BC Top 10 climbs, best climbs in BC

BC Top 10 climbs, best climbs in BC - Climb the Peaks: "BC TOP 10 CLIMBS"

BLACK TUSK 2319m

Black Tusk from the Spearhead traverse
A long day of hiking with a short rock climbing crux near the summit.
Duration: 1-2 days
Dates: June-October

THE LIONS 1646m

There are two options for this climb: it can be as a one day mountaineering escape from Vancouver, or can be combined with an Alpine Rock Climbing course.
Duration: 1-2 days
Dates: June-October

THE SQUAMISH CHIEF 702m

Some rock climbing experience necessary. The Chief can be climbed as a half day or full day climb: from easy to hard grades.

• 

Duration: 1 day
Dates: May-October

Mt. TREMOR 2691m

One of the mountains in the famous Spearhead Traverse chain. No alpine experience necessary. Includes scrambling, glacier walking, and camping in the alpine region.


Duration:  2 days
Dates: Winter ascent: February-May; Summer ascent: May-October

GARIBALDI 2675m

This is Vancouver's closest serious alpine ascent. Garibaldi offers you spectacular views from the summit. Some alpine experience necessary. Trip includes glacier walking and a crux of steep alpine climbing.

• 

Duration: 2 days
Dates: May-October

TANTALUS HIGH TRAVERSE

Tantalus 2603m  and  Dione 2590m
Approach required by helicopter. Previous alpine climbing experience necessary. This traverse takes us to the peak of both the Tantalus and Dione summits. Both offer exceptional alpine climbing on an exposed ridge in a remote setting. Great views of Howe Sound.

• 

Duration:  3-5  days
Dates: July -October

Mt MATIER 2783m

Locals call it BC's Matterhorn: Matier is the highest peak in Joffre Provincial Park located in a popular alpine recreational area. First night spent at Keith's Hut before the summit day. Previous hiking experience required.

• 
• 

Duration:  2 days
Dates: May-October

JOFFRE PEAK 2721m

Also in Joffre Provincial Park, Joffre Peak is more massive and technically challenging than Matier. It can be climbed in the late winter via the Aussie Couloir, or climb it in the summer via the South Buttress. Some previous alpine experience required.

• 
• 

Duration:  2 days
Dates: Winter ascent: February-March; Summer ascent: May-October

Mt WADDINGTON 4019m

The highest peak in BC offering you a true mountaineering experience on higher elevations. This ascent is a good stepping stone towards future alpine expeditions in Patagonia and the Himalaya.
Duration:  8-10 days
Dates: July/August

Hiking / Trekking / Walking Top 10

Hiking / Trekking / Walking Top 10 | iExplore: "By Lynn Schnaiberg
Our top 10 routes for exploring a pié run the gamut from day-tripper walks and hikes to multi-week treks into high-altitude mountains. Here are our admittedly audacious picks for the world's top adventures on foot."

1. Hiking Annapurna Circuit, Nepal.This classic Himalayan trek is a classic for good reason: It encapsulates the best of Nepal, wrapping around the stunning Annapurna range to put you in the shadow of peaks that pierce 26,000 feet. Yak herds, eagle-like Himalayan griffons, blue sheep (so called because of the blue-gray hue their coat turns in winter), fluttering Buddhist prayer flags, and hot springs dot this central Nepal route, which starts in lush green foothills and climbs into high-altitude desert typical of the Tibetan plateau. Bonus: The lakeside town of Pokhara offers plentiful opportunities for shorter treks in the region for those who don't have three weeks to spare.

2. Hiking Wildkirchli Trail Hiking, Switzerland.This hike is short, but so sweet. Five miles south of Appenzell town at Wasserauen, hike or cable car up to the Ebenalp peak at 5,400 feet. Your reward? A mere 15-minute hike down takes you to a narrow, sunny ledge and the Wildkirchli--literally, little wild church--a 400-year-old cave church that housed hermit monks from 1658 to 1853. Clinging nearby is a hut built into the cliff to shelter pilgrims who hiked here to pray with the monks.

3. Hiking Havasu Canyon Trail, Arizona, U.S.A.Yes, millions of visitors crowd the red-rock grandeur of the Grand Canyon each year. But this trail takes off from the canyon's quieter, less accessible western edge. The hike is steep but stunning, dropping eight miles to the community of Supai, tribal headquarters of the Havasupai Indians and the only village within the canyon. And it only gets better from here. Below Supai, four major turquoise waterfalls, including 200-foot-high Mooney Falls, crash into the rock. Another eight miles or so down, past scores of smaller falls, and you've hit ground zero: the Colorado River.

4. Hiking Darién Gap, Panama.This two-week trek, punctuated by stints in dugout canoes, is generally sufficient to convince folks that Panama is about a lot more than cool straw hats and uncool dictators. It is also home to the Gap, so called because the Pan-American Highway takes a break here in the middle of the jungle that separates Central and South America. The coast-to-coast hike traces Spanish conquistador Balboa's 1513 journey from the Atlantic to the Pacific, moving from coconut plantations farmed by Kuna Indians, past Choco Indian settlements, through low but rugged mountains. Most of the Darién falls within a national park, making for pristine wilderness, replete with wild orchids, strangler fig trees, red and green macaws, and the elusive jaguar.

5. Hiking Crow Pass Trail, Alaska, U.S.A.Heading into the mountains south of Anchorage, this trail is easy to follow, but challenging. A steep four-mile hike to Crow Pass brings outstanding vistas of Raven Glacier and surrounding peaks in the Chugach Mountains. Depending on your energy and ambition, you can turn around here or press on to complete the entire 26-mile route tracing the Old Iditarod Trail, which was used by gold miners and dogsled teams until 1918, when the Alaska Railroad linked Seward to Fairbanks. Stop to take in the tundra wildflowers, explore abandoned mining ruins, and spot the mountain goats, dall sheep, moose, and bears lumbering along the ridges.

6. Hiking to K2 Base Camp, Pakistan.You earn more than bragging rights hiking to the base camp of the world's second-highest mountain. You also earn some of the world's most staggeringly beautiful scenery on this two-week trek along a surprisingly well-defined trail. At 28,250 feet and surrounded by glaciers, K2 rises like a pyramid from the Karakoram Range of northern Pakistan and southern Tibet. En route to the 16,500-foot base camp, you pass through Islamic villages and trek into utter wilderness filled with towering granite spires, rock and ice walls, and the intersection of three huge glaciers at the foot of K2. In a word: Wow.

7. Hiking Inca Trail, Peru.Most travelers flooding the mysterious Incan ruins of Machu Picchu, tucked away on a craggy plateau some 7,800 feet high, arrive by train. Tracing the ancient routes of the abandoned settlement's one-time residents along the Inca Trail, however, is a pilgrimage reserved for those on foot. Start the sojourn at kilometer marker 88 on the train from Cuzco. This four-day trek rewards hikers with views of cloud forests, high ridges of the central Andes, and several sets of intact ruins--not to mention the chance to traverse stone steps and tunnels carved by the Incas. One footnote (no pun intended): Savor at least one rising or setting of the sun over Machu Picchu before you leave by train.

8. Hiking Appalachian National Scenic Trail, U.S.A.This legendary 2,158-mile footpath traversing the ridge crests and major valleys of the Appalachian Mountains stretches from Mount Katahdin, Maine, to Springer Mountain, Georgia, traversing 14 states in its path. If you've got five or six months to spare, you can join the hard-core "thru-hikers" who spend a season covering the trail end to end. Or not. One slice that draws raves: the 8.7-mile Franconia Ridge loop in New Hampshire's White Mountains. Across the 90-mile stretch running through the Granite State, a string of backcountry alpine huts spaced a day's hike from one another offer trail comforts like cozy refuge from temperamental weather and a hot meal.

9. Hiking North Devon Coast Path, England.The Brits take their rambling seriously, for good reason. The North Devon, one chunk of the South West Coast Path that winds 594 miles through four counties, offers spectacular views of the Bristol Channel and humpback headlands from atop England's highest cliffs, exploding 1,200 feet from the sea. The path runs through Exmoor National Park with windswept moorland blanketed in heather. Other Exmoor visitors include wild ponies, red deer, and horned sheep nibbling Technicolor green grass. Start at the harborside town of Lynmouth, head west along the coast, and ramble on.

10. Hiking Torres del Paine Lookout, Chile.This national park in southern Patagonia triggers all sorts of superlatives from backpackers. Windswept and starkly beautiful, these mountains bear little resemblance to the sloping peaks of the Rockies or the rolling Alps. Instead, the torres, or towers, are dark, jagged granite spires that seem to tear at the sky while condors soar overhead. The spectacular 21-mile lookout trail can be done as an easy-to-medium overnighter, bringing you face-to-face with the torres and a turgid glacial lake. You might spot flamingos or guanaco (a cousin of the llama). Want more? Try the famous 63-mile Paine Circuit.

Lynn Schnaiberg, a Chicago-based writer, is a regular contributor to iExplore.

Top 10 Climbs

Top 10 Climbs - Travel - National Geographic: "Climbs"

From the National Geographic book The 10 Best of Everything

1. Mount Khuiten, Mongolia

   In Mongolia, it’s easy for a traveler to be quickly swept away by the endless green steppes, the heartiness of the Kazakh nomads, and the rolling landscapes that define the Altai Mountains. This makes the trek to Mount Khuiten as enjoyable and scenic as the climb itself.
   The mountain straddles the corners of Russia, China and Mongolia. To reach it, trekkers must cross a golden, vast, and barren landscape that is one of the last remote regions on Earth. This remarkable journey is enhanced by the gentle hospitality of the Kazakh nomads.

2. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

   Flat-topped Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain. Located on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya, the mountain is made up of three extinct volcanoes, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. The highest peak, Uhuru, is 19,340 feet (5,899 meters) high.
   Reaching the top of Kilimanjaro is exhilarating. Take the Machame Route up so you can see the region’s wonderful animals and birds. Then you’ll begin the trek across the Shira Plateau through the Grand Barranco Canyon and on to the top. If all goes as planned, you’ll reach Stella Point with a chance to continue around Kibo’s rim to Uhuru.

3. The Andes, Peru

   The Inca Trail is an in-depth journey through a variety of ecosystems, from plains to desert to tropical cloud forests. You’ll pass views of snowcapped mountains and rushing rivers. The highlight is Machu Picchu, the famed lost city of the Inca that was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Then continue your trek to what was the heart and soul of the Inca Empire, Cusco.

4. Mount Everest, Nepal

   Rising 29,035 feet (8,856 meters) above sea level, Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. For decades, reaching the top of this giant has been considered one of the greatest mountaineering achievements. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay accomplished this feat in 1953 when they approached the peak along the South Col route. Since then, more than 2,000 others have made ascents through South Col. It is, by far, the most successfully climbed route on the mountain.

5. The Matterhorn, Switzerland

   Nestled in the Swiss Alps, the Matterhorn is the most recognized mountain on the European continent. In the shape of a roughly chiseled rock pyramid, this peak serves as a defining geographical landmark. For many climbers, ascending the Matterhorn, the birthplace of the sport of mountaineering, represents a return to the purist traditions of climbing.
   
   
   From the National Geographic book The 10 Best of Everything

   1. Mount Khuiten, Mongolia

      In Mongolia, it’s easy for a traveler to be quickly swept away by the endless green steppes, the heartiness of the Kazakh nomads, and the rolling landscapes that define the Altai Mountains. This makes the trek to Mount Khuiten as enjoyable and scenic as the climb itself.
      The mountain straddles the corners of Russia, China and Mongolia. To reach it, trekkers must cross a golden, vast, and barren landscape that is one of the last remote regions on Earth. This remarkable journey is enhanced by the gentle hospitality of the Kazakh nomads.

   2. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

      Flat-topped Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest mountain. Located on Tanzania’s northern border with Kenya, the mountain is made up of three extinct volcanoes, Kibo, Mawenzi, and Shira. The highest peak, Uhuru, is 19,340 feet (5,899 meters) high.
      Reaching the top of Kilimanjaro is exhilarating. Take the Machame Route up so you can see the region’s wonderful animals and birds. Then you’ll begin the trek across the Shira Plateau through the Grand Barranco Canyon and on to the top. If all goes as planned, you’ll reach Stella Point with a chance to continue around Kibo’s rim to Uhuru.

   3. The Andes, Peru

      The Inca Trail is an in-depth journey through a variety of ecosystems, from plains to desert to tropical cloud forests. You’ll pass views of snowcapped mountains and rushing rivers. The highlight is Machu Picchu, the famed lost city of the Inca that was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Then continue your trek to what was the heart and soul of the Inca Empire, Cusco.

   4. Mount Everest, Nepal

      Rising 29,035 feet (8,856 meters) above sea level, Everest is the highest mountain on Earth. For decades, reaching the top of this giant has been considered one of the greatest mountaineering achievements. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay accomplished this feat in 1953 when they approached the peak along the South Col route. Since then, more than 2,000 others have made ascents through South Col. It is, by far, the most successfully climbed route on the mountain.

   5. The Matterhorn, Switzerland

      Nestled in the Swiss Alps, the Matterhorn is the most recognized mountain on the European continent. In the shape of a roughly chiseled rock pyramid, this peak serves as a defining geographical landmark. For many climbers, ascending the Matterhorn, the birthplace of the sport of mountaineering, represents a return to the purist traditions of climbing.
   1. Mount Elbrus, Russia

      Dynamic in both region and terrain, Mount Elbrus stands as a watchtower in the Caucasus Mountains between Europe and Asia. Elbrus is a large, double-coned volcano, whose summits vary by about 65 feet (20 meters). For the climber with moderate skills, the highest mountain in Europe has great appeal because it presents a strenuous, yet rewarding climb. The mountain’s location affords visitors excellent opportunities to see the region’s large melting pot of ethnic groups, such as Turkish, Georgian, Azeri, and Russian.

   2. Cilaltépetl and Iztaccíhuatl, Mexico

      In the heart of Mexico, about 800 miles (1,287 kilometers) south of the United States border, Citlaltépetl and and Iztaccíhuatl are the third and seventh highest mountains respectively in North America. The first is 18,406 feet (5,614 meters) tall, while the second is 17,159 feet (5,233 meters) tall. Ascents of these two volcanoes are by far the most attractive climbs in Mexico. From a distance, it’s easy to see how Iztaccíhuatl or “white woman” got its name; the snowcapped peaks look like the head, breasts, and feet of a sleeping woman.

   3. Denali, Alaska

      Mount McKinley, also called Denali in Athabascan, in Denali National Park, Alaska, at 20,320 feet (6,194 meters) is the highest mountain in North America. This massif needs no explanation as to why it should be climbed. From its base to its apex, it rises nearly 18,000 feet (5,490 meters), an elevation gain unsurpassed anywhere in the world. No other mountain offers such breathtaking and diverse views each day of an ascent.
      Mount McKinley’s tremendous size and beauty create a magnetism that continually draws climbers from around the world. Choice months for attempting Denali are May and June, before the threats of avalanches and open crevasses become too severe. The mountain provides an unforgettable experience, touching the psyche of all mountaineers who have undertaken its challenges.

   4. Annapurna, Nepal

      In terms of sheer geological and cultural diversity, a trek to Nepal’s Annapurna region is unbeatable. By circumnavigating the giant Himalaya, you’ll see everything from lush bamboo forests to arid high mountain landscapes. Most visitors here climb over the famous Thorung La (17,599 feet; 5,368 meters). The hike into this glorious mountain pass rewards one with spectacular blazes of orange as the sun rises, casting the white Himalayan peaks in a fiery glow.

   5. Damavand, Iran

      The Elburz Mountains stand huge and stunning as they lean against the Caspian Sea northeast of Tehran. Damavand’s peaks range in altitude from 18,400 feet (5,612 meters) to more than 19,000 feet (5,795 meters). Steam rises from the hot springs and fumaroles that pockmark this dormant volcano, and two small glaciers provide dazzling views.

10 of Ontario's Best Hiking Trails

10 of Ontario's Best Hiking Trails - AOL Travel Canada: "10 of Ontario's Best Hiking Trails
Source: explore Magazine

Ontario is a hiker's paradise with thousands of kms of trails. (iStock)

1. High Falls Trail

Petroglyphs Provincial Park

(near Peterborough), 16 km return

Not surprisingly, most people head to Petroglyphs to check out the Aboriginal rock carvings, and they totally overlook this primo walk through the woods. The trail winds through a mixed forest—with hefty cedars, maples and birch—and features rocky outcrops and boardwalk wetland crossings. The star of the show comes at trail’s end—a pretty cascade over tiered slabs of Canadian Shield.

2. Gibson Lake Trail

Frontenac Provincial Park

(near Kingston), 26 km return

Hike as far north as possible in Frontenac and you’ll end up on the Gibson Lake Loop, the most spectacular of the park’s trails come autumn. Beginning from the parking lot at Big Salmon Lake, the journey runs from a barren-looking landscape of rock and wetland to progressively more rolling terrain and mature forest. You’ll pass plenty of lakes, lookouts, beaver dams and pockets of human history—old homesteads, reclaimed farmlands and lumber camp remnants. Wildlife sightings guaranteed.

3. Baker Trail

Massasauga Provincial Park

(near Parry Sound), 6 km loop

Somewhat of a ghost-walk, the Baker Trail begins at the Calhoun Lodge, a restored cottage-slash-museum, and leads to the gravesite of Thomas Baker and his early-1900s homestead. Baker toiled here for four decades raising cattle and growing vegetables, and you’ll see what’s left of his home, barn and overgrown fields. There’s also an extensive heron rookery. Trail access is by water, a seven-kilometre paddle from Woods Bay Marina, where day-use parking is available. (Canoes and kayaks can be rented locally.)

4. Fire Tower Trail

Restoule Provincial Park

(near North Bay), 8 km loop

Back in 1954, a 300-foot-plus granite cliff south of Lake Nipissing seemed the perfect perch for a fire tower. Today the tower is closed but the cliff remains a fabulous lookout for spotting fall colours. Getting there is a pleasure too—first through a plantation of towering red pines and mixed forest, then up a steep climb to the cliff’s peak.

5. Under the Volcano Trail

Neys Provincial Park

(near Marathon), 4 km return

A great volcano once blew its stack on what is now the shoreline of Lake Superior, before eventually collapsing and being bulldozed by a passing glacier. So what’s at sea level today was the very belly of the beast about 600 million years ago. This trail takes you on a tour of the magma chamber, where you’ll find one of the largest collections of volcanic alkaline rock in North America—rectangles of pink feldspar, crystals of bright red natrolite and shiny black prisms of amphibole embedded in the smooth grey nepheline.

— Sue Lebrecht

And five more...

6. Brent Crater Trail

(Algonquin Provincial Park, 2 km loop)

A short hike to a 450-year-old meteorite crater.

7. Bluff Trail

(Awenda Provincial Park, 13 km loop)

A high-bluff, low-wetland combo.

8. Cobre Lake Trail

(Mississagi Provincial Park, 11 km loop)

Demanding trek with high points, stands of old-growth white pine and remnants of mining activity.

9. Spicebush Trail

(Rondeau Provincial Park, 1.5 km loop)

Short but sweet, literally, thanks to spicebush fragrance, birdsong and exotic-looking Carolinian tree species.

10. Awausee Trail

(Lake Superior Provincial Park, 10 km return)

A hike through a forested valley carved by glacial meltwater, including spectacular fall views from four lookouts.

For more info: www.ontarioparks.com; Provincial Parks Trail Guide, Allen MacPherson, published by Boston Mills Press ($19.95).

For more adventure and travel stories, subscribe to explore magazine"

Now growing up in Thunder Bay (in "northern Ontario") means these hikes are generally in the south. One notable missing hike is the Sleeping Giant Provincial Park's Chimney Trail and the circum Giant Kabeyun trail. I have skiied/snowshoed the Kabeyun trail ~27km in 6 hrs and run it in 3 hrs. I have also paddled around the Giant where we sailed down the west side, downwind in about half an hour. In the magazine Superior Outdoors, there was a story about a pair of guys who skated to the Sleeping Giant - http://www.superioroutdoors.ca/Winter_08_digital_mag/index.html.

Climbs for the Rest of Us

Climbs for the Rest of Us: Southwest Ridge, Canada | GORP.com: "Top Ten Less-Extreme Rock Climbing Routes
Southwest Ridge, Canada
By Cameron M. Burns

On the mountain (Cameron Burns)

Southwest Ridge: Mount Temple, Canadian Rockies, Alberta

Mount Temple is often referred to as the "Eiger of the Canadian Rockies," because when viewed from the tourist mecca of Lake Louise, the 5,000-foot-high north face resembles—if only slightly—Europe's most famous north face. Mount Temple's north face certainly is one of Canada's most popular goals for the hard-core mountaineering crowd, but there are other routes on the mountain, including perhaps the easiest "classic" climb in the Rockies, the Southwest Ridge.

This route starts south of Lake Louise in the fantastically beautiful Valley of the Ten Peaks (depicted on the back of the Canadian $20 bill), works its way up the southern slopes to the crest of the Southwest Ridge, then follows the ridge to the glaciated summit. From here, there are outrageous views in all directions, as Mount Temple is one of the Rockies' highest peaks.

The great thing about the Southwest Ridge is that it offers the beginning mountaineer a little bit of everything: altitude, scrambling, and glacier travel across the summit ice field.

It's a stimulating mixture that will challenge but not destroy.

Just the Facts

First ascent: S. Allen, F. Frissel, Walter Wilcox, 1894

Time required: 1/2 day

Technical grade: IV, Class 4

References:Selected Alpine Climbs in the Canadian Rockiesby Sean Dougherty

Read more:http://www.gorp.com/hiking-guide/travel-ta-alberta-rock-climbing-mountaineering-sidwcmdev_060526.html#ixzz161Z2ItF6

Cam Burns on the summit of El Pico de Orizaba (Cameron Burns)

Jamapa Glacier: El Pico de Orizaba, Mexico

Although most of us think of margaritas, hot salsa, and warm beaches when the topic of Mexico comes up, Mexico is also the home of the third highest mountain in North America, El Pico de Orizaba.

Third only to 20,320-foot Denali (aka Mount McKinley) in Alaska, and 19,850-foot Mount Logan in the Canadian Yukon, El Pico de Orizaba is a magnificent section of the earth's crust, jutting almost 18,700 feet from the edge of the Gulf of Mexico into the skies over Veracruz.

While all three mountains are tall, it's the contrasts, rather than the few feet of altitude, that really separate Mexico's highest mountain from the other two peaks.

Denali and Logan are sought after by hard-core mountaineers and require pretty big wads of gear, money, and time to ascend. El Pico de Orizaba is relatively simple, and those with no mountaineering experience can easily get up the mountain given time and determination. The Jamapa Glacier is the most direct, and the easiest route to get you there.

Most important of all, perhaps, the views of Veracruz's beaches from the Jamapa Glacier will keep you motivated to get the mountain "done" fast, so you can focus on sun, sand, and margaritas.

Just the Facts

First ascent: American soldiers, 1848

Time required: 1 full day from the Octavio Alvarez Hut

Technical grade: Alpine Ice 2 (Steep hike)

References:Mexico's Volcanoesby R. J. Secor

Read more:http://www.gorp.com/hiking-guide/travel-ta-mexico-mountaineering-sidwcmdev_060527.html#ixzz161Z8KEKv

Mount Kenya from the west (Cameron Burns)

Normal Route (Southeast Face): Mount Kenya, Kenya

Mount Kenya has the reputation of being the hard mountain, while Kilimanjaro is the walk-up. But that commonly held assessment isn't totally correct. Kilimanjaro boasts many walk-ups, but it also offers the most difficult high-altitude climb in all of Africa (the Breach Wall, first climbed by Rheinhold Messner in 1978). On Mount Kenya, there are plenty of hard routes, but there's also the Normal Route, which offers easy, straightforward rock climbing up to the peak's needle-like, 17,200-foot summit.

Most of the climb is a lot easier than the overall rating of 5.7+. In fact, it's mainly a scramble. But when you throw in a little altitude, and the fact that you'll want to carry a sleeping bag and bivouac en route, Mount Kenya becomes a fun but rewarding challenge.

From the mountain's twin summits of Batian (17,058 feet) and Nelion (17,021 feet), all of Kenya opens up before you, from the distant Aberdare Mountains to the smog-topped metropolis of Nairobi.

The most adventurous aspect of climbing Mount Kenya, however, is the approach hike through the forests. Wandering through bamboo jungles where elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and buffalo are present is awe-inspiring—if not, at times, a little frightening.

Just the Facts

First ascent: Eric Shipton and Percy Wyn Harris, 1929

Time required: 1to 2 full days

Technical grade: IV, 5.7+, with some easy ice climbing

References:Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya: A Climbing and Trekking Guideby Cameron M. Burns

More onMount Kenya

Details onAfrica's Other Mountains

Read more:http://www.gorp.com/hiking-guide/travel-ta-rock-climbing-kenya-mountaineering-sidwcmdev_060528.html#ixzz161ZEuUhn

The French Alps

Frontier Ridge: Mount Maudit Alps, France

Also known as simply "the Kuffner," the Frontier Ridge on Mount Maudit is a mixed snow, ice, and rock ridge with a stunning position. First climbed in 1887, this climb takes you easily through wonderful scenery to a spiky summit with excellent views of Mount Blanc. While the route holds a very easy grade, it's no giveaway. It's real climbing at a high elevation, and even experienced climbers stay roped up for most of the route.

George Mallory—the famed Everest pioneer—did the third ascent of the Kuffner in 1911. Mallory was so impressed with the quality of the route that he later wrote an account of his ascent and waxed lyrical about the route, the nature of summits, and why we push ourselves toward them: "Have we vanquished an enemy? None but ourselves. Have we gained success? That word means nothing here. Have we won a kingdom? No...and yes. We have achieved an ultimate satisfaction...fulfilled a destiny.... To struggle and to understand—never this last without the other; such is the law....

It was, some writers have observed, a foreshadowing of that great epithet to come: "Because it's there.

Just the Facts

First ascent: M. Kuffner, A. Burgener, Josef Furrer, 1887.

Time required: 10 hours round-trip from the Torino or Cosmiques Hut

Technical grade: Alpine Ice 3

References:Mont Blanc Massif, Vol. I, by Lindsay Griffin

Read more:http://www.gorp.com/hiking-guide/travel-ta-european-alps-mountaineering-france-sidwcmdev_060529.html#ixzz161ZIfYzU

Cuillin Ridge

Cuillin Ridge: The Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK

Skye's Cuillin Ridge doesn't have the attributes you find on most classic climbing routes. First, it's not really a climb, but a long ridge traverse. Second, it's pretty low (the highest peak, Sgurr Alasdair is a mere 3,255 feet high). And third, it's not even in the Alps, but the remote Scottish islands, the Inner Hebrides.

But what the Cuillin Ridge lacks in height and alpine environment is more than made up for in other ways. The ridge is seven miles in length and offers sustained scrambling and easy rock-climbing along a narrow and frequently knife-edge crest.

Much of the route is climbed solo, but only the most confident will avoid roping up for some climbing sections, or rappelling some of the steeper descents. More than 30 rocky peaks have to be traversed on the ridge, above shear mountain "corries" (amphitheaters) rising straight from sea-level—no margin for error here. In general the rock is rough, solid gabbro, but this is a mountain expedition and all kinds of terrain are encountered.

Pulling off a successful traverse depends less on technical skills than it does on physical and mental stamina and a keen mountain sense of where you are and where you're going. More importantly, good weather is critical. Skye is notoriously misty and wet. (Ironically, dehydration—there is little or very little drinkable water on the ridge—has also ended many attempts.) And few of those who attempt the Cuillin Ridge without any prior knowledge of the ridge complete it on their first try, but thankfully, easy escapes are possible from the route in a number of places.

The ridge is usually attempted from a bivouac on Gars-bheinn, a peak at the southern end of the ridge, and finished, usually in the dark, on Sgurr nan Gillean, a peak at the northern end. The record for "running" the ridge is currently 3 hours, 32 minutes.

Just the Facts

First traverse: L. Shadbolt and A. McLaren, June 1911

Time required: 4 hours to bivouac on Gars-bheinn, 12 to 14 hours for the ridge, 3 hours descent from Sgurr nan Gillean

Technical grade: Class 4 with a few sections of 5.2 and 5.3

References:Skye Scramble, by Noel Williams, Scottish Mountaineering Club

Read more:http://www.gorp.com/weekend-guide/travel-ta-rock-climbing-scotland-sidwcmdev_060530.html#ixzz161ZMOobL

South Face "Via Classica": Marmolada di Penia, Dolomites, Italy

The south face of the Marmolada comprises a single, massive, limestone wall, nearly two miles wide and 2,600 feet high, rising to an elevation of almost 11,000 feet.

The summit of the mountain had already been attained from the north, but in 1901, a 42-year-old English woman became infatuated with the Marmaloda's South Face.

Beatrice Tomasson was a mountaineer with an eye for a good line. She hired a guide who climbed the initial chimneys of what was to become the Via Classica to investigate whether the line was feasible, but the guide descended and the route remained unclimbed. In June of 1902, Tomasson returned, hiring two more guides who probed another line without success. The following month, she returned a third time with two more guides and was rewarded with success on the original line, forcing their 2,000-foot climb, up and down in a single day.

This is one of Europe's most cherished classics. The lower part of the route follows chimneys, both tight and wide, while the upper section is straightforward rock climbing. (Rock quality does deteriorate, however.) Stonefall is a danger, so a helmet is essential, and the route should be avoided if crowded. On the sunny south face it is easy to be lulled into a false sense of security, but this is very much an alpine environment. There is snow on the summit and a glacier below the north face, and the Marmolada's altitude attracts bad weather. But if you go prepared, you'll be rewarded with one of Italy's best climbing experiences.

Just the Facts

First ascent: M. Bettega, B. Tomasson, B. Zagonel, 1902

Time required: About 10 hours round-trip from the Rifugio Falier (hut).

Technical grade: Some pitches of 5.6, but mainly 5.5 or easier

References:Classic Dolomite Climbs, by Annette Kohler and Nteorbert Memmel

Read more:http://www.gorp.com/hiking-guide/travel-ta-rock-climbing-mountaineering-italy-dolomites-dolomite-region-sidwcmdev_060531.html#ixzz161ZQiZJW"


I have had a chance to climb Mt. Temple, SW Ridge which is practically in my backyard. We dealt with late season snow in early September and a talus slog at the top but a great Rockies peak.


As well, had a chance to climb Mt. Orizaba in November 2002 and although I suffered with the altitude and the cold I brought with me, we battled through the vertical ascent to get to the top of Mexico.