Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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48.25480°N / 120.8818°W |
Route Type:
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Skiing |
Season:
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Spring, Winter |
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Time Required:
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One to two days |
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Difficulty:
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2 days, Strenuous |
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Overview
This long route uses the same approach as the standard Bonanza peak climbing route. The route starts from the top of Holden Pass. There is no trail system on the north side of Holden Pass, so this is a winter/early spring route only. The large amount of steep and dense bushwhacking later in the season would make this an undesirable route. But on snow, it's a good but long and challenging route for the ski mountaineer. Prepare for 2 nights of camping and while looking up at the top of the tent during the long night, ponder the several other un-skied peaks in the area.
Getting There
Drive to Chelan, WA and take Lady of the Lake Ferry service to the Lucerne landing. From the landing, it's a 13 mile bus trip up to Holden Village. Be sure to double check the time schedule of the ferry as well as the bus service. You do need reservations, so planning and double checking drive times, ferry and bus schedules, etc., is necessary.
Unless you stay the night in or near the village, hiking will begin in the early afternoon. From Holden Village, hike and skin to Holden Lake approximately 5 miles to the west / northwest. The approach follows a long east-west flatish valley before heading slightly NW up the flank of a south facing ridge via a series of switchbacks. This well worn summer trail is of course buried under several feet of snow well into May during a heavy snow year. But the lake is easy to find as you're funneled between the flanks of Bonanza and Martin peaks as you near the lake.
Camp at the lake, or to shorten the following day, contine up a steep gully up to Holden Pass. There is a trade off between the extra hour or so carrying all the gear needed to camp up the hill vs. a longer second day.
Route Description
From Holden Pass, ski north-northwest into the Sable Creek drainage, down a short moderate pitch into a small upper basin, being careful not to drop needlessly too low. Transition and skin up a steep shoulder, gradually veering further and further up and to the left.
Looking back at camp on top of Holden Pass
Once on the ridge, the enormity of the route lies before you. Ski down into the Company glacier drainage via a steep gully approximately 1500-2000 VF into the basin on the north side of Bonanza Peak.
The terminus of the Company glacier will be up and to your left.
Transition back to skins, and continue across the basin in the same direction you skied down, up an ever increasing steep gully. All of this is in avalanche territory, so you may want to hug the treeline to the right / north of your travel to be somewhat safer.
Skin up approximately 1500-2000 feet eventually to a broader shoulder. Here things are still steep, but the ridge that separates you from the Dark Glacier comes into view. Continue up an ever steepening but wider slope to exit the gully and reach the ridge.
Once on this ridge that connects Dark Peak and Mt Lyall, the very top of Dark Peak is now just visible 90 degrees south / to your left. Glide / traverse staying as high as possible once on the glacier. It may be necessary to rappel off the ridge in a low snow year (lots of anchors / small stunted trees to tie off to), or ski down the steep slope onto the glacier in a good snow year.
At some point, transition back to skins and start another leftward / southerly somewhat gentle skin up the glacier. This is an active glacier with many cravasses, so you may want to rope up depending on snow levels, etc. By keeping your leftward uphill traverse, you'll eventually be heading east for the final few hundred vertical feet.
Near the top, steeper skinning gives way to a nice broad flat shoulder and the top of Dark Peak is now in clear view just a few hundred yards away.
To your right is the ridge that connects Dark and Bonanza peaks. Take the skins off as you hit the somewhat narrow but safe rocky ridge for the final short traverse to the summit.
Now, reverse it all and head back to camp. The next morning, allow appoximatly 3-5 hours back to Holden Village and the scheduled bus trip to Lurcern landing.