The FIFTY - 41/50 - "One of the Worst Places on the Planet"
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- Опубликовано: 6 фев 2025
- Nestled at the base of the highest mountain entirely in BC, Canada-- Mt. Waddington-- lies a perfect couloir. A white ribbon knifed through colossal granite towers set among an ocean of ice and snow. While Mt. Waddington is a prize for mountaineers, the Combatant Couloir is a prize for ski mountaineers. But what if the mountains, the ice and the permanent snow has changed so much, that exactly what defines the Combatant as perfect, is no longer true? Joined by professional freeskier Nick McNutt, the FIFTY crew heads up to one of the stormiest, windiest and what local legend Mike King describes as "One of the worst places on the planet" to ski a line that looks classic, but may not be classic anymore.
Co-Starring: Nick McNutt
Cinematography by: Bjarne Salen
Photography by: Bjarne Salen
Editing by: Lou Currie
VFX Maps by: Blair Richmond
Music from: Artlist.io License 4023308
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ROUTE Info:
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WEATHER:
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GEAR Used in Episode:
Salomon QST 106: alnk.to/6bRkaUX
Salomon MTN Binding: alnk.to/dLdUm1C
Salomon Carbon S3 Poles: alnk.to/87VEXX0
Yeti Rambler 20oz: alnk.to/gzS237q
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Hyperlite Porter 5400: bit.ly/3XJVCHC
Smith Summit Helmet: alnk.to/ehYjxBD
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Smith Pursuit Glacier Glasses: alnk.to/7M6hfmL
Smith Squad Mag: alnk.to/hDmzW2F
LeBent Cody Pro Sock: alnk.to/cHJmtdU
LeBent Base Layer: alnk.to/58mMi9D
Arcade Capture Belt: alnk.to/4MxozAr
Mammut Carbon Probe 280: alnk.to/cHJmtfT
Mammut Alugator Pro Light: alnk.to/8iQpWSn
Mammut Barryvox S: alnk.to/2uDpzVA
Pomoca Free Pro 2.0: alnk.to/aeUKJS9
Thule Duffle: alnk.to/9IatNqU
Thule Ski Bag: alnk.to/gKMN24C
Hestra Falt Guide Glove:
Hestra Overmitt:
Hestra Merino Touchpoint Liners:
Honey Stinger Energy: bit.ly/3sPpX9g
Strainge Beast Kombucha: bit.ly/3sK6vLj
TinCup Whiskey: bit.ly/3FvbSpb
What a great nod to Hilaree. Some random dude remembers her from years ago. Just speaks to who she was and the impact she had. RIP.
Mike King has flown a lot of great climbers and skiers . He's not exactly random.
It is great, I just wish he had not called her a girl, no man of that age and ability is ever called a boy.
Oh JFC millennial much?
Everybody knows that Waddington is the most badass mountain range in the world and Mike King is the heli wizard who makes your dreams come true!
@Scott Pratico Mike King, hahaha... so NOT a random dude.
Really nice memory of Hilaree shared by the pilot.
seems like he doesn't know...
@@janbuchta6593this was filmed in May
Enjoying all the love for Hilaree. It truly shows the impact she had and is still having on so many of us. xx
I don't think anyone can say that this doesn't count. You skied what is now the new Combatant couloir. Great video and a really nice homage to Hilaree.
Hilaree is a legend... She casually skied past me a few days before her death. I was descending from C2 on Manaslu having already spent 3 days in C3 and my body was shattered. She'd spent more time on the mountain (and even higher up) than me at the time, yet she was skiing down with a huge smile on her face the whole time. Last thing she ever said to me was when I asked her how she was able to do it. She said "You have to passionate, I love this you know", strapped her skis back on and skied her way into (and half way through) C1.
The scale of the walls on either side is truly amazing
Great video and great work getting up there and safely back! I work with Mike studying the ice at Combatant Col, drilling ice cores. I think there's been a rock step at the top of the couloir since I've been going there on and off back to 2010 or so. That said, it was high 60s F at nearby Plummer Hut for several days during the summer 2021 heatwave, so everything took a hit. With Mike's help, we'll try to drill an ice core to bedrock at the Col summer 2023, which should tell us how the climate up there has changed some.
There has been a rock step for sure, but from old pictures, it looks to be above the choke. In the choke the rocks we found were very glacier polished, blocky and barely frozen in...which is signs of recent exposure. From talking to old legends and more experienced mountaineers that myself, snow can stick and pile up above easier with the neve. My belief is the neve has receded enough in the choke, that the snow isn't stacking up to those upper reaches of top of the couloir like it may have once done. I do think with some miracle June snowstorms, it may be doable, but I think the window for doable conditions is shrinking. But it's awesome to have you chiming in and I'm really curious to what you guys find this upcoming summer.
@@CodyTownsend no disrespect to your awesome efforts and sharing about the place! I certainly can't claim to have been up the couloir! I've only played around below the bergschrund and drilled cores. 🙏❄✌
Great video as usual. Bjarnes really did a great job to display the beauty and magnitude of such a place.
Really show the need for initiative like POW.
Awesome to hear the conversation that many of us have surely had around ski or general objectives in the mountains. Think what most would call that is maturity and evolution of both the line and you as a person Cody. Congrats on 41!
Hi Mickey! The RUclips algorithm lead me from your great channel to Cody’s. Immensely enjoyable content from both channels!
@@bradbuss9753we don’t belong on the same playing field but appreciate the kind words, Cody is the man 🐐
@@TheVirtualsherpa you two are both inspirations in the outside community. Cody pushes me into the back country and you push me to find great treks and climbs
@themosswillreclaimall8098 Appreciate it 🙏
Wow it's pretty shocking to see the snow drying up in the deep mountains of BC illustrated in such a clear way.
these episodes are just getting better and better
I think it was in the Joffre Peak video but there is a real sense of tragedy in that several of these lines (this one, Joffre peak, and the Mt. Baker traverse) that are starting to fall under the category of "Last descents." Obviously many of these lines are rarely skied regardless and the palpable accomplishment in these videos is truly fantastic but it's odd to think that this may be it for some of the lines.
True, but what often doesn't get mentioned is that for every line lost, there is a new one that is being formed somewhere else. A lot of people will blame climate change without considering that weather and snow packs are always in a constant state of change.
@@ADAMJWAITE this!!! cant teach people common sense
@@ADAMJWAITE I mean with the state of global snowpack's the ratio of lines being opened vs closed forever leans very very far to the latter. very few glaciers are gaining mass most are receding and deteriorating at record speed thanks to human impacts so I don't think this is really an argument in good faith.
@@danieljay8009 After the younger Dryas cooling event 12000 years ago the earth went through a geological overnight, 15-20⁰ warming event. We aren't helping much but the world is not warming strictly because of humans. We're well under natural variations of climate change the earth has gone through countless times the last 4 billion years.
@johnkimball3106 cool false naritive bro. Your right, the planet does go through cycles but this is undeniably human caused and far more extreme than any natural events from the past.
RIP Hilaree
so excited it’s Townsin Time that i almost McNutted
That shot at 15:20 👌 Well done Bjarne!
Cody, you are hard core man, there was some sketchy ice sections in there, Way to go man !!!
BJARNE IS THE GOAT!!
Anytime safety is chosen over risk, it’s a win in my book! What a cool trip!
So many lines that can't be skied anymore due to Neve meltout. looks like you got lucky with the flying condi's there though. Good quality content as ever guys. Bravo!
Yup, so apparent in Canada and Europe. Sucks.
Your videos are national geographic level quality. One of the most challenging places in BC you picked. Great stuff.
Wake up babe new Townsend vid dropped
"Fresh snow! Down low! This winter just won't let go!" - gotta make that a meme!
We were yelling at the screen " What are going to do? Cimb, rappel and then put your skis on?" You skied it. Zero doubt. ✔️41
And that's why I always buckle up my boots at the beginning of a steep climb. No guarantee that you will have a spot at "the top" to bend over and crank on a buckle. Super sad to watch the deterioration of a classic line during our lifetime. As always, Cody - you're a badass.
My two favorite Canadian skiers in the same video, excellent!!!
First Central, now this... sad to see how lines are drastically changing and disappearing before our eyes, and yet some people are adamant that the change isn't real or happening.
41/50! Been watching since the beginning, keeps the mountain hunger alive! Almost there.
That Hilaree Nelson ski was in Warren Miller's "Cold Fusion" which majorly impacted teenage me to move west! Funny to think the helicopter pilot vaguely remembers her, while I can picture that whole segment in my head.
Wild to see how the lines are changing. Feels that way in the PNW when reading guidebooks, looking at photos, then getting up to a line that just doesn't square up with the beta anymore. But I'm not sure if it's a micro or macro trend in some cases: or maybe the window is changing. Maybe instead of "first known ascent/descents", "last descents" will become a thing.
Such a big mountain and legends tied to it. Thanks for sharing
I've been watching your whole series. This one hit timely. As you may know, floods just destroyed dozens of hot springs in the west. In 2016, I walked from Santa Barbara to Canada and visited 100 hot springs in 100 days then published a guidebook for the route. Nowadays, people are making plans to hike but unfortunately, wildfires have been as bad as floods and so much of the route I walked is no longer good trail. Your journey is a testament to the rarity of good conditions in the mountains. The rocks may remain, but the route that once lived has died. Glad you made it out safe, that's what matters most.
Mark Synnott shoutout. New Hampshire legend.
I've been reading climbing guides about this area for like 15 years. Don't know if I'll ever make it up there. But this video makes it seem possible. Having time has always been the issue. I don't know about being able to climb the couloir but I could def ski it. That looked amazing.
I'm really enjoying your series, thank u for sharing. Truly amazingly beautiful scenery. Stay safe out there. Definitely will keep watching your channel
Nice surge mission! Another great video and another one bagged!
Short and sweet.
And a classic case of a “worst place” being far better than the “best office”.
i admire your commitment to this project. each video is appreciated.
So nice of you
"Nev", lol.
A lot of lines I dropped in the 90s on Canadian Rockies north faces are not drop-able any more. What were once solid snow and ice routes that you could rocket down on a Snowboard (or skis I guess ;) ) are rock faces now. It's kind of sad, but it reinvents the mountains for a new generation.
This series is amazing! Not only is it a treatment to the awesomeness of nature but also a lesson on our own impact of it. Love what you're doing and can't wait to see you finish it!
Nice ski, looked maybe a little dust on crusty, but you made it look safer than it was. As far as these lines disappearing, last winter gave us some hope going forward. We skied stuff in the Sierra that were never doable even in the biggest years. As a matter of fact I just drove back Thurs. 8/24 and Giant Steps still looked skiable, with Mt. Williamson fully covered in snow. So don’t give up ski addicts there is still hope. Peace out
Love your decisions making, and showing it in your films. So important for us non-pro's to see that
This stuff is so cool. I'm not a skier, but my cousin Woody is married to a pretty well known big mountain skier/ former olympian, and I love seeing all the crazy work that goes into getting a sweet line. (even if in this case, it wasn't exactly what was originally intended)
Another nice one!!! Yea, Hilaree was skiing around the World also here on Kamchatka, and Kyle Smaine🙏🏼 love this line, we are trying to make some interesting lines here too😬 and sometimes we ski with guys from Death Zone Freeride, your project is inspiring so much🙏🏼
Beginning of heli scenes, amazed by the slides and the size of them. Man, brass ballz needed on this one guys!
Definitely counts! You skied what was actually skiable! Amazing. Great job .
Sweet way to follow up the traverse. A true lightening strike. I love how the best skiers make skiing the worst snow look good. Valencent approves of the pedal turn.
Some solid french steep skiing technique was definitely necessary on this one.
Amazing adventure, love this series so much! Beauty of the mountains man... And good people!
World class scenery. Thanks for vidio Cody!
I love the decision making. This is as far as we can go ‘safely’. Beautiful. No question about it, this one counts!
Count it. Hopefully McNutt can come back for another one, he's the man. Nice work boys
I hope so too
I love a good evening glassoff. Yeeeew! Nice work. Count it!
gnarly, enjoy the series, stay safe!
Not sure if you are familiar with the palisades? But went there this summer to climb the U and V notches. Super classic Sierra climbs. Snow climbs till July, Ice climbs in September/October. Totally melted out. Nothing but Rockfall. Sad that super consistent lines are disappearing.
Best video of the series! Seeing you work so hard on those long adventures. To then see you get this perfect window to check it off quick and safely was great to see!
always a treat and the start to a great day when these videos come out, cody!! thank you for inspiring us all. the homage to hilaree was especially touching
You definitely completed this one! Great episode as always. And most of all, RIP Hilaree.
From multi day trek to strike mission, love the variety. And I'm drooling at all of that granite! Nice one, guys!
Crazy to be direct witness of such change in a short time ! You did ski the skiable line, check this one as done !
3:35: "Do a switch, Nick!" "This guy can land a switch anywhere". Not a shabby partner!
Bjarne on some discovery channel level type filming! wow that was awesome!
So much so!
Thanks guys.Yep.We are all witness to routes becoming less attainable, shorter.Melting away
RIP Hilaree, what a legend you are!
Thanks for this. Much wisdom in this. And yes, count it, check it. 🙏 💪🏻
I just love this series. So good! Thanks, Cody!
Mcnutt just showed up, I'm excited for the random switch landings!
Hell yeah fellas! Overcoming adversity is the key. Great work. ✅
Great episode again. After you’re done with all the 50 I just have the feeling your gonna ski all the 8000m plus mountains. 😂
epic strike mission. bottom half actually looked like decent skiing
Great testament to the need to deal with variable snow conditions. Because... "The mountains don't care!"
As always, thank you thank you for distributing this on RUclips!, and thank you for showing all the impact of climate change! Ditto everyone's props for Hilaree Nelson. The only time I did anything like this, our guide had the pilot do a quick circle over the peak so he (and the rest of us) could eyeball the ascent, run, escape routes, etc. Was weather at the time, or money (how much Google ad revenue does it take to pay for one heli hour?), an issue? Just wondering if maybe you guys took a little for granted here relying solely (?) on 20 year old guidebooks and photos?
We had no idea we were gonna land there and at that point, if you know bush pilots, you don't ask for anything extra nor question what they're doing.
@@CodyTownsend 🤣 Bush pilots and brain surgeons
nice snipper mission bud. well done.
One of the best on youtube🎉, thanks.
Thank you too!
Less than 10 to go! We in the home stretch!!
Sick film
Stay safe out there!
New to your channel, I'd love to see a brief boot review of the footwear you use on your ventures!
"OH my God there's fresh snow like down low, this winter just won't let go" -Cody T 2022.
Cody hit up your Mammut rep. You should try the new Aenergy or Eiger Speed Harness. We will replace the Zephir Altitude soon. The new ones would suit you perfectly. Cheers
Omg that scenery
Thank you!! Rad
So poignant to hear you speak of Hilaree with the helicopter pilot and then see your dedication to her in the credits. A reminder to all of the very real and present dangers you face on the mountains. Add to that the other reminder that global warming is real. Permanent snow from just 20 years ago has receded so much that it is no longer possible to ski from the very top of the line. Sad times.
On the other hand, another really interesting episode, with more awe inspiring shots from Bjarne
What often doesn't get mentioned is that for every line lost, there is a new one that is being formed somewhere else. A lot of people will blame climate change without considering that weather and snow packs are always in a constant state of change. It's a completely natural process, one which we don't know in what ways, how much or if humans are effecting it.
@@ADAMJWAITE This is the same comment as above and kind of irrelevant. Sure, there are a very few places in the world gaining snow mass. And there is some debate on how much of an affect humans are amplifying it. . . but what's undeniable is the RATE of human impacts. The rate of loss of snow is astounding, and the fact that it's happening in the habitable world. Many of these "possible new lines" you speak of would be so remote as to be vitrually unreachable.
@@andrewmcfadden6350 You mean the same RATE that caused "global warming" to be renamed "climate change" after global warming was debunked? Or Glacier National park to replace the signs informing tourists that all of their glaciers would be dry over a decade ago? No, the truth is weather fluctuates and has to be observed over decades and centuries to get a comprehensive understanding. We've only begun to study the subject in comparison to the time frame the earth operates on. All we observed is that things change, we don't know if this is caused by humans or if other factors have a greater impact and we don't know how permanent these changes are, if at all. Geologists have been surprised to discover over the last couple decades that processes they believed took centuries to develop often take place during a single catastrophic event. It's causing them to go back and reevaluate a lot of their premises. I'm not saying that we shouldn't be good stewards, just that it's an overreaction to be an alarmist.
glaciers are an enormous threat , thank god they are still receding and have as yet not begun once again their onslaught and destruction of everything in their path
@@andrewmcfadden6350the rates of glacier loss today are nothing compared to what was happening 14,000 yrs ago . The warming period is actually coming to it's end . We can have no impact on such an enormous phenomena . Please , subdue your egos , you are not the superbeings you see yourselves as . You are just another form of monkey .
Nothing like a Bell 407 to get you in and out of gnarly places
A surprise that McKnutt didn't ride it switch.
Thanks for sharing these amazing experiences, always want 1 more episode! Not sure what to do after you complete all 50? Cheers!
Much love and appreciation for the entertainment. I do have a hard time hearing about climate change and the visible/measurable impacts of such while a helicopter drops you off for "a strike mission" . Again much love for the series and your approach to being in the mountains, this style just didn't sit well.
Outstanding job with this line and the entire series…..
Hey which crampons are you using here?
a few minutes into watching the video and hearing the comments about Hilaree Nelson 👌 Very cool!
Doing a NOLS trip out here this summer.
Not much makes me wish I was young again. This makes me wish I was young again
Wise call. Wondering:
* if y’all DID have lead climbing gear, would you have summited the line?
* if someone (Wirth?) does ski it from the top, would you then feel pressured to go back to nab that final 2%?
Head bowed from the snowy SanJuans, Colorado 🙏🏾🏔
1. Yeah it could’ve been done. It’s often the question mark that leaves ya hanging more than anything else. 2. No, it’s far too great of an environmental impact to do something as selfish as “checking off” 2% of a line. If I go back it’s only on foot and it’s a multi-week expedition. Then again, it’s actually a pretty ordinary Couloir so why do something that long and difficult for something that exists in many places around North America.
That counts, it's just the same as if a mountain had a chunk of it fall off the top and the summit was suddenly lower than before. I often have this debate about what signifies as a mountain summit because sometimes at the top of ridge will be 3 summmits with almost no change in elevation like Whistler, Piccolo, Flute summits. Does that count as 3 summits or only 1? Does it only count as summits if they are named? Hearing you talk about that coulier felt the same as this conundrum with mountain summits. What it comes down to really is if you are getting outdoors for a good day.
You are spot on to my personal philosophy about the mountains. So thanks for sharing that.
“As predicted, the weather is unpredictable”
what a place!
Congratulations on a cool line in a legendary zone
Bottom line is you never know unless you go to the top and I’m surprised they didn’t have a small rack of nuts, cams and a couple of pins.
When I was a ski mo guide in southeast I always had a light rock rack on me and a lead line especially if I was being flown in, can just leave at camp
Also all of these bush pilots have the best beta on your line so asking about conditions and your goal would likely led to getting the beta on it being rocky at the top
There was no reason to bring a rock rack and lead line because there was zero beta that even suggested rocks were an issue. It would be like bringing a mountain bike to a ski area in the winter. Also if you notice form the episode, Mike barely knew what line we were talking about so he wasn't a reliable source on ski conditions.
@@CodyTownsend Facts...and even if you had brought a rack, so what? I'm a mountaineer and always wondered why you don't summit some peaks you're so close to the top on and have to remind myself that the top of your line is your "summit", so if you turned around at the highest skiable spot, to me it's like standing on the highest point of a mountain covered in snow. Like what, I gotta dig down 10 feet to touch the rock haha? Consider this one done Cody! 🤙
@@CodyTownsend Fair enough.
I think you guys made the right call on route
In my opinion if I couldn’t get recent beta or photos I would err on being able to short pitch a rock or ice section.
Most of the time I brought my short pitching rock rack and stubbies screw and Ablakhov tool they did stay in camp. My glacier line was always a lead line rated so I was definitely “heavy”.
Congratulations on your project…I’m a bit jealous as I’m out of the game now…looking forward to your next tick
@@cactuscooler48 this isn’t an attack on Cody’s line or decision
This is like a debrief I woulda done with my fellow guides.
Given a certain goal, with given facts, observations and experience, what are my options?
Given these options what are the upsides, downsides and probabilities of the outcome.
So if his goal is to ski from the top then different options increase or decrease those chances.
In my opinion, if the goal was to ski from the top, and the line hadnt been photographed in years and the pilot had no intel, and I was being flown in…I would’ve flown in heavy.
Any variable change in the above likely changes my decision.
Have fun out there
Always amazing. What was the warm puffy gear you had in camp? It looked really warm 😃
It was a prototype of the new @salomonfreeski Elixir Ultra Down.
What an amazing place - so glad you did it. But fellas, I've got some whisky recommendations for you that will blow your mind eg Bowmore 18 yr old, Chivas 18 yr old, Tomatin, and my favourite - a Suntory called Chita. Out of this world.
Hello and greetings from Austria/Salzburg, I watch every video from you! Thank you for the great shots and great ski videos! In the video at 12.33min you both have these plates on your ski boots, I wanted to ask where I can buy them! I've been trying to find the records for a long time, but to no avail! I would be happy if someone could give me a tip!
So please keep going!
They’re from a Swiss company Auftriib
@@CodyTownsend Thank you so much for your quick answer, is it really you? OMG 🙂
Seems like this year will be one of the best remaining winters for the western interior California-Nevada-Utah, how do you hope to capitlize on this are there any lines you think could be done due to this?
Question for Bjarne... What would the ideal pack volume be for bigger lines where you would need to make camp in a tent? (Including camera gear)
8:32 man...sell me that as a large format photo. Really gives the scale of how insignificant people are on these mountains.
Wise choice.Thats a Full descent👍