Where's Jack?

Updated: August 22, 2022

"Where's Jack" was never meant to be a memorial route--our goal was to honor the guy who had the vision to even think about going up there.  The name, and now the route, took on those meanings when Glacier mountaineering greats Jack Beard and Brian Kennedy died (likely due to rappel anchor failure) while descending Dusty Star earlier this summer.

If you're headed up there, know that the spirit of those two goes with you. Honor them by being a great human and being safe. 

Glacier is known for its choss. But if the rock is compact, relatively steep, and generally more quartz heavy than the rest of the mess, it takes gear and can climb great. Where's Jack? follows crack systems and lines of weakness up the southwest face (above Snyder Basin) of the Little Matterhorn. It's hard to overstate the grins that came from climbing a moderate, fun route in such a great position.

Recognition for the hair-brained idea of going ground up on this improbability is due to Jack Beard, who scouted the approach and potential a long time ago. Both first ascensionists would like to thank him for the excellent notion.

Where's Jack? has seen a number of ascents at this point, and been the scene of at least two fairly long (20 hour) days. The best exit if you're late getting off the peak is over Comeau Pass, which means more trail miles but much easier to find and follow in the dark. 

Though we took pitons on the first ascent, most subsequent parties have done it clean (unquestionably a better style). 

Approach from Lake McDonald Lodge via the Snyder Lakes trail. Either go to the north side of the valley at the lower lake and traverse talus with occasional bushwhacking, or go on the south side of the lower lake, climb a junky, wet gully, then cross the creek to get onto the north side of the valley above the upper lake.

Scramble 4th and 5th class steps on climber's left to gain the major ledge/goat trail that girdles the whole southwest face. Nearly directly below the tower on the ridge just north of the Little Matterhorn, scramble 30-40m up to belay 30m below a significant flare with a hand crack in the back.

(Pitch lengths are approximate guesses based on the middle mark).

Pitch Zero: Scramble off the grassy ledge into a dihedral 30m directly below a distinct flare with a hand crack. Belay off a nut and knifeblade.

Pitch 1. Climb face and cracks through the flare. Nuts and finger size cams for the belay. 40m

Pitch 2. Head up and right, then over blocks on a ledge, then up a finger crack (5.8) that widens into a squeeze. Head straight up and fight rope drag to belay in a wide alcove on the ledge(Bugaboo, finger size cams). 60m 

Pitch 3. Move the belay, or traverse right and head up the awesome left-facing dihedral. Giggle with how fun it is. Belay off a tree above it. Subsequent parties did less giggling here than the FA, for what that's worth. 40m

Pitch 4. Head up and hard right, then up a short chimney. Climb up and right across 5.6 face, a small dihedral, and keep going to arrive at a long ledge. Piton/Nut belay. 60m

Pitch 5. Move belay right across the ledge (or belay) to anchor in trees. Leave the trees heading hard right, then pull a poorly protected 5.8 (crux) move up into rounded quartz chunks. Follow the easiest path right and up, yarding on hilariously fun 5.6 quartz. Pass a block with an off-width crack. Traverse a nice ledge right to belay (#1 camalot and nuts) beneath a quartz crystal slab capped with a triangular roof. 60m

Pitch 6. Climb straight up from the belay, left across the quartz crystal slab, then right up the dihedral to the ridgeline. Belay takes finger to hand size nuts/cams. 40m

Pitch 7. Punch it straight up the fun hand crack (5.8) or step right and up. Gingerly pass the one frustratingly chossy part of the whole route without sending blocks down on your belayer, then waltz across the top to belay off slung (and solid) blocks. 30m

Approach from Lake McDonald Lodge via the Snyder Lakes trail. Either go to the north side of the valley at the lower lake and traverse talus with occasional bushwhacking, or go on the south side of the lower lake, climb a junky, wet gully, then cross the creek to get onto the north side of the valley above the upper lake.

Scramble 4th and 5th class steps on climber's left to gain the major ledge/goat trail that girdles the whole southwest face. Nearly directly below the tower on the ridge just north of the Little Matterhorn, scramble 30-40m up to belay 30m below an obvious flare with a hand crack in the back.

Descend the Southest Face route (described in Edwards' 'Climbers Guide To Glacier National Park")--some will downclimb, and some will rappel. It's worth noting that this descent is not simple, and the downclimb/rappel area doesn't have great rap anchors. Onsighting this descent in the dark would be pretty hectic. 

 Then you get a choice: hike out ten miles over Comeau Pass and back to Lake McDonald, or scramble/rappel down ledges back into the Snyder Basin and retrace your line back to the trail at the lower lake.

Doubles .3 to #3 Camalot, single rack TCUs, single rack nuts. Subsequent partied climbed sans any pitons (nice work!); the FA used two knifeblades, one Bugaboo, one Lost Arrow. Lots and lots of long slings to fight rope drag.