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The South Face of Hallett Peak (12,713') is arguably one of the best ski descents in Rocky Mountain National Park.
south face Hallett peak
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Starting from the Bear Lake trailhead, a loop tour up Flattop Mountain, across the Divide and to the top of Hallett Peak and then down the magnificent south face, through Chaos Canyon and along the creek bed to reconnect with the trail back to Bear Lake. This is a great springtime ski tour and under ideal conditions, an early winter tour in lower avalanche danger conditions.
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Length: Approx. 2600' vertical from 12.7K to 10.1k - (Lk. Haiyaha)
Avg. Angle: 40
Steepest Angle: 45
Technicality: Generally 2nd class when in skiable shape- no ropes needed.
Avg Tour Length: 4-7 hrs. car to car
Typical Avi Danger: Some D1 sloughs during and after storms. These slopes can have serious soft slab potential in the upper layers during and after storms and in the spring, cornice collapses adjacent to the descent are the most common hazards.
Debris from large cornice collapses are very common at the base of the headwall slope on this south face and caution should be paid to the western side of these upper slopes.
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An overview of the Chaos Canyon and South Face of Hallett Peak with the two summit descent options on the west end (left) and the Chaos Couloir aka Elevator Shaft above Lake Haiyaha (blue line on the right).
(Click on image to enlarge)
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Dropping into the Hallett headwall in November of 2002.
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Approaching the South Face of Hallett is typically done by skiing up Flattop Mountain, ideally all the way to the top of Hallett without removing ski's. A traverse onto the summit south face may be necessary to link-up the snow. The ski descent typically starts directly from the summit on a dog-leg line southeasterly to reach the canyon bottom 2,000' below.
Skinning directly up the South Face by accessing it from the canyon bottom is a viable option and although it might require a little bit more effort (and uphill skinning skill and likely ski crampons), it can be a great way to get to know the intricacies of this canyon.
The Chaos Canyon is one of the most prized destinations for serious climbers who covet the boulders littered throughout this aptly named gorge. Finding enough snow to navigate around these house sized rocks can be the crux of any tour.
I generally prefer the top down approach on this descent as it is much easier skin up Flattop and makes for a nice loop over the east ridge of Hallett to the Dream Chutes or via Chaos Creek for the exit.
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(Click on images to enlarge)
 
(LEFT) Near the summit of Flattop Mountain with the summit of Hallett Peak visible in the distance. (RIGHT) Looking southwest from the summit of Hallett towards the Winter Park ski area.
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(LEFT) The slopes guarded by east-facing cornices - no place to linger on a warm day or when there is a significant slab danger. (RIGHT) The lower slopes into the upper Chaos Canyon offer a few different options depending on snow conditions and coverage in this part of the canyon.
Typically, the far (south) side of the canyon will want to be reached by traversing high in the canyon to hook-up with the best snow covered runs (north-facing) down to Lake Haiyaha.
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On a Thanksgiving tour finding good coverage on the far western side of the lower headwall slopes. The south ridge above will have cornices (some of the biggest in RMNP) guarding the crest as the winter progresses.
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Contact ClimbingLife Guides for more information about guided ski descents and backcountry skiing in the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park at:
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or phone us at 970.744.4898
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