West Ridge

Overview

West Ridge is a comparably short, but challening ridge climb

Getting There

Exit 180 on I -70. Drive on Bighorn Rd to Gore Creek TrailHead. 

Route Description

Start on Gore Creek Trail. Very soon the trail will split. Turn left on Deluge Lake Trail. Trail will lead you (often very steeply) right underneath the South Face of Grand Traverse Peak.

Turn off the trail and scramble up to the notch righ west of actual summit ridge. 

Scramble up the first section of the ridge. Right at the Eastern edge of it two chimneys (and right at the edge, one to the south) will get you down to the next notch.Both require an airy Class 4 downclimb. You my need to rapel depending on your skills. A fall could kill you.

West of the notch a shallow gulley is leading up the Northern mountainside. Soon you reach a Y like fork. The left fork continues as an easy Class 2 scramble. The right fork soon requires a couple Class 3 moves to continue and soon the gulley clives out high above a ravine. A short Class 3 scramble gets you to the next notch below the last technical section of the ridge. This section can be bypassed Class 2 to 3 on its northern side. It can be climbed over or bypassed on its Southern side. Both options require Class 4 moves.

After this section the ridge relents, the reminder is a Class 1 hike to the summit.

Essential Gear

Helmet is a must