Couloir
Encyclopedia
A couloir is a narrow gully
with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain. A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissure, or vertical crevasse in an otherwise solid mountain mass. Though often hemmed-in by sheer cliff walls, couloirs may also be less well-defined, often simply being a line of broken talus or scree
ascending the mountainside and bordered by trees or other natural features. Couloirs are especially significant in winter months when they may be filled in with snow or ice, becoming much more noticeable than in warmer months when the majority of the snow and ice may recede. These physical features make the use of couloirs popular for both skiing
and mountaineering
.
While in the United States
such terrain features are uncommon on ski resort
s, they are more common in Europe
. Couloirs are frequently considered an off-piste trail and as such are not marked on ski piste
maps. Some exceptions to this include the Grand Couloir in Courchevel
, France
which has historically variable classifications, but is now graded as a black run under French piste difficulty grading. The Massif du Mont Blanc
has many well-known, celebrated, and frequently visited couloirs, Gervasutti Couloir, Breche Nonne Couloir, the Chevalier and Cosmiques couloirs are a few. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
has a famous and challenging couloir called Corbet's Couloir
. Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
in California has a run called Nancy's Couloir. Big Sky Resort
in Montana has a run called "Big Couloir" at 50 degree pitch for over 1,000 feet of vertical is one of the most intense in-bounds trails in America. The lesser-know Little Couloir, located just to the side of Big Couloir, has an even steeper pitch between 50 and 55 degrees. Another exception is the double black diamond run on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada "Couloir Extreme," which is located inside the Whistler-Blackcomb
resort boundaries and can be accessed via chairlift.
Gully
A gully is a landform created by running water, eroding sharply into soil, typically on a hillside. Gullies resemble large ditches or small valleys, but are metres to tens of metres in depth and width...
with a steep gradient in a mountainous terrain. A couloir may be a seam, scar, or fissure, or vertical crevasse in an otherwise solid mountain mass. Though often hemmed-in by sheer cliff walls, couloirs may also be less well-defined, often simply being a line of broken talus or scree
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
ascending the mountainside and bordered by trees or other natural features. Couloirs are especially significant in winter months when they may be filled in with snow or ice, becoming much more noticeable than in warmer months when the majority of the snow and ice may recede. These physical features make the use of couloirs popular for both skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
and mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
.
While in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
such terrain features are uncommon on ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
s, they are more common in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Couloirs are frequently considered an off-piste trail and as such are not marked on ski piste
Piste
A piste is a marked ski run or path down a mountain for snow skiing, snowboarding, or other mountain sports. The term is European, from the French for trail or track, synonymous with trail, slope, or groomed run in North America....
maps. Some exceptions to this include the Grand Couloir in Courchevel
Courchevel
Courchevel is the name of a ski resort located in the commune of Saint-Bon-Tarentaise in the French Alps, in the Tarentaise Valley, Savoie, Rhône-Alpes region. It is a part of Les Trois Vallées, the largest linked ski area in the world...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
which has historically variable classifications, but is now graded as a black run under French piste difficulty grading. The Massif du Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc
Mont Blanc or Monte Bianco , meaning "White Mountain", is the highest mountain in the Alps, Western Europe and the European Union. It rises above sea level and is ranked 11th in the world in topographic prominence...
has many well-known, celebrated, and frequently visited couloirs, Gervasutti Couloir, Breche Nonne Couloir, the Chevalier and Cosmiques couloirs are a few. Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
The Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is a ski resort at Teton Village, Wyoming. Located northwest of Jackson and due south of Grand Teton National Park in Teton County, it is named after the historically significant Jackson Hole valley. The region is served by the Jackson Hole Airport.-Ski area...
has a famous and challenging couloir called Corbet's Couloir
Corbet's Couloir
Corbet's Couloir is an expert ski run located at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort named after Jackson Hole ski instructor and mountain guide Barry Corbet...
. Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
Sugar Bowl Ski Resort
Sugar Bowl is a ski and snowboard area in northern Placer County near Norden, California along the Donner Pass of the Sierra Nevada, approximately west of Reno, Nevada on Interstate 80, that opened on December 15, 1939...
in California has a run called Nancy's Couloir. Big Sky Resort
Big Sky Resort
Big Sky Resort is a ski resort located in southwestern Montana in Madison County, an hour south of Bozeman via U.S. Highway 191 in Big Sky.Opened in late 1973, Big Sky has grown over the last 35 years. Trademarked as the "Biggest Skiing in America" through the Biggest Skiing in America Pass,...
in Montana has a run called "Big Couloir" at 50 degree pitch for over 1,000 feet of vertical is one of the most intense in-bounds trails in America. The lesser-know Little Couloir, located just to the side of Big Couloir, has an even steeper pitch between 50 and 55 degrees. Another exception is the double black diamond run on Blackcomb Mountain in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada "Couloir Extreme," which is located inside the Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler-Blackcomb
Whistler Blackcomb is a major ski resort located 125 km north of Vancouver, in British Columbia, Canada. By many measures it is the largest ski resort in North America; it is 50% larger than its nearest competitor in terms of size, has the greatest uphill lift capacity, and until 2009, had...
resort boundaries and can be accessed via chairlift.