Best Beginner Alpine climb in Unites States

climbing2man wrote:what about the Wind River Range in Wyoming? I've heard of some potential over there

Wind Rivers? Not that climber conspiracy again!

...people are pulling your leg; there's actually nothing there. wind rivers is an elaborately constructed myth to lure the naive with a lust for adventure, away from real locales. oh sure, there are maps and books and photos and catalogues of storied adventures; i think it's even made it into a magazine or several. but make no mistake; it's a hoax!

i spent all this time planning a trip up there, gearing up; i quit my job, ditched my girlfriend, i even burned all my money and gave my dog to a nice chinese family (they owned the best chinese restaurant this side of the mississippi). but it was all for naught. that's right, naught.

i drove there with my partner, ready to go-pro myself into youTube fame. my partner was molested by some backwoods, yodeling neanderthal, and his pet bison. believe me bro, you do not want to be mounted by a buffalo.

so, you seem like a nice dude. let me help you out. three words...col o rad o. okay, that's four words, but you get my drift...and come in the summer, please. we don't need our kids finding yet another michigan guy, thawing out beneath the lamb's slide this june.

peace. and good luck to your masochism !!!

The "winter" in your words is pretty incompatible with everything else you state or ask about. Just to frame some of the conversation - what is te coldest you have ever slept out in? How many snow caves have you dug and slept in? These are the abilities you will need if you insist on winter. 5.9 has no releance.

I wouldn't say it's a full beginner route, but you could really sink your teeth into the Torment-Forbidden traverse (North Cascades) in, say, mid July. There won't be ice climbing, but there will be a decent amount of glacier travel, as well as heavy doses of the exposed moderate terrain, decision making/routefinding, and commitment that really define alpine climbing.

Upon consideration, I should caveat that it's a nontrivial route and would be a lot to swallow as a first alpine jaunt. But it's also really worthy and approachable with preparation and research.

Liberty Ridge on Rainier was my first real big alpine climb.. it's a super classic route and seems exactly like what you're looking for. It was rad. Did it in late May.

Agree with above, drop the winter part. Doesn't have to be winter to be an "alpine" climb. But yeah, winter's pretty cool...

Brian Prince wrote:Liberty Ridge on Rainier was my first real big alpine climb.. it's a super classic route and seems exactly like what you're looking for. It was rad. Did it in late May. Agree with above, drop the winter part. Doesn't have to be winter to be an "alpine" climb. But yeah, winter's pretty cool...

Committing ridge routes aren't probably the best place to start for guys with no glacier experience.

Multipitch rock in an alpine setting is probably the safest transition for someone who's only cragged and scrambled.

Kiener's route on Long's Peak in CO. Great beginner alpine climb. Gets you up to 14,400 feet.

i think the sierra is your best bet.

easy spot to get into alpine climbs.

These are all late spring/summer/fall routes

North peak couliors (ice), U-notch (ice) and bear creek spire (5.8 rock) would be my recommendations.

WA state has great stuff too, but will require glacier travel for the most part.

WA routes: n. ridge of stuart (5.9 rock) , eldorado (glacier)

Liberty Ridge is most definitely not a beginner route.

Check out Mt. Hood

oregonlive.com/clackamascou…

If you want an alpine winter experience. You don't need to travel so far. Dude, check out Mt Washington in the Whites of NH. The worlds worst weather is their claim to fame! It's ridiculous. Climb the Huntington Ravine. You'll need some alpine rage to tackle the approach, Huntington and summit. DO NOT underestimate the lower elevation. It's the most prominent mountain on the East. Many people use it to springboard to Rainier then Denali.

Ben Garza wrote:If you want an alpine winter experience. You don't need to travel so far. Dude, check out Mt Washington in the Whites of NH. The worlds worst weather is their claim to fame! It's ridiculous. Climb the Huntington Ravine. You'll need some alpine rage to tackle the approach, Huntington and summit. DO NOT underestimate the lower elevation. It's the most prominent mountain on the East. Many people use it to springboard to Rainier then Denali.

+1 if you are on the east coast.

I have climbed in the rockies in Colorado, in Canada, New England including Huntington Ravine & the Pinnacle on Mt. Washington and I wholeheartedly agree that Mt. Washington in winter is no joke and a significant climb; strong winds, very cold temps, avalanche danger etc...so don't be fooled by the low elevation.

If it's technical difficulty you want, come to the Sierra Nevada and randomly stab a map of the East Side. You won't be driving to 13,500 ft' here.