz, La Sals

Wyoming

Ford-Stettner Couloir, Grand Teton
The Skillet, Mount Moran
East Face Glacier Route, Middle Teton

Idaho/Montana

The Sickle, Horstmann Peak, ID
Devil's Bedstead, North Face, ID
Castle Peak, South Face, ID
North Couloir, McGowan Peak, ID
Mount Stimson, Southwest Face, MT
The Patriarch, Glacier Peak, MT

California/Nevada

Mount Whitney, Mountaineer's Route, CA
Stair Steps Couloir, Mount Williamson, CA
Split Couloir, Split Mountain, CA
Bloody Couloir, Bloody Mountain, CA
Mount Shasta, Avalanche Gulch, CA
Terminal Cancer Couloir, Ruby Mountains, NV

Pacific Northwest

Northwest Route, Mount Shuksan, WA
Watson's Traverse, Mount Baker, WA
Fuhrer Finger, Mount Rainier, WA
Newton-Clark Headwall, Mount Hood, OR
Eldorado Peak, Eldorado Glacier, WA

Alaska

University Peak, South Face
Mira Face, Mount Saint Elias
Pontoon Peak, Southeast Ridge
The Sphinx, Southeast Ridge
The Ramp, Meteorite Mountain
Messner Couloir, Denali

Mexico

Pico de Orizaba, 3rd tallest mountain in North America, Veracruz/Puebla

References

^ Chris Davenport; Art Burrows; Penn Newhard, eds. (2010). Fifty Classic Ski Descents of North America. Capitol Peak Publishing.
^ Jag, Julie (2019-12-07). "Utah backcountry skier Noah Howell takes a crack at the 'Fifty Classic Descents of North America'". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on 2021-02-01. Retrieved 2021-02-01.