West Ridge / Hourglass Route

Leave the ridge at a small saddle at 12,900'. Follow a climbers trail into the center of Little Bear's southwest face. Climb 100' of class 3 into the obvious, deep gully. Some call this the hourglass, or the suicide gully. From there you may either stay in the center of the gully for a long class 4 pitch, usually wet and treacherous, or stay 50-100 feet left of the gully for a long class 4 pitch on normally dry rock. Descend by the same route.