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DescriptionThe North Cascades are home to a huge number of sharp granite peaks with many excellent alpine climbs. With so much to offer and typical alpine approaches, you probably won't find mobs of other people. The granite is mostly very good, offering cracks, chimneys, flakes, roofs, etc. Summer is the time for alpine rock. Getting ThereThe general North Cascades area can be reached either by driving west on Highway 20 from I-5 (although Highway 20 is more often closed than not) or by driving east on Highway 2 to Leavenworth or I-90, then North on Highway 97 and North again on Highway 153, which meets up with the other side of Highway 20 in Twisp. The ClassicsMountain Project's determination of some of the classic, most popular, highest rated routes for North Cascades:
Coleman Headwall Steep Snow Snow, Alpine, 2000 feet, Grade IV Mt. Baker
Coleman/Deming Glacier Mod. Snow Snow, Alpine, 7080 feet, Grade II Mt. Baker
South Arete 5.5 Trad, Alpine, 3 pitches, Grade II Washington Pass : South Early Winters Spire
Beckey Route (SW Face) 5.6 Trad, Alpine, 3 pitches, Grade II Washington Pass : Liberty Bell
SW Rib 5.8 Trad, Alpine, 6 pitches, 600 feet, Grade III Washington Pass : South Early Winters Spire
Northwest Corner (a.k.a. Boving-Pollack Route) 5.9 Trad, Alpine, 4 pitches, Grade III Washington Pass : North Early Winter Spire
East Face / Rebel Yell 5.10 Trad, Alpine, 6 pitches, 800 feet, Grade III Silver Star and connected s... : Chianti Spire
The West Face 5.11- Trad, Alpine, 6 pitches, Grade III Washington Pass : North Early Winter Spire
Liberty Crack 5.11- C2 Trad, Aid, Alpine, 12 pitches, 1200 feet, Grade V Washington Pass : Liberty Bell
Featured Route For North Cascades
Mount Baker, North Ridge WI2-3 Steep Snow WA : North Cascades : Mt. Baker
The route ascends the broad ridge enclosing the east (left) side of Mount Baker's north face. It is supposed to be a moderately technical route on Mount Baker but we found it to be committing and long. Negotiating the serac wall several hundred feet to the right from its apex, over the north face (see topo picture) required serious ice climbing in a vertical terrain. To access North Ridge cross Coleman Glacier laterally until at the...[more] Browse More Classics in WA
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