A recent exchange with Vitaly M. got me thinking about 'Full Value routes'. We both mentioned routes we felt were much more grueling than the famous Liberty Ridge on Mt. Rainier. These are routes my friends refer to as 'Full Value’. With the proliferation of ‘classic’ or ‘select’ guide books, (most of my guides are of this nature), many of these routes are well known. What are some ‘Full Value’ routes that you feel are ‘undervalued’ or don’t get the traffic they deserve?
Here is my selection, which in my mind is equal to all the alpine rock routes I’ve done anywhere given the price of admission:
Colchuck Peak, Northeast Buttress http://www.summitpost.org/northeast-buttress/168476
2,500 feet
Grade IV
5.10- (Two moves of 5.10, the rest is no harder than 5.
Glacier approach and descent
May – September
Doable in a day but also good (but limited by permit) camping high above the lake, below the pocket glacier on rock slabs amid pretty meadows.
Report http://www.summitpost.org/northeast-buttress-of-colchuck-peak/689764