"He knows the Wasatch about as well as anyone after skiing all 91 lines in "The Chuting Gallery" and more. When we finally got eyes on the line, it looked OK. The glide cracks were clear, the main one had already released and it appeared that we could avoid its wrathful path nearly the entire climb and ski. We decided to keep moving."
"Glide cracks are incredibly unpredictable and can go at nearly anytime although heat and water under the slab does seem to be a factor. Glide cracks are scary because they slide to the ground and run for long distances with massive inertia. Spooked we were, but Juan kept finding creative ways around the glides and inched along. Above the glide crack danger, we felt more at ease and topped out after 5 hours and 15 minutes of climbing."
3:30 am start led to a long drive and a 5:15 am hike with local guide Juan Bakers to ski Glide Crack Gully. Early observations showed cleared glide cracks and a main release that could largely be avoided, so the team continued. Mini snow shoes aided a 5 hour 15 minute ascent that included cruxes and a massive glide crack in the chute, creating significant unpredictability and fear. Creative route-finding avoided glides, leading to a summit with intense views of Salt Lake City and the Great Salt Lake. The descent featured wildly variable snow—soft, hard, and marginal—after 4,500+ vertical feet, leaving the skier exhausted with cramping calves.
Read at SnowBrains
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