Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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37.83940°N / 108.0047°W |
Route Type:
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Exposed class 4/5.0 ridge |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Difficulty:
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Class 4/5.0 |
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Approach
Start at the Navajo Basin trailhead and hike to Navajo Lake. Navajo lake has some great camp sites and you most likely will want to backpack in and camp before attempting this route. The hike to the Lake is long but gentle. You will gain almost 2000 vertical feet over about 7 miles of distance. Make sure to get an early start on this route as the ridge is long and could become nasty of Mother Nature gets mad.
Route Description
From Navajo Lake you will have a good view of the west ridge. To gain the ridge you must be patient and be willing to traverse for a long way without gaining elevation toward the southwest. Trying to ascend straight up the extremely loose talus/scree slope will just be frustrating and energy consuming. Gaining the ridge is almost the most difficult part of this route and after gaining the ridge you will be rewarded with a great relief and realization that now the fun can begin. The ridge has many obstacles to overcome. As you get closer to the summit the ridge crest becomes very exposed but there are plenty of great solid holds. You will just need to take your time to find them. For the majority of this climb you will want to stay close to the ridge crest. The final pitch to the summit is quite a bit easier than it appears at first sight. It should also be known that there are few options for escape from this ridge. Consider weather very closely before attempting because the route will take several hours to complete and once on the summit you still have a long ways down.
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Essential Gear
This route can be done without any technical gear i.e. rope and pro. A helmet is a good idea and you might consider a rope if you are not comfortable with exposed class 4 climbing.
Miscellaneous Info
If you have information about this route that doesn't pertain to any of the other sections, please add it here.