North slope

Approach

Little Annapurna is easily accessible by trail. One trail comes up from the Snow Creek Trailhead, a good ten miles or so distant from Little Annpurna's summit and 7100 feet lower so doing it in one day is a real event. The other trail comes up from the Stuart Lk / Colchuck Lk trailhead and is about 7 miles in distance with and elevation gain of 5100 feet. This route takes you up and over Aasgard Pass which should be done in the early part of the day during the hot time of the year. In this case, if Little Annapurna was my only goal, I would consider the shorter Aasgard approach.

Route Description

There are many ways that Little Annapurna can be climbed but this is the easiest way to the top. Click on this topo to see the area where it is best to leave the trail (as it wends its way towards the Upper Enchantments or down to the Middle Enchantments)
Aim uphill and follow the most common sense approach. In the early part of the summer, there most likely will still be snow patches remaining. The reason I call this route the north slope is because that is exactly what it is. Nothing technical is involved unless snow is present and with a lot of snow, an ice axe might be advisable.

XC distance: 3/4 mile elevation gain 900+ feet. Of course, the hard part is getting to the point where you start this XC route.

Essential Gear

Except in early spring, nothing is required other than good hiking boots, sunscreen and common sense. This is a great viewpoint, one of the best anywhere as the views are outstanding. Some people camp up near the summit to enjoy the lights of far off Wenatchee to the east and I-90 to the south.

WARNING

In the latter part of July, 2005, a young 22 year old man fell to his death when he stepped onto the ice of the Snow Creek glacier and plunged into the small lake at the base of the peak. See this thread that was at NWHikers.net for more information but the reality that comes out of this awful accident is that even an easy peak like Little Annapurna should be given respect. My condolences to the family of this young man and may the same thing not happen to any of us here. Be careful out there at all times.

Miscellaneous Info

If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.

Images

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