After spending the winter of 2021-2022 out in Kamloops being hella broke, I didn't have much opportunity to make it out to Rogers Pass or really anywhere to get into steeps. So, I was stoked to have a week in April to go ski with my usual ski partner Bryan to tackle some of the best Rockies has to offer. We started out the week in Cobra Couloir, under the legendary North face of Mt Temple. I'd always heard good things about this line and obviously the location and position of the line put it quite high on my list.
With good snow conditions I was super stoked and a bit nervous as it was my first line of the season and spending most of the season on skis as a patroller at Sun Peaks I hadn't put too much time in on my splitboard yet. We did the drag of an approach to Paradise Valley from the gates at the start of Moraine Lake Road and finally as we dropped down to Lake Anette we could start seeing the line, sitting deep within the walls of Mt Temple we couldn't quite see the line until we got to the base of the line. On the fan below the line the snow was a bit wind affected. Don't get me wrong I was a bit nervous about this line since I heard a few things about some pretty big sluff coming down, quite a bit of overhead hazard (probably like 1000m worth of it actually) and actually one of the first things that come up when you google the line is how somebody fell down it and got rescued.
Cobra couloir is the gully on the furthest right, the one in the centre I believe is Dolphin.
I don't think Cobra couloir is ridiculously steep in the grand scheme of things but probably close to 45 degrees at its steepest point and average maybe around 40 degrees?
As we transitioned to boot packing the snow quality improved quickly, the nerves were still there but my stoke was really starting to fire up. I was excited. With Bryan, Logan and I we made relatively quick work of the boot pack, with a slight bend in the line you could't quite see the top of the line but as we rounded the corner it was actually a bit closer then expected. We transitioned, Logan dropped in first after making a few cautious turns opening up a bit saying the snow quality is excellent. I stood there, the feeling in your stomach, butterflies, mix of nerve, excitement and a bit of adrenaline. There's something about that first turn that I can't explain. It's such a nervous feeling but it also feels so good as you feel your boards edge sink into the snow, knees absorbing as you finish the turn, then it clicks, its good to go. As I link together some turns the nervousness completely dissipates as I flow my way down the couloir. I'm no freerider, my turns are still cautious but it feels amazing to be back. Oh how I've missed this feeling.
