Page Type:
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Route |
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Lat/Lon:
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48.76320°N / 120.34462°W |
Route Type:
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Mountaineering, Trad Climbing |
Season:
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Spring, Summer, Fall |
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Time Required:
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Half a day |
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Rock Difficulty:
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5.6 (YDS) |
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Grade:
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III |
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Overview
This face is a 1200'-tall series of headwalls and gullies that take much care to be climbed safely. The majority of the route is reasonably solid, but runout, and with a fair amount of 4th class is a much steeper and more interesting way to the summit of West Craggy. Combined with the off-trail approach from Eight-mile Creek the climb is a lonely adventure through the Eastern edge of the high Pasayten.This page is mostly to illuminate the route hinted at in the main page and is generally not recommended unless one is looking for something spicier in the area to climb than the standard scrambles on the Craggies.
Getting There
Follow the directions on the main page for the Northside approach to No-Dice Lake. The route from Eightmile Pass traverses open forest, scree, and a small amount of downed timber, and does not present any special challenges. Look for a boot track a 1/4 mile South of the pass to aid in travel through the brushiest sections, before breaking out into more open slopes near the creek on the East side of Eightmile Peak. From No-Dice Lake continue South-Southwest over old moraines to the base of the lowest prominent buttress descending from the summit ridge from just North of the summit itself. It is the feature just North of the very large gully that descends directly from the summit.No-Dice Lake has rocky shores, but snow will cover the ground until mid-July most years, and flat campspots could be constructed among the rocky soil of the larches surrounding the lake.
Route Description
From the base of the buttress seek out the most featured and solid rock towards climber's left past some mid-fifth class on the initial headwall 120 meters or so to a prominent chimney. Follow the chimney for 150 meters of good mid-fifth class rock to a point where one can make a short downclimb and traverse to climber's left into a prominent gully. The gully ascends past fourth class and some more low-fifth all the way to a notch in the summit ridge just North of the summit proper. From the notch fifty meters of low-fifth class climbing leads to the summit.Descent
Follow the instructions on the main page for the West Craggy-Big Craggy traverse to the 7650' pass between the peaks. Gullies can be followed from here back to No-Dice Lake and on to Eightmile Creek.Alternatively one could follow the instructions on the main page to the Copper Glance Creek Trailhead. This would require a road walk, hitchhiking, or a car shuttle to return to the Eightmile Creek trailhead.