Neither of these routes is so great, but there is an alternative that works and is not mentioned in the posting.
As for the Moon Lake route, it doesn't really exist. It is extremely hard to find the trail, sometimes it is not where it is shown to be on the posted map, and sometimes it does not exist at all. It disappears completely well below the lake, at which time you are left with a mile and a half of horrible boulder hopping, and then a thousand feet of loose scree before you finally make the reasonably solid ridge.
As for the "grassy ramp", yes that is at least a real route. But the rock is lousy the last 500 feet.
The better route is to follow the climber's trail across the base of the face, then angle up to the saddle on the SE ridge before it joins the south ridge. The climber's trail goes all the way there. Then don't go to the saddle between Daly and K2 as recommended in the posting--you will incur a lot of downclimbing by doing so. Instead, follow the SE ridge up to where it joins the S ridge. This works pretty well. Indeed, you will see that it is the "standard" route (to the extent this seldom-climbed peak has a standard route).
Better yet: approach from the Capital Lake side. Follow the standard route for ascending Capital up to the K2/Daly ridge. Then follow the interesting S ridge of Daly to the top.
Emphasis: do not try the crappy and non-existent Moon Lake route.
glenn1 - Aug 31, 2009 8:58 pm - Hasn't voted
Wait a minuteNeither of these routes is so great, but there is an alternative that works and is not mentioned in the posting.
As for the Moon Lake route, it doesn't really exist. It is extremely hard to find the trail, sometimes it is not where it is shown to be on the posted map, and sometimes it does not exist at all. It disappears completely well below the lake, at which time you are left with a mile and a half of horrible boulder hopping, and then a thousand feet of loose scree before you finally make the reasonably solid ridge.
As for the "grassy ramp", yes that is at least a real route. But the rock is lousy the last 500 feet.
The better route is to follow the climber's trail across the base of the face, then angle up to the saddle on the SE ridge before it joins the south ridge. The climber's trail goes all the way there. Then don't go to the saddle between Daly and K2 as recommended in the posting--you will incur a lot of downclimbing by doing so. Instead, follow the SE ridge up to where it joins the S ridge. This works pretty well. Indeed, you will see that it is the "standard" route (to the extent this seldom-climbed peak has a standard route).
Better yet: approach from the Capital Lake side. Follow the standard route for ascending Capital up to the K2/Daly ridge. Then follow the interesting S ridge of Daly to the top.
Emphasis: do not try the crappy and non-existent Moon Lake route.
Summitseeker69 - Apr 16, 2010 2:16 pm - Hasn't voted
Re: Wait a minuteGood feedback. Thank you.
Matt Lemke - Oct 15, 2012 1:51 am - Hasn't voted
Page re-doneJust updated the page to emphasize the Capitol Creek Approach and South ridge from Daly Saddle