Mount Timpanogas, Everest Ridge
Everest Ridge
Mount Timpanogas, Utah
May 28, 2010

Mount Timpanogas
timpscene.jpg

A cool, snowy spring made for a very nice snow climb at the end of May.

Everest Ridge on Mount Timpanogas got its name because it was used for training climbs in the mid 1980's by a group of Utah climbers in preparation for an Everest expedition.  It's an easy but fun ridge climb, and we climbed rock, soft snow, and perfect neve.  

The parking lot at Dry Creek Canyon trailhead is at 5430 feet, and Timp's summit is 11,749 feet, so there's a bit over 6,000 feet of elevation gain on this climb.  We started at 3:30 a.m., reached the top of the ridge at 10:15, and were on the summit by 11:00.  

The final section at the top of the ridge is guarded by a rock step.  Although it looks somewhat intimidating from a distance, it's maybe 5.3 or 5.4, and we were comfortable climbing it without rope or protection.  Rockfall from the climber above is the primary danger on this step, as the rock is very loose.  

The rock step below the ridge top
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On the rock step
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On the descent, we decided to drop into the Dry Creek drainage and glissade down the snow slopes.  Alternating between glissading and plunge-stepping down the gully was quicker than downclimbing the ridge.    

Although it was a long day, it was a lot of fun; a bit of alpine flavor in Utah's Wasatch range.  

Final section and rock step in view
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View from the ridge
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On the lower ridge
timpstart.jpg

Traversing along the summit ridge
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