Six days early July in the Cirque: Pingora

2017 was a heavy snow year and my six day trip to the Cirque starting on July 3rd showed an early season valley that required steep snow techniques to make most peaks accessible to climb. We climbed the East Face and Northeast Face of Pingora. You can read he full details and descriptions on my blog.

These were the general conditions:

• We had consistent blue skies for four days followed by three days of afternoon thunderstorms which rarely affected the Cirque but could look quite fierce and fill up the valleys to the East with only a few sprinkles on Pingora. Not uncommon for it to sprinkle overnight though so keep gear inside.


• All routes aside from Mitchell and Pingora had steep snowy ascents and descents requiring a minimum of an ice axe, mountaineering boots and crampons if not pickets and a second tool. In two weeks these might be melted out enough for safer non-snow travel.


• All lakes past Big Sandy were ice covered on July 3 but were beginning to melt out by July 9.


• On July 3 there were many small patches of dirt to camp past Jackass pass, but most of the area is snow and the trail is not visible. On July 9 it was finally possible to camp on dirt near Cirque Lake in small spots surrounded by snow.


• Running water is available everywhere as the area melts out. Mosquitos were okay past Jackass past, but I got bitten a dozen times 1000 ft up the wall on Pingora’s East Face. The number of bugs seems to be increasing as snow decreases.


• There was no sign of bear activity.