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| South Ridge   | 
| Page Type: Route Location: Washington, United States, North America Lat/Lon: 48.52400°N / 120.815°W Route Type: snow, talus, scramble Time Required: One to two days Difficulty: class 3
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| Page By: meganerd Created/Edited: Apr 8, 2002 / Apr 8, 2002 Object ID: 156336 Hits: 1786 Loading... Page Score: 86.1% - 1 Votes Loading... Vote: Log in to vote |
Approach
Hike easily up Lake Ann Trail from Rainy Pass parking area for about a mile and a half to a signed junction. Take the right fork uphill (Heather Pass/Maple Pass Trail) and proceed easily to Heather Pass (obvious short fork on the right to pass). Now the peak and the route can be seen. Continue along the climber's path across two talus fields (annoying travel; about 1 mile total) to Lewis Lake. Continue around the lake, staying on the path, for longer than you would think you would need to. Eventually the path takes a sharp right up a moraine in a larch grove. Continue on the path to Wing Lake (about 2.5 somewhat rough miles from Heather Pass, 4-4.5 hours from the trailhead). There is good camping here at the lake. Although the climb can (and often is) done in a day, an overnighter is highly recommended to get the benefit of good lighting and ambiance in this exceptional area.
Route Description
From the lake, continue up the obious talus/snow gully heading to the couloir to the left (south) of Black Peak. After working up this for awhile, work your way up the slope angling right from the gully to avoid the cliffs just below the actual south col. This section is quite loose when snow is not covering it, and to the inexperienced it is somewhat steep and nerve racking due to the looseness. There are some small bivy sites where the route meets the south ridge at just below 8000 feet (where I stayed the night, beautiful exposed views).
From here, ascend the ridge following cairnes when possible until forced into a gully just on the left (west) side of the ridge. Follow this considerably loose gully for quite a ways (best to take a right when the gully forks). The ridge is followed a bit longer after the top of the gully, and then a traverse to the right (east) is made on a ledge. There are some exposed areas here. This traverse lasts longer than one may think it would. Do not head up 4th class rock too soon (like I did). Continue until a relatively short and easy class 3 climb leads up to the summit.
Descend the climbing route being careful not to knock rocks down on others.
Essential Gear
The only climbing gear needed is ice axe, crampons, sturdy boots, and a helmet (which I did not bring-thank god there was no one else up there). Other than that, just basic hiking gear should be brought, with a little extra warm clothing because of the exposure and elevation.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.
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