Raised in British Columbia, Lustenberger had been eyeing the south face of Robson for years. After Mount Cook, she felt she had found the ideal ski partner for the challenge.<\/p>\n
The pair spent two bitterly cold days, February 12-13, climbing the peak’s Great Couloir (WI3), including a freezing bivy on a ledge. Their plan was to ski the couloir all the way down from the summit, but the weather worsened faster than expected.<\/p>\n
“We got within 200m of the summit, and due to the storm pressing against us, we turned around\u2026knowing we had a huge amount of terrain below us,\u201d Lustenberger told ExplorersWeb at the time. \u201cIt was extremely hard to retreat when we were so close.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fading light, and eventually in the dark, the pair had to reverse technically difficult pitches, ski in poor snow conditions, and rappel seven pitches. They made it back to their base by 10 pm.<\/p>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Robson-blake-gordon-03-700x525.jpg\")
Progressing on steep terrain during the ascent of Mt. Robson. Photo: Blake Gordon<\/p><\/div>\n
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Back for more<\/h2>\n
At the time, both Pierrel and Lustenberger felt they were done, but 24 hours of rest and better conditions drove them back to the mountain.<\/p>\n
On February 15, they went up and pitched their tent on the Dome (a subpeak). At first light on February 16, in the cold, they climbed the Kain Face (the southeast side)<\/a> to the summit. It was not easy, as the climbers had to traverse up the upper 200m in unknown mixed terrain until they reached the highest point they’d managed two days before.\u00a0 “That was exhausting, physically and mentally,\u201d Lustenberger said.<\/p>\n They were rewarded for their boldness with a bluebird summit day.<\/p>\n Luistenberg and Pierrel on the summit of Mt. Robson. Photo: Blake Gordon<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n However, they had little time to rest, with 3,000 vertical meters of descent ahead. Luckily, some fresh snow and the February sun on the face had improved the snow conditions for the descent down the Great Couloir.<\/p>\n The ski descent took them 3.5 hours, and again, the seven rappels on highly exposed terrain. As Lustenberger explained later, there was no break in the constant stress, as the entire ski line was highly exposed. While they were in the couloir, they were exposed to any rock or avalanche that fell from any altitude, as all would funnel down the tube-like corridor.<\/p>\n The two skiers, seen as tiny dots, on the huge south face of Mount Robson during the descent. Photo: Blake Gordon<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n Mount Robson<\/a> is the highest peak of the Canadian Rockies and the most prominent peak in North America. It has been skied three times before, but the previous descents were down the North, or Kain, Face.<\/p>\n In May 2017, 25-year-old Emma Freeman became the first woman to ski Robson. She did so via the Kain route, with partner Jesse Milner, with no rappels from the summit to Berg Lake. “This was actually the second time we skied it,” Milner told ExplorersWeb. “The first time, we had to do a couple rappels.” Lustenberger was thus the second woman to ski the peak.<\/p>\n The line of the ski descent on the south face of Mt. Robson, showing the skiers’ exposure to anything from above. Photo: Blake Gordon<\/p><\/div>\n Lustenberger noted that as a skier and an explorer, she has learned to look at mountains differently. That perspective has allowed her to complete some difficult lines around the world. In 2024, she skied down the Great Trango Tower<\/a>\u00a0in Pakistan, with Jim Morrison and Chantel Astorga, and New Zealand\u2019s\u00a0Mount Cook<\/a>\u00a0with Guillaume Pierrel.<\/p>\n Pierrel\u00a0skied down Gasherbrum II<\/a> in 2021. At home in the French Alps, he skied the North Face of the Dru<\/a> near Chamonix and the Picco Luigi Amedeo<\/a>\u00a0on the Italian side of the Mont Blanc massif, with Vivian Bruchez.<\/p>\n Lustenberger and Pierrel at the provincial park sign on the Yellowhead Highway. Photo: Blake Gordon<\/p><\/div>\n <\/p>\n On their second, successful climb to the summit, the skiers had a film crew with them, so they now have a film documenting the feat. After a premiere at the Banff Mountain Film Festival, the pair is presenting at several spots in Europe. Here’s a teaser:<\/p>\n![\"Two](\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Robson-lake-Gordon-01-700x466.jpeg\")
3,000 meters down<\/h2>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/robson-blake-gordon-04-700x466.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Robson-B-Gordon-05-629x700.jpg\")
Skiing background<\/h2>\n
![\"two](\"https:\/\/explorersweb.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/robson-blake-06-1152x1536-1.jpg\")