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Mt. Wood Rock Climbing
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| Elevation: | 12,319 ft | 3,755 m |
| GPS: |
45.27549, -109.81341 Google Map · Climbing Area Map |
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| Page Views: | 311 total · 12/month | |
| Shared By: | Ben Polk on Feb 23, 2023 | |
| Admins: | GRK, Zach Wahrer |
Description
Mt. Wood is the third highest peak in Montana, standing at a healthy 12,649 feet. There are two distinct summits - east and west - with some uncertainty as to which is higher (although the traverse between the two is straightforward class 3 scrambling).
From the south Mt. Wood is a walk-up, not technical but a very long and strenuous hike/scramble up from Mystic Lake. The north face, however, is a gnarled mess, rising approximately 2,000 feet from the moraine, the rock gnawed away by now-retreating glaciers; it offers several recorded routes on rock, snow, and alpine ice/glaciers.
Views from the summit are, of course, incredible. You'll likely see more animals than people the whole time you're out.
From the south Mt. Wood is a walk-up, not technical but a very long and strenuous hike/scramble up from Mystic Lake. The north face, however, is a gnarled mess, rising approximately 2,000 feet from the moraine, the rock gnawed away by now-retreating glaciers; it offers several recorded routes on rock, snow, and alpine ice/glaciers.
Views from the summit are, of course, incredible. You'll likely see more animals than people the whole time you're out.
Getting There
For the hike/scramble up the south side, the approach will be from Mystic Lake. You can find other sources online with more info about this route.
There are also some reported routes that tackle west side of the peak, from the Woodbine creek area.
For alpine climbing purposes, though, all the business is on the north face. Both approaches for the north face of Mt. Wood go through the old abandon Benbow Mine. You can see the mine on Google Maps, but searching for it takes you to the wrong spot. Due to length restrictions on MP, I'll describe driving to the mine here. Go to the "North Face" sub-area for more detailed instructions on what to do after getting to the mine.
From the town of Columbus, head south on state highway 78 through Absarokee. Turn onto Nye Rd./NF-419. Take this road through the small town of Fishtail, and then through the even smaller town of Dean. Just west of Dean, turn onto NF-1414. Follow this long, winding road for many miles, past the Beartooth Christian Camp, until you reach the big obvious old mine shaft and tower of Benbow.
There are also some reported routes that tackle west side of the peak, from the Woodbine creek area.
For alpine climbing purposes, though, all the business is on the north face. Both approaches for the north face of Mt. Wood go through the old abandon Benbow Mine. You can see the mine on Google Maps, but searching for it takes you to the wrong spot. Due to length restrictions on MP, I'll describe driving to the mine here. Go to the "North Face" sub-area for more detailed instructions on what to do after getting to the mine.
From the town of Columbus, head south on state highway 78 through Absarokee. Turn onto Nye Rd./NF-419. Take this road through the small town of Fishtail, and then through the even smaller town of Dean. Just west of Dean, turn onto NF-1414. Follow this long, winding road for many miles, past the Beartooth Christian Camp, until you reach the big obvious old mine shaft and tower of Benbow.
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