NE Ridge

Overview

A long, mostly rock scramble directly up from Holden Village. It provides over 5000 feet of vertical pleasure.

Getting There

From Holden, follow the Honeymoon Heights trail until you reach a prominent avalanche chute heading straight up. Follow this, mostly easy with a few 3rd class moves, to where it splits. I went left, then exited the gully left onto the ridge at about 6000 feet. The exit moves are a bit dicey due to bad rock, so the right fork could also be worth a try. Once you're on the ridge proper, it will look like it deadends in a 500 foot cliff. Have faith and follow the ridgeline proper to 6700' and you will reach Molly's Gash, the point where the prominent, straight gully on the East face meets the ridge. The climb starts here.

Route Description

Basically just follow the ridge all the way to the summit. The worst part is the first few hundred feet from the Gash, definitely 4th class or even low 5th on licheny rock. The going eases up by the time you reach the next major tower at 7200', where the ridge turns slightly right. Easy scrambling leads to an obvious overhanging tower with an escape gully leading forward, left, and down. Go down this to a heather slope on the East face and traverse past the difficulties. It looks like the ridge has several more gendarmes, so I traversed quite a ways before heading back up, but it turns out the the West side of the ridge at this point is gentle, allowing one to bypass all but the first few of these quite easily. Once you're back on the ridge, it's an easy jaunt to the summit.

Descend via the East face or SE glacier.

Essential Gear

Some might want rock gear for the lower stretch, or maybe an ice ax for the descent in early season. Other than that just plenty of water since you don't have a chance to refill until hitting snowmelt on the way down.